Bob and Phyllis Longnecker of Bradford are celebrating 50 years of marriage. The former Phyllis Ann Tanty and Robert “Bob” Longnecker exchanged vows on May 29, 1971, at St. Bernard Church with the Rev Mike Grady officiating, followed by a wedding reception hosted by the bride’s parents at The Antonian Hall in Lewis Run.
The couple honeymooned in Gettysburg and first settled in Erie, before eventually returning home to Bradford so they could raise their children surrounded by their grandparents and dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins.
Bob retired in 2005 from a teaching career at Otto Eldred High School, and is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, serving his country in Vietnam from 1966-1967. Phyllis left teaching in 2010 after working for several years at School Street Junior High and Bradford Area High School.
In their early retirement, the couple worked as a team, to take care of their aging parents for several years. Now, the Longneckers enjoy taking walks together on the Richard E. McDowell Community Trail and going on day trips throughout Western and Central PA and upstate New York. Phyllis enjoys cooking and reading. Bob likes to visit the gun shop and antique mall in Salamanca, N.Y. The Longneckers are life-long members of St. Bernard Church. The couple’s children, Emily Longnecker of Indianapolis and David Longnecker of Bradford, surprised their parents with a trip to Plymouth, Mass., where they can enjoy the beach and historic sites.
