James and Clara Mae Vaal will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 25.

James Vaal and Clara Mae Ebert were married on Oct. 22, 1960, at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church in Ferdinand. The Rev. David Duesing, O.S.B. officiated.

The bride chose her sister, Irma Jean (Ebert) Marks as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Rita (Ebert) Goeppner, sister of the bride and Norma (Vaal) Amos, Kathy (Vaal) Hopf and Connie (Vaal) Hildenbrand, sisters of the groom. The groom chose his brother, Raymond (deceased) as best man. Groomsmen were Thomas Vaal, cousin of the groom, Frederick Ebert, Kenneth Fleck (deceased) and Alan Weyer, cousins of the bride.

The Vaal’s have seven children: Debra Brunsman of Huntingburg, Cheryl Satterfield of Velpen, Robert Vaal of French Lick, Gayle Beard of Ferdinand, Julie Hanebutt of Huntingburg, Jay Vaal of Olney, Illinois, and Scott Vaal of Jasper.

Mr. Vaal retired from North Spencer School Corporation in 1993, and from the Jasper Herald Company in 2013. Mrs. Vaal retired from Aristokraft in 1998 and St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2004.