Palace visitor will help celebrate anniversary
Great grand-daughter heading home from London
A Stonehouse couple will be marking their diamond wedding anniversary with a visitor from Buckingham Palace.
Mason and Jean Stewart will welcome the special guest when their oldest great granddaughter, Hollie, who works at the Palace, comes home specially for the occasion.
In the meantime, South Lanarkshire provost Ian Mcallan and Deputy Lieutenant for Lanarkshire, Margaret Morton, visited the couple to pass on their congratulations.
The Provost presented them with a card, framed scroll, whisky and flowers from the council, while the Deputy Lieutenant officially handed over a card from The Queen.
Mason was born in Strathaven in 1934, while Jean was born in Stonehouse three years later.
They met in Strathaven through the YMCA, where Mason was a member for many years, and were married in the Congregational Church by the Rev Robert Lawson on July 6, 1957.
Mason played for the local team Glenavon and Quarter Amateurs but was a bricklayer to trade, serving his apprenticeship with Daniel Campbell, Strathaven, before working with George Wilson Stonehouse Ltd until health reasons saw him move to Daks Simpson, as security, until retirement.
Jean left Coatbridge College to work with Galloway & Macleod Ltd, in Stonehouse, for 17 years and moved on to Daks Simpson, where she worked as a cashier until her retirement.
Both have always enjoyed being involved in the community of Stonehouse, with Jean being an Elder of St Ninian’s Stonehouse LEP Church and a member of the choir, while both loved bowling and played until just last year, with Jean also being a past president of Stonehouse Green.
Jean has been regular member of OES ST Ninian’s No 89 for 62 years and has held the position of treasurer for 30 years, while Mason is a Past Master of Lodge Union 244, which he has attended regularly for 54 years.
On his retirement, he took on the position of secretary for the Pensioners Welfare Committee until 2016 and he is still a member of the committee.
Mason and Jean have two children – Graham and Anne – as well as two grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.