A 50th wedding anniversary reception will be held for Ray and Beth Nelsen at 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1290 Thompson Road, Coos Bay. Those who know the couple and would like to congratulate them are welcome to attend.

Ray Nelsen and Beth Young were married Sept. 26, 1959, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kalispell, Mont. Shortly after their marriage they moved to Havre in north central Montana, where their two sons were born. They lived there for five years while Ray went to college and worked as a bricklayer. Their next move was to Medicine Lake, Mont., where Ray taught English, history and was a track and basketball coach for three years. In 1967, they moved to North Bend, where Ray continued his teaching career and coaching track for 27 years. He retired from teaching in 1994 and has worked since that time for Coldwell Banker Realty in Coos Bay.

Beth was a housewife and mother until the move to North Bend, where she went to work for The Hub department store for 12 years. She worked for the next eight years for Coast Wine and Beer Distributors and finished her working career at North Bend High School as a student assistant. She is active in The Red Hat Society, Coast Quilters and Coos Stichery group. Both Ray and Beth are involved in their church where they have been members since 1989.

Ray and Beth have two sons and their spouses, Mike and JoAnn of Molalla and Ken and Katie of Lancaster, Calif.; and five grandchildren, D.J., Corey and Cameron (identical twins), Matthew and Cami Mae; and one great- grandson, Kaeden.