CALEB NICKERSON
CLARENDON Aug. 11, 2018
On Saturday night, family and friends gathered at Starborn Farms in Clarendon to mark a huge milestone in the lives of two beloved members of the Pontiac community.
Chris and Jeannie Judd’s 50th anniversary party was one for the books, with live music, dancing and enough food and drink for a small army.
Owned by the Judd’s youngest son, Robin and his wife Jen, the barn at Starborn was a picturesque venue, with a rustic wooden interior under elegant lighting.
Chris and Jeannie have three children, Scott, Keena and Robin, as well as nine grandchildren.
Many guests set up their lawn chairs with a view of the stage but a sizable crowd spilled out onto the lawn, within smelling distance of the roasting meat.
Chris explained that he met his bride in Ottawa, through a family connection.
“[Jeannie] and my first cousin were best friends,” he said with a grin.
He said that though she had been raised in the city, Jeannie took to life in Clarendon with gusto.
“She had no idea what she was getting into, coming up here,” he said. “But she became a farmer very quickly.”
Chris’ old school chum Elson Schock, echoed the sentiment.
“That Jeannie, she’s a hard worker,” he said.
Schock had more than a few stories about the shenanigans he and Chris used to get up to, recalling a particular little Prinz car that Chris was known for.
“He only upset it once, I think, into a snowbank,” he said, chuckling. “Chris never knew where he was going to find that car.”
Schock remembered another time when they were both cleaning manure out of Roly Armitage’s barn and came across an old sawed-off .577 Snider. Needless to say, they both had a turn shooting the gun.
After talking with many of the couple’s old friends, it became clear that Chris and Jeannie are or have been involved in too many community events and organizations to count, from St. Paul’s Anglican Church to the Hooley and even the local tractor pulling circuit.
Glenna Campbell recalled travelling with the Judds to tractor pulling events in the 1970s, fondly remembering one particular trip to London, Ont. while Jeannie was pregnant.
“We had a lot of fun with them,” she said, remembering Chris’ Super Stock John Deere.
Entertainment for the evening was provided by another old friend of the Judds, Gail Gavan, who had the dance floor filled with bodies in short order.
Chris explained that he had met Gavan many years before, as the Judds used to teach square dancing (a family tradition that Scott still maintains).
Noticing Jeannie grooving away with her friends, Gavan shouted to her, “What colour are your eyes Jeannie? Brown? Perfect!” before launching into “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison.
When asked for tips about how to maintain an intimate relationship spanning five decades, both Chris and Jeannie gave similar answers.
“Don’t go to bed mad,” Chris said. “Just argue it out and be done with it.”
“Forgiving is a big one,” Jeannie said. “You don’t have to take everything to heart.”
The pair weren’t surprised by the multitudes of well-wishers that came out to join the party.
“As Chris said on the way over here, we have lots of friends,” Jeannie remarked.
