Lane loves renew their vows, establish a scholarship fund for their alma mater

JACKSON, Tenn. — Sallie and John Werthing came together with their friends and family Saturday to celebrate a milestone in their marriage.

“This is actually the fifth time they’ve said their wedding vows when they got married, then at 25, 40, 50 and now 65; so yes, it is a big deal,” said Gloria Werthing-Reynolds, daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Werthing.

The Werthing’s say they met in chemistry class as students at Lane College back in 1950.

“He was a little bit smarter than I was, so I pulled my chair up to get some information from him and here we are 65 years later,” said Sallie Werthing.

Mr. Werthing says that advice from a professor has helped him along the way.

“He said, ‘John, when you and Sallie get married and get angry at each other, one, go out the front door and then come back in the back door,’ so we managed to do that over the years,” said John Werthing.

Three children and seven grandchildren later, the Werthing’s say after both being teachers in Jackson-Madison County, they realize how important education is.

“Education is the key to life,” said Werthing-Reynolds. “Education is important to our family and certainly to our parents who have passed it on.”

They have decided to start the Professor John and Mrs. Sallie Werthing Scholarship Fund for deserving students at Lane College.

“This is where we met and I was helped along the way, so we want to do everything that we can to help other people and other children that may not have the finance and means to come to college,” Mr. Werthing said.

The legacy of the couple is living on within the school community as well as the lives of their friends and family.

“It’s like a fairy tale but in one word, it is blessed,” Werthing-Reynolds said. “Our parents have blessed so many lives. They’ve blessed my husband and I. We use them as a role model actually.”

John and Sallie Werthing say, they have not set a monetary goal for their scholarship fund, but just hope to raise as much money as possible. They also say, even though next year will be the first year the scholarship will be presented, they are hoping to continue to offer it to deserving Lane College students for years to come.

If you are interested in donating to the Professor John and Mrs. Sallie Werthing Scholarship Fund, you can make a check payable to:

Lane College
Office of the Annual Fund
Attn: Lisa Peoples
545 Lane Ave.
Jackson, TN 38301