Ron and Jan
Pinkham

Don and Janice
Howland

OXFORD — Twin sisters Jan Pinkham and Janice Howland and their husbands, Ron and Don, celebrated their 50th anniversaries together June 13 with a gathering of 90 friends, family and former parishioners at the Grace Baptist Church on Paris Hill.
The party was hosted by Evelyn Donovan, a longtime family friend, who was part of the Rev. Ron Pinkham’s congregation when he pastored the church on Paris Hill, then known as Paris Hill Bible Church, and by the Pinkhams’ daughter, Lori Sardinas, and son, Jim Pinkham. The cake was created by Michelle Flynn, another family friend.
Janice and Janet Robertson were born minutes apart on Aug. 13, 1938, in Brewer and grew up in South Freeport, two of the nine children of the late James and Velma Robertson. Janice married Don Howland Aug. 23, 1958, at Immanuel Baptist Church in Cambridge, Mass. Janet married Ron Pinkham on June 20, 1959 at First Baptist Church of Portland.
The Pinkhams have two children, Lori and Jim, and five grandchildren. The Howlands are the parents of Don, Janet, Debbie and Kathy, and have 12 grandchildren. Jan has been a sales representative for the Fuller Brush Co. in recent years and also has extensive background as an administrative assistant.
Janice is currently a loan officer at a federal credit union in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she and Don reside. Both have long been and continue to be active in the churches their husbands have pastored and attended, as well as in numerous volunteer activities.
The Rev. Pinkham, of Oxford, is a retired pastor currently active, along with Jan, in both the Webbs Mills Baptist Church and Grace Baptist Church. He has pastored the Richmond Corner Baptist Church, Oxford Bible Chapel, Paris Hill Bible Church and Galilee Baptist Church of Gorham. Prior to entering full-time ministry, he also worked for many years as an agent and manager with the Christian Mutual Life Insurance Co. of Concord, N.H.
The Howlands, retired missionaries with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, have served congregations in Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, Mexico and the Dominican Republic and are currently involved in serving a Hispanic congregation of Messianic Jews. Don also drives a school bus.
Although none of the original wedding attendants were able to be on hand Saturday, the occasion did include 17 of the Robertson siblings and their extended families. The Pinkhams and Howlands are following up their celebration by vacationing together in Maine and on Prince Edward Island.