Whidbey Islanders Ted and Naomi Brinkman recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas, Nev. While there, they attended the wedding of their first grandchild.

The Brinkmans’ sons treated them to a two-night stay at the Palazzo Las Vegas Hotel and tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s “Mystere” at Treasure Island.

The couple was married on June 13, 1958 in Seattle.

Ted was born in Den Hague, the Netherlands, and came to the United States in 1957 to attend Bethel Bible College in Seattle where he met Naomi Earlywine.

She was born in Seattle and graduated from Tolt High School, Edison Technical College and Bethel Bible College.

After graduating, Ted served as pastor of several churches in Washington, the Netherlands and Idaho.

He retired from ministry in 1980 for health reasons but has taken a number of mission trips, including six months that the Brinkmans spent in Uganda teaching at Yesu Akwagala Bible College.

Ted and Naomi came to Whidbey Island in 1981 where Ted was employed at Whidbey Telephone Company until retiring in 2000.

Naomi worked for the city of Langley, the House of Prayer and the Langley Clinic.

The couple raised four sons and have 11 grandchildren.