John and Ann Howard of Mt. Vernon will observe their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday. They were married Jan. 27, 1951, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Salem by the Rev. George E. Hoffman, and have resided in Mt. Vernon their entire married lives. John is the son of the late Harold and Janie Garrott Howard of Mt. Vernon, and Ann's parents, Rollin and Gena Martin Warner of Salem, are also deceased. The Howards have three children, the Rev. Nancy Hardin (Ed) of Urbana, Ohio, John W. Howard (Cheryl) of Westfield, Ind., and Barbara Lommen (Gerald) of Ballwin, Mo. They have seven grandchildren. Friends of the family are invited to attend an open house reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at the parish hall of Trinity Episcopal Church, 11th and Harrison streets in Mt. Vernon, hosted by the children. Cards are welcome, but the couple requests that gifts be omitted