Few folks ever cross the celebratory milestones Henry “Hank” Dixon and his wife, the former Jeanette Caveness, are poised to do.Yes, it’s a banner year for this couple.The Dixons are celebrating 100 years of living, and their 80th wedding anniversary later in the year.The family settled on something of a midway point for the couple’s invitation-only birthday celebration Jan. 15. Mrs. Dixon turned 100 on Dec. 5 and her husband will do so on Feb. 6. The Dixons, formerly of Silver Lake, now call Akron’s Rockynol Retirement Community home.Born in western Texas, the lovebirds met at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, and said their “I do’s” four years later on Sept. 5, 1932, in Tahoka, Texas. “The first time I saw her, I knew I wanted her to be my wife,” Dixon declared in an earlier interview.They’ve slowed down considerably in recent years, said their daughter, Dr. Jan Dixon of Sedalia, Colo. But what a legacy of good times and rich history they’ve carved out.“He was a chemist at Goodrich before moving to management,” Jan Dixon said. He retired with 38 years of service in 1972. .“He was quite the woodworker who made a lot of furniture,” said longtime friend Kathryn Motz Hunter, formerly of Silver Lake and now of Hudson. “I still have the beautiful chest of drawers he made for me.”Jan Dixon treasures the grandfather clock he made as a wedding present for her.Hank Dixon also was a big fisherman.“Mom was always a great cook who loved entertaining,” her daughter said. “She was also known for her beautiful needlepoint and hooked rugs and she did a lot of volunteering at Akron Children’s Hospital and Akron City Hospital.“Both of them gardened and golfed a lot.”In addition to Jan, the Dixons have three other children — Dr. R.H. Dixon of Bath, Maine; Dr. W.C. Dixon of Portland, Ore.; and James Dixon of Denver — seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or emailed at jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com Because of the large number of folks living to be 100, she is not able to feature all of them. She chose to spotlight the Dixons because both husband and wife are reaching that milestone. Area centenarians are encouraged to share their events in the Sunday Beacon Journal. For information, go to www.ohio.com/about and click on Beacon Journal Forms and 100th Birthday.