Herman and Shirley Merritt of Natchez celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Gulf Shores, Ala., and spent their anniversary weekend at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn. The couple has two children, Blane Merritt and his wife of Memphis and Pam Bowman and her husband of Shreveport, La. They have six grandchildren. The couple was married Aug. 18, 1962, at Cloverdale Baptist Church in Natchez.