Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-01-13
Golden Wedding.


friends assembled at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Francis II. Bonham in the
town of Lancaster, December 23d, 1880,
to celebrate the golden wedding of this
aged couple, well known in this section
OF the state; and your correspondent
was happily numbered among the
guests. 1t occurred on the same day of
the week as their marriage, fifty years
ago. Mr.. Bonham, although seventy
four years of age, is hale and vigorous,
and has his faculties exceedingly we'll
preserved. His hearty look, retentive
memory, almost undimmed eve, and
ready hearing, might easily cause him
to be mistaken for a man of sixty wears
He converses with the facility of per-
son in the prime of life. Mrs. Mary
Ann Bonham is her husbands junior by
six years, and her appearance indicates
that she belongs to a family of unusual
longevity. Mr. Bonham was born in
Wythe county, Va, moved with the
family when a child to the vicinity of
Knoxville, in eastern Tennessee. and
subsequently to the state of Missouri
Mrs. Bonham was born in Shelby coun-
ty, Ky. They were married in Pike
county, Mo-, December 23d, 1880. came
to Wisconsin when it was territory,
and settled upon the farm that has been
their home ever since. Were it not for
the limited space that can be allotted
for the purpose of this article, it would
be the pleasure of your correspondent to
write at length of the many pleasant
features of that reunion in the old home
that has become the center Of so many
fond recolleetions, where children and
childrens' children met to pay honor to
the aged sire and matron, whose lives
have mingled ike welded streams and
flowed on together in happy accord for
half century, and whose - Hoary heads
are crowns of glory 1t was an occa-
sion of rare interest and enjoyment.
Two daughters were present, Mrs. f. J.
UT, of Lancaster, and Mrs. NJ. r.
Brooks, of Iowa; and these were the
only children there of family of six
now living. OF the twenty-three grand
children, sixteen were present, and all
of the great-grandehildren, eight in
number. Three sons, w. ~, G. X. and
c. w. Bonham, and one daughter, Mrs.
DR.. Shelton, We're in far-off Oregon, and
could only send their regrets, accompa-
MED by tokens of undying filial affection
One sad fact, however, in connection
with this occasion, it becomes our sor-
rowful duty to mention. OF the seyen
children living but few months since,
the eldest, Mrs. Martha A. Jackson, of
Potosi left the scenes of this life before
the occurrence of this anniversary, which
she had been so fonds anticipating, and
the earthly remains lie in the burying
ground almost in sight of the home of
her merry childhood.
The gifts. entirely unexpected, were
presented by Rev. j. A. Bah, of Potosi,
in behalf of the donors, and consisted of
a large, handsome easy chair; silver
castor; two gold-lined silver salt dishes.
from j. A. Bonham. of Nevada; a FIVE
dollars gold piece from c. II. Bonham,
of Oregon; and twenty dollar gold
piece from Mrs. DR.. Shelton, of Oregon.
A golden wedding seldom occurs, and
those who were privileged TO be present
and participate in the enjoyments of the
occasion, will long remember it as de-
lightful way-mark in the pathway of the
past. Wewish many years to Mr.. and
Mrs. Bonham, and that those remaining
years may be the most happy and Sc
rene of their lives. They express their
grateful acknowledgements to the
friends who favored them with their
presence on that 50th anniversary, and
to them whose precious tokens of re-
membrance they were the happy recipi-
ents of. A. GUEST.