The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-04-08
A Golden. wedding.


| sorbing business of politics, some with
chandise, an event occurred in this city
that deserves more than passing
notice. Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph Beezley,
two aged and honored Oregon pioneers,
surrounded by more than a score of their
children, grandchildren, and great
grandchildren, celebrated their golden
wedding. 1t was happy gathering,
but one withal, whose cup of Joy, like
every other put to human lips, con-
tanned ingredients of sadness, for eyes
looked love into other eyes that in the
course of nature must soon be closed in
death, and the event that had gathered
them together could never be repeated
in this world again. Fifty years ago,
yesterday, Joseph Beezley and Mary
Jane Barr plighted their faith to each
other, at the marriage altar. in the little
years of happy welded life that have
passed since then, have proven that this,
at least, was one of the marriages that
poets say are made in heaven.
What retrospect these so years
must afford OF the twelve children
land where sorrow and death never
enter, and one of these was tearfully
laid to rest by the lonely hillside, while
its parents were Drawing the hardships
of the way from their eastern home to
the land OF the setting sun. Mr.. Beezley
was born at Springfield, Ohio, in 1919.
He comes of distinguished parentage,
tracing his lineage back to the Pilgrims.
His grandfather was a general in the
British army, and his father added new
honors to the name by his marriage to
Phoebe Reeves, of Virginia. Fourteen
children were born TO this pair of whom
Joseph was the twelveth.
In thespring following the death of his
father and mother, in 1851, Mr.. Beezley,
with his wife and children, started on
the long and perilous trip to Oregon in
company with Col. I. r. Moores, sen.
The journey was attended with all the
trials, hardships and losses incident to
all immigrants at that time. The party
arrived at Fort Dalles on October 18th,
1852, after seven months of continuous
travel. The winter of 1928 was very
severe and all the. cattle Mr.. Beezley
was possessed of persisted, but nothing
dismayed, in the following September
he purchased hundred head of cattle
in Clatsop Plains, which he shipped in a
sailboat for sixty miles up the Columbia
and drove to the valley of the Umpqua,
where he made his home for eight years.
After suffering loss of So 10000 through
endorsing another mans note, he re-
moved to Benton county in 1862. At
the close of three years residence in
Benton county, he moved his family and
effects across the mountains and bought
squatter's right to homestead claim
on Fifteen Mile creek, now owned by
A. j. Dufur, jr. Here he continued sue
cessfully in the horse and sheep bust
ness till the year 1879, when he sold out
at a profitable figure and moved his
family to The Dalles, where he has since
resided.
During residence of ne arly forty
years in this state, Mr.. Beezley could be
reckoned among its most public spirited
citizens. Ever foremost in every good
work that tended to advance the moral
and religious wellbeing of his fellow
citizens, many an institution of learning
and struggling church or still more
struggling pastor, owes him debts of graft
tude that never can be rewarded this
side that land where the giving of cup
OF water, to lips that are thirsty, never
fails of its reward. During all these
long and weary years of joy and sorrow,
OF toll and rest, of trial and triumph, his
wife has been a true and faithful help
mate, tender and indulgent mother,
and faithful friend and neighbor.
| If the saying of the psalmist is true
that children are the heritage of the
Lord, then this aged couple, who, hand
in hand, have trod life's pathway for
half century, are richly blessed with a
goodly heritage. There were present
with them yesterday, three of their four
living children. their daughter Elizabeth
(Mrs. Fred Smith) alone being absent !;
nine of their twelve grandchildren and
three great grandchildren, besides the
wives OF their two sons and the husband
of their daughter Alma. The following
is the list of names: William Beezley
and wife, ]. Franklin Beezley, wife and
two children; G. B. Simpson, wife
(Alma G. BeezleyJ and two children !;
Henry Smith, wife and two children !;
Mrs. L. B. Seal MARY E. Smith), Ed
ward ]. smith, Raymond F. Smith, and
j. @. Oliphant and wife elsie M.
Smith). Quite number of friends called
during the day and evening, bringing
/ suitabIe and vaIpahla ,-aso,4