The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-12-01
A Golden Couple.
Continued from first Daoe)

This girl was an expert in spinning both
wool and flax and weaving the same into
clotl and making into garments. In after
years. many suit of clothes this girl made
for the writer of this and his family, both
male and female. This girl grew up to
womanhoOd the social equal OF any young
lady in the county.
This young lady's name was Laura r.
Aiken.
Fifty years ago tonight, Nov. 25, 1913,
Clarke Whelan and Laura II. Aiken were
joined together in the holy bonds of matr-
mony and commenced the struggle of life
together.
Fifty years. What a long time to look
backwad-what long time to look for
ward. Probably not one couple IN q thou
sand live together fifty years as man and
wife.
In the spring of 1874 Mr.. and Mrs.
Whelan left the home nest of Mis-. Whelan's
father for their farm about SIX or seven
miles away, three miles north of Oberlin,
Ohio. But they went with cheerful hearts,
looking forward to the time when they
should own home of their own. They
moved all their personal effects OH wagon
drawn by the yoke of cattle Mr. Whean
bought with his first earnings. But they
had enough, when we take into cOnsdera-
palace but a log house, perhaps 14Xl6.
No stove, just an open fireplace to cook by,
with no bedrooms or pantry. l think
younger sister went with them, and they
did not reach thier new home until about
dark, owing to the the terrible condition of
the roads. Mud foot deep and part of the
way through the woods. 1t took them so
long to 60 they must have all gotten home
sick. have heard it said, like Jacob of
old, the three lifted up their voices and
wept. And what made it still worse, there
was family who had agreed to vacate still
in the house.
Well, they paid for their fifty acre farm,
but it was up hill work all the way through.
The farm had to be cleared of the forests,
money was scarce, the products OF the farm
cheap and labor was very low.
remember Of Mr. Whelan working by
the day making slaves, going one and half
or two miles and getting into the woods
ready to commence work by daylight in the
morning, for IS cents day and board him
self. That was in the good old times when
we had tariff for revenue only.
After living on their farm a few years
they came t. the conclusion that il was too
small, so they sold it and bought larger
one OF about ninety acres. A few years
after buying the ninety acre farm, they
hired out to work in the woods for neigh
Dor, he to oversee gang of men, to make
slaves, cut cord wood, cut ship logs and saw
the logs into ship plank, clear land, split
rails, etc. When say oversee, want TO
say no man did more than the boss. Mrs.
Whelan did all the work in the house, cook
ing and washing for all of them. She did
not need any help; she always kept her end
OF the whiffietree even up.
In ha
years, they built new house and moved
back on their ninety acre farm, but it was
too small and they sold it and purchased
larger one. Living on this a number of
years and building a nice brick house, their
children needing better advantage than q
district school could give, concluded to move
to Oberln. In the spring of 1864 they
moved to Oberlin, to give their children the
advantage of the schools and college at that
place. They finally sold their farm and in
the year 1867 they bought this farm, moving
on to 1t in January of that year, and have
lived in this house ever since. Two sons
came to gladden. their hearts. They also
adopted son and daughter who have grown
to manhood and wOmanhood, all living
near to cheer them in their declining years.
Mr.. and Mrs. Whean started out in life
with an object in view, and that object was
become burden to others in their declining
years, and that they might have the COM
forts OF life in their old age. The compe-
tency they have they obtained by hard work
and economy. No money was ever spent
fooishly. nor did they ever speculate in any
thing. What they have accumulated they
got by hard work. So you who hear this
paper read, especially the young, can see
what persistence and perseverance and
honesty and uprightness can accomplish.
No man or womans word was any better
than theirs. They always lived up to their
word in the strictest sense of the term.
The writer of this paper has known Mr..
and Mrs. Whelan more than fifty years,
has been intimately acquainted with them
and knows whereof he affirms."
An instrumental piano duet son Bloom
ing Meadows" by John and Edith Whelan,
by them, was very well executed
and much enjoyed.
Frank M. Whelan read an original poem
entitled I'VE Don't Know" which was full
of good ideas, well written and delivered,
and displayed the unusual ability of Mr..
Whelan in this line.
"BygOne Days, or Looking Back" was
sung by the famil 2, and Henry, Minnie and
Louie Moore concluded the entertainment
by a short orchestral selection, after which
Rev. w. Il. Woodhouse asked the divine
blessing. He said that in these days Of
divorces and separations, the happy married
life of such a couple as Mr.. and Mrs.
Whelan could be considered nothing less
than special blessing from God. He spoke
OF the exemplary life of the couple and
hoped that many blessings might crown
their declining years.
On behalf of the children he presented
Mr.. Whelan with large upholstered chair
and to Mrs. Whelan rocker of similar
make, and on behalf of different guests pre-
sented two gold headed canes to take the
place of the ones he had been using.
, John Whelan then announced dinner, and
with the old couple at the head. followed by
three other couples who Will, within three
years, celebrate their golden weddings, II
the Lord spares their lives, the dining room
was filed and refilled for the third time.
The dinner was feast and feast such as
Is seldom set before company.
After supper the time until ~ O'Clock
was spent In social intercourse and was en-
livened by violin, cOrnet and piano playing
by different ones Of the company,
To Mr.. and Mrs. Whelan have been born
tuO soma Franz and Charles Iohu Am