Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-12-13
A IrippIe Wedding.

arrived at the 50th anniversary of their
welded life. gave social reunion to
bis brothers, sister, children, grand
children and great grandchildren, on
the evening of Dec. 4th, 1901. And as
Pa and Ma were to celebrate their
golden wedding, Miss Kate Houff
thought it an appropriate time for her
to enter the matrimonial kingdom;
grand daughter, Miss BERTHE Houff,
who had been raised in the family,
thinking that if aunt Kate was going
to leave, and grandpa and grandma
were going to enter the married life
anew, she too would venture to tread
in the path so long trodden by her
venerable grandparents, and start on
life's journey on the same date with
her aunt. Thus all arrangements hav-
Ing been made, on Wednesday, the
4th inst. Mr.. w. Kenney Smith, of
Rockingham, led Miss E. Kate Houff,
and Mr.. David D. Link led Miss Ber-
tie A. Houff into the parlor of Joseph
A. Houff, where 81 relatives had as
sembIed. Joseph and his wife of fifty
years of married life gone by with Rev.
Geo. A. Shuey waiting to tie the nup-
tial knots, which was done in a very
impressive and solemn manner. The
concluding prayer was beautiful and
appropriate.
From the parlOr the brides and bride
grooms with Rev. Mr.. Shuey and wife
accompanied by host of young PEG
pie, proceeded to the dining room
where the table awaited them, groan-
ing under it's load of the finest viands
the county could produce. Not being
an expert on dress-suffice it to say
that the brides were dressed in gray
sbroad cloth which was fascinating and
pretty, the grooms wore black suits.
After the dinner was over the BRIDE
groom and bride who celebrated their
golden wedding invited the friends
and companions of their long gone by
days to partake of refreshments. This
party was led to the table by the
groom s elder brother, now 81, follow
ed by the next brother, 70, then the
hero of the golden wedding, n, next a
sister-in-law, "A, followed by a nephew,
", the bride, the heroine of the
day, 10. in whose wake came the
younger brother, and youngest of the
family, aged 66, followed by a brother
in.law, &c. The only sister, aged II.
was unavoidably absent.
With the Injuries of life in front,
and the remembrance of incidents of
by gone days, which the curtain of
oblivion had partly obscured from the
minds vision of some, was drawn
back and full scene of upward of 7Ol
years was reviewed. Thus situated
you may imagine the pleasure of those
old people in meeting around the festal
board at Joseph A. Houff's on the 4th |
inst. They talked as if
Love was always young and fair,
what TO them was silver hair.
Out of the family Of 16 there are now
four brothers and one sister, whose |
ages aggregate 375 years, an average
age Of rs years.
Joseph and Mrs Houff's direct fami-
ly is eight children, 25 grandchildren,
ands3 great grandchlldren-36.
The most interesting part of Mr..
Houff's evening narrative was the re-
cital Of his wedding tour. In which |
be says that he and his wife made a
trip on horseback through parts of |
Rockingham, Shenandoah,
and Bath counties, visit
ing friends, travelling over 800 miles. |
Returning home from Bath county !
through deep snow, and found Mid |
die River frozen over, and SO showed |
under that it's whereabouts could hard
ly be determined.
Thus they started LIES rough road in early
morn,
That they might rest their weary limbs at
nOOL,
And start anew in evening bright.
For rest eternal in the shades Of night.
ANXIOUS.