The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-07-20
.nE SURPRISED THEM
Rev. J. S. Coffin was Married At
Fl. Dodge Three Months Aoe.
He Kept the Secret Well.

Rev. j. .. COUlu Has COM9ISCSly
surprised his congregation here and
sprung big joke on his friends at
Kellerton where he was pastor Tor
six years. Last Tuesday afternoon
about forty friends had been invited
to the home of Mrs. A. c. Barrett In
Kellerton where they supposed they
would witness the marriage of her
daughter Merle to Rev. J. S. Cof1in
sof this city. They had net in fact
been invited to a wedding but to
"A little social event" and that the
minister would be there, ETC., and
they were left to guess the rest. AS
the whole community had been :ex-
pecting this wedding for thelast three
years or so, and at times had set
dates for it, they were sure they
knew that it was the eSsentful day
to which they had so long looked
] forward. Consequently, they gladly
accepted the invitations, and inno-
cent as lambs walked into the trap
which had been SO nicely covered
over. At the appointed hour, three
O'Clock, Miss Bertha Ellis struck up
a wedding march and the bride and
groom emerged from room to the
rear, preceded by Rev. ]. w. Ellis,
pastor of the Kellerton Christian
church, who had been '''put next y
The three took their places in the
parlor and Rev. Ellis said that Rev.
Coffin would like to say few words
before he proceeded with his part.
Rev. Coffin then addresssh the guests
who were eagerly wondering what he
would say. He spoke of his six years
;pastorate in Kellerton and that dur
ing that time he had made many
warm friends in the city, and that he
had also won the heart and hand OF
one of the choicest young ladies in
the community, and that he was now
glad that he could come and claim her
as his bride. He said that he was
happy that so many of his friends
were present on the occasion that
had called them, but that before Rev.
ssshonld ssay the final word, he
had a short~oommunicati from one
.of the former pastors of Kellerton,
man whom they had esteemed and
loved, and that he thought they
they would be interested i'm hearing
it. Some of the guests thought it
strange that he would stop, to read
"a communication in the midst of his
marriage ceremony, but they listened
with more intense interest. The
speaker then drew from his 'poslket "a
marriage certificate, certifying that
he and Miss Barrett had been mar
ried just three months, and signed
lby Rev. Il. p. Kopp, cof Ft. DDdfge.
The guests were surprised Beyond
measure, and had to acknowledge
that the joke was on them.
Rev. and Mrs. Coffin left for trip
to Omaha and other western points.
They will be gone about week after
which they will return to Leon and
prepare for housekeeping. They
will live in the first building north of
the city library building.
Rev. Coffin has lived in this city
for nearly seven years and for nearly
two years has been pastor of the
christian church here. He is too
well known to need further comment.
Miss Barrett was born and reared
to ,womanhood in the vicinity of kel-
lerton and comes from one of the
best families of the community. She
taught two terms of school in Deca-
.tur county and for one year was the
popular clerk at the Ke1lerton post
office,