Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-12-15
Women's Relief Corps Enterta n s
AGED CcupIe

We reprint below an article from the
Wyoming Qowa) Journal of Thursday,
November 80. The parties referred to
in the article will be well remembered
by the older residents of this section,
Mrs. Pelkey being born in Bridport,
Addison county:
On Tuesday afternoon, November
21st, 1911, the ladies of the w. r. C.
gave another of their notable dinners
in Grand Army Hall in honor of Mr..
and Mrs. Israel Pelkey. Invitations
had been extended to the members of
the Grand Army and few neighbors
and friends to join the ladies in honor
ing this worthy couple, and a company
numbering about fifty gathered at the
hall.
The dinner was all that could be de-
sired or asked of any gathering. and
was heartily relished by all present.
To US these dinners are very similar
to the Story of the Bible-they are so
good that you can continually talk
about them and the theme never grows
old
After the dinner an impromtu pro-
gram was given in the reception par
lor Of the Hall, at which Mrs. w. B.
Brown acted as toastmistress. Elk
celent readings were given by Mes
danes Eva Evans, Mary Brown and
Lucy McMurrin, and war stories told
by Comrades Haun, Evans, Pelkey,
Gridley Tebo and Henderson. One
never grows weary in listening to these
war stories-incidents rich in humor,
pathos and real army life, told in a
vein of levty that always interest and
instructs the young and entertains the
aged.
The honoring of Mr.. and Mrs. Pelkey
in this manner had been in contempla-
ton among the w. r. C. ladies for
some time, but the health of this aged
couple would not permit of its consum-
nation. But all are pleased that the
Good Father above gave them the
strength that permitted them to at
tend the festivities incident to the
occasion-a they enjoyed the reception
to the uttermost; in fact seemed more
like pair of newly-weds than couple
aged n and 70 years respectively.
Mr. Pelkey was born at Swanton, Yer
mont, July 4th, 1885, and Mrs. Pelkey
at Bridport, Vermont, December 2Sth,
1888. They were married at Shoreham,
Vermont, July Sd, 1856. To them four
children were born: three sons and one
daughter. One son, William H., has
passed to the other world. The living
children are Lewellyn of DeQueen,
A rkansas; Mrs. H. R. Leamon OF
Wyoming, Iowa; and Charles E. OF
Liberty, Missouri.
Mr.. Pelkey enlisted in March, 1862, in
the Fifth Michigan Artillery First En-
gineers and Mechanics, at Albion,
Michigan, when 27 years of age. He
was discharged January 9th, 1868, at
Nashville, Tenn, for disability, and
was in many of the battles of the Army
of the Cumberland, serving under
Grant, Buell., Mitchell, Nelson and
others; also was in the Battle of Shiloh.
He re-enlisted August 29th, 1864, in the
Eighth Michigan cavalry, 20. ii, ano
served until the close of the war.
Mr.. and Mrs. Pelkey came to Iowa
in 1867, settling on farm in the south
ern part of Madison township, Jonas
county, where they resided until 1890,
when they came to Wyoming, bought
them home and are enjoying the de-
clining years of their life in ease anc
happiness. Their friends are legion,
and all wish that they may be spared
many years to be benediction to their
children and a delight to their neighbors
and friends.
This newly inaugurated custom of the
w. r. c. ladies in giving dinners ir
/, honor of the aged veterans is a gooC
one, and each veteran now surviving
should be thus remembered. The Boys
in Blue" are fast dropping by the way
side, and if we have flowers to strew in
their pathway let us scatter them now
while they can enjoy them.