Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1913-09-18
MARRIED HALF
A CENTURY
GOLDEN WEDDING ANN1VER-
SARY OF MR.. AND MRS. J.
A. TODD

SAM Of MN. AMI MkSO. -
A. TODD
Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 3
o'clock the Congregational parsonage
was the scene of very enjoyable
gathering when large number OF
friends gathered in honor OF the Fiji
tieth wedding anniversary of Mr.. and
Mrs. James Alfred Todd, or, in other
words, to help celebrate their Golden
Wedding.
Happy indeed were the guests of
honor, Mr.. and Mrs. Todd, surround
ed by their four children, as they
received the guests who kept coming
and going during the evening, some OF
them for few minutes to extend
their best wishes, and the many who
remained throughout the evening IN
company with the aged couple.
The guests were received by Rev:
and Mrs. Shaw, and a committee OF
the church appointed for the occa-
sion. When a goodly number of the
guests were present Rev. Shaw, IN
neat and happy speech, presented to
Mr.. and Mrs. Todd purse OF GOLD,
made up by friends, in memory Of the
occasion. Mrs. Todd from her chair
in few we'll chosen words thanked
the DONORS, following which Mr.. Todd
made a neat speech of acceptance, and
recited some of the incidents of long
and happy welded life. He was hear
tilv encored when he sat down:
James Alfred Todd and Marian
Smith were married at Burr Oak,
Mich, September II, 1868, where they
lived until July 1909, when they NOV
ed to Williston, where they have since
resided.
Five children were born to them,
four of whom were present Wednes-
dav evening, one having died IN IN
fancy. They are:-H. G. Todd, now
living in New Orleans, and engaged
in the printing business there; K. 5:
Todd. D. I. Todd and Almeda Todd, all
residents of Williston. H. e. Todd
came from New Orleans especially
for the occasion.
Mr.. Todd was born in New York
state, near Syracuse, and while ne was
very young his parents moved to
Michigan, the then frontier of the
west. They reached Detroit by boat
and went by OK team 14O miles into
the wilderness from Detroit, where
his father established his home and
raised a family of ten children. Of
these ten children but three are Nv
ing, James Alfred Todd, of this city,
o. H. Todd, Eugene, Oregon, and A.
M. Todd, of Kalamazoo, Mich, an ex-
congressman and the largest pepper
meint grower and essential OF! dis
tiller in the world. Mrs. Todd is the
last Of a family of five children. MI;
Todd at IS is active and in good
health. Mrs. Todd, now ~, though
not in as good health as her husband,
is nevertheless very active mentally
and is interested in everything that IS
going on. She talked interestingly
with the reporter for a few minutes
about her former home in Michigan,
and how she had enjoyed living in
North Dakota since coming here,
though far removed from many llfe-
time acquaintenances and relatives.
During their residence in Michigan
Mr.. and Mrs. Todd did much active
work in the cause of temperance, ana
have always been prominent IN cnurch
work.
Mr.. Todd has civil war record ex:
tending over period of year ana
a half until he was wounded in battle
He enlisted in Company A Eleventh
Michigan Volunteer Infantry on Aug
ust "a, 1861 and was at once sent to
the front. He was wounded at the
battle of Murphysboro and sent to
the hospital. On December 81, 1862
he was honorably discharged, return
ing to the farm in Michigan, where
he was married in 1868. He is of
Scotch descent and his life vocation
has been that of farmer.
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable
features of the fiftieth anniversary
for the couple was the receipt of
dozens of letters from former friends:
school mates and those who had
known them in their youth. Several
dozen letters were received from all
parts of the Union. Some of them
were from men who had served with
Mr.. Todd in the army. One was from
a man in Omaha, who is 80 years old.
memory of the event.
An interesting tHlnS dDOuI ."e
gathering at the parsonage was that
there were some real pioneers of this
section present. They were:-Mrs:
Mary Newell. who has lived here "a
wears; Dan Gableman, 20 years and
Robert Mathews, who was in this ter
ritory 43 years ago, and who has re-
sided here almost continuously.
The friends and guests departed
wishing Mr.. and Mrs. Todd many hap
py days to come.
DIR. CANNON WILL PREACH
DR.. R. w. Cannon of Chicago will
preach at the Congregational church
morning and evening next Sunday.
He is one of the Secretaries of the
Sunday School and Publishing So
ciety and is attending the Montana
State meeting at Livingston this