The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-07-14
OLDEST
Married Pair In Iowa CGlG.
bratG 18th Wedding
Anniversary
(Sioux City, Iowa, Cor. Burlington

Tanken, who claim the distinction of
being the oldest married couple in the
Northwest, Friday observed their sew
enty-eighth wedding anniversary.
The occasion was only observed and
not celebrated For rs years they have
observed their wedding anniversary in
this quiet manner, and they intend to
follow out this plan as long as they
live
He smoked his old German pipe,
which has been in his possession for
the past 20 years, while his little wife,
wrinkled and slightly stopped, was
busily mending hosiery.
Not only are Mr.. and Mrs, Tanken
an exceptionally old couple, but they
are very interesting couple as we'll
Mr. Tanker is past 107 and Mrs.
Tanken will reach her ninety-eighth
milestone next November. She is very
healthy and has not been i'll for a num-
Der of years. She is as active around
the house as the average American wo-
man is at the age of so. He has not
been as fortunate as his wife in the
matter of health. He has been i'll sew
eral times, but still he maintains that
he is as healthy as the present-day
middle-aged man.
He has always been fond of his old
pipe and smokes a pound of tobacco
eekly. Both are advocates of fresh
air and they can be found in the yard
under the elm tree the greater portion
of the day.
When questioned concerning the rea-
sons for his old age, Mr.. Tanken said
The only reason | know Of why my
wife and are still living is that we are
not good enough for the Lord and too
good for the devil" According to
Mrs. Shoop, his adopted daughter, this
is the only remark he makes about his
old age.
Mr. Tanken was born January J.,
1907, in Hengalow, Holland, while his
wife caught her first glance of the
earth at Selen, Holland, on November
%, 1917. They were married at the
home of Mrs. Tanker in Ealen on June
! IS, 1886.
Early in the year of 1887 they de-
cided to come to America to earn their
fortune, and landed in New York on
the steamer Enswenberg late in the
fall of the year. They Immediately
went to La Crosse, Wis, where they
remained until 1850.
1t was in La Crosse that Mr., Tanken
established the first maple sirup mill
in Wisconsin.
In 1850 Mr.. Tanken disposed of his
sirup mill and located in Milwaukee.
There were only few houses and peo-
pie in Milwaukee at that time and they
were located in the center of large
forest. He has never returned to Mil
waukee since he lived there, and he is
of the opinion that it is of the same
size today as it was at that time. He
engaged in the logging business while
at Milwaukee.
They left Milwaukee in 1858 and
come to Grand Island, Neb., where they
remained until they came here, with
the exception of five years when Mr..
Tanken returned to Holland to study
medicine. They have made four trips
to their old home in Holland since
coming to the United States.
They are very reticent about their
age. Mrs, Tanken is like the average
woman, and she does not like to have
her age discussed.
They have never had any children
of their own, but adopted son and a
daughter The son died in 1897, but
the daughter is still alive,
During their long life they have new
er had a picture taken and they shun
the camera as If it were a weapon, On
several occasions when the children at
tempted to get snapshot of them they
would become aware of the fact and
retire to their room for the rest OF
the day.
The ancestors of both Mr.. and Mrs
Tanken liver long life. His mother
) lived to be over 104 years old, while
Mrs. Tanken has brother and sister
who are older than she still living ant
both are enjoying good health.
Mr.. and Mrs. Tanken are the mos
remarkable couple living in Sioux City
1t is known that they are the oldes
= living married couple in the North
west and in all probability there ar'
4 not any older couples in the United
States.
+ =