Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-03-27
CELEBRATE THEIR
GOLDEN WEDDING
Mr.. and Mrs. Levi Cottington Pass
Fiftieth Milestone in
Married Life.

On March 21st occurred the fiftieth
wedding anniversary Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Levi Cottington, of 719 Bank street,
and gathered in the home to celebrate
the occasion with them were all of
their six married children, whose
families onsist of fourteen grand
children and one great-grand-child.
The happy couple We're presented
fifty sun-burst roses by their chill
dren, and many beautiful flowers
We're received from friends of the
family, as we'll as many appropriate
gifts and greetings, testifying to the
high esteem in which the elderly
bride and groom are held by those
who know them best. Mrs. Cotting-
ton wore the brooch and ring given
her by the groom on their wedding
day.
After the guests were seated at the
well-laden dinner table, the younger
grandchildren marched around the
table singing America. Many songs
some Of the older days--and num-
erous reminiscent stories, filled the
fieeting hours. Mr.. Cottington's sis
ter, Mrs. Hannah Cottington- Film
wood, of Denver, Col, was present
and read the following paper:
''lt is great pleasure for me to
meet with these dear friends today,
and with them, to congratulate this
dear brother and sister of mine who
have reached the golden anniversary
of their wedding day.
81 congratulate them most earnest
lily and sincerely that, in these days of
discord, doubt, and divorce, they have
journeyed together for fifty years
with mutual loving trust and conf
|dence in each other.
Il congratulate them on their chill
dren, now men and women, an un-
broken family. To put into the world
six children whose families and in
fluence may safely be counted on the
side of good citizenship in the COM
munities where they live, is worth
a life time of effort. To accomplish
this there is necessarily much of life's
discipline. so essential in character
building, bringing with it assets of
power and endurance.
81 congratulate them that. through
all these years. their voice and influ-
ence have been given to the cause of
prohibition, and that they have lived
to see the day when more than half
of the people of the United States live
in dry territory.
Il congratulate them that, after
years of hard work and good judg-
ment, they have secured a competence
sufficient to procure for them the
comforts of life in their declining
years.
Il will not at this time try to
enumerate the many other reasons
for congratulating this worthy cou-
pie, but wish to add these lines, with
an apology to Whittier:
with fifty years between you and
your we'll kept wedding vow.
The Golden Age, dear friends OF
mine. is not a fable now.
For 10! from all the countryside.
come childrer-kith and kin,
From hamlet and from farmhouse
old. the wedding guests come in.
And happy, with them, all unseen,
the dear friends gone before
Pass silently. as shadows pass within
your open door.
81 thank you for the lessons your fifty
years are teaching
For honest lives that louder speak
than half our noisy preaching.
May many more of quiet years be ad-
ded to your sum,
And late, at last, in tenderest love,
the beekoning angel come.
Dear hearts are here. dear hearts are
there-alike below, above;
Our friends are now in either world.
and Love is sure of love.