GOLDEN WEDDING - MR. & MRS. J.R. SMITH

SMITH, TEALE, SMITH KELLER, WHITE

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 2/8/2002 at 21:00:17

Decatur County Journal
November l2, l9l4

One of the grandest and most long to be
remembered events in Lamoni's
history occurred Tuesday evening at the
Coliseum, when MR. and MRS. J.R.
SMITH received one hundred and seventy of
their friends and relatives to
help them celebrate their golden wedding,
says the Lamoni Chronicle.

The guests assembled in the main auditorium
and from there marched to
the beautifully decorated dining hall in the
basement to the strains of
a march played on the Victrola, operated by
LEIGHTON TEALE. The
basement was decorated in the color scheme of
gold and white together
with palms, ferns and chrysanthemums. A
large gold wedding bell hung
over the bride's table, at which were seated
the entire family of six
children, seventeen grandchildren and one
great grandchild.

While the excellent two-course turkey dinner
was being served by
twenty-four of Lamoni's loveliest young
ladies all dressed in white, the
following program was rendered:

Toastmaster, G.W. BLAIR.
Original reading by MISS MARJORIE LAWHORN,
dedicated to her
grandparents, MR. and MRS. J.R. SMITH.
Song, "Silver Threads Among the Gold," Saxo
Male quartet.
Toast, "Memories of Associations from
Boyhood," W.A. HOPKINS.
Reading, MAUD WAYE SMITH, written by VIDE E.
SMITH, dedicated to MR. and
MRS. J.R. SMITH.
Toast, "Reminiscence of the Past," DR. J.B.
HORNER.
Song, "When I was Twenty-one and You Were
Sweet Sixteen," Saxo
Male quartet.
Reading, MRS. HELEN SILSBEE-SMITH, written by
MRS. COBB, dedicated to
MR. and MRS. J.R. SMITH.

After dinner MR. and MRS. SMITH took their
places in the front of the
room with MRS. SHERMAN, of Burlington, as
maid of honor and DR. SHERMAN
as best man, and again reviewed the vows of
fifty years ago, G.W. BLAIR
officiating. Then old-fashioned
congratulations followed. All the men
had the pleasure of kissing the blushing
bride and the ladies kissed the
groom, wishing them many more happy years of
married life.

The bride wore a beautiful white silk poplin
dress with dainty lace and
pearl trimming.

MR. and MRS. SMITH received many beautiful
presents suitable to the
occasion, and in evidence of their
appreciation the guests were received
at the home from 2 till 5 on Wednesday
afternoon to view the many
tokens.

Out of town guests were in attendance from
Burlington, Indianola, Leon,
Pleasanton, Davis City, Mt. Ayr and
Kellerton.

MR. and MRS. J.R. SMITH are among the early
settlers of New Buda
Township where they settled in the autumn of
l866. When they settled in
New Buda Township they bought l60 acres of
land where they lived
continuously till they moved to Lamoni a few
years ago.
To this original l60 acres MR. SMITH kept
adding till at one time he had
900 acres here all in one body besides a farm
of 320 acres in
Bloomington Township. At the present time
MR. and MRS. SMITH own the
old homestead and an elegant home in Lamoni.
MR. SMITH is also a
stock-holder and vice-president of the
Farmers State Bank, of Lamoni.

MR. SMITH was born in Lewis County, New York,
April 3, l84l; MRS. SMITH
was born in northern Illinois, in July, l844.

At the age of fifteen years, MR. SMITH
started to make his own way. He
left New York and came to LaSalle County,
Illinois, where he lived till
manhood. When about 2l years of age he went
to Jo Davies County,
Illinois, where he married MISS ELIZA A.
GRAHAM on November 3, l864.
MR. and MRS. SMITH continued to live in Jo
Davies County, until they
moved to New Buda Township, Iowa.

MR. and MRS. SMITH are the parents of eleven
children, three dying in
infancy. Those living being: MRS. GERTIE
TEALE, Mt. Ayr; MRS. MINNIE
KELLER, MRS. LOUISA WHITE, CLARENCE F.,
THEODORE J., and ARTHUR H., all
of Lamoni.

While living on the farm MR. SMITH was quite
an extensive dealer in
stock, buying and feeding. This business
alone amounted to around
$50,000 per year. In those days there was no
such thing as a check
book, everything was paid for in cash, so MR.
SMITH had to have a
considerable amount of ready money about him
all the time. While
engaged in the stock business, MR. SMITH was
always considered as one of
the leaders, and was at all times willing to
impart what information he
could to his friends and neighbors, for the
betterment of the business.
We think it can be truly said of J.R. SMITH
that he was one of the
leaders at all times in his community in
advocating improvement and
progression along right lines not hesitating
to devote his time as well
as his money for the betterment of conditions
as he saw them. In the
early days while living on the farm the JIM
SMITH home was known far and
wide as one of the most hospitable places in
this section of the
country.

In the evening of their lives, MR. and MRS.
SMITH are surrounded by
their children and grandchildren together
with a host of friends that
could not be numbered who only wish for them
many more years of
happiness, contentment and prosperity.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 7, 2002