Willis & Edith Farnsworth Mathews Wed 50 years - 1953

MATHEWS, FARNSWORTH , GRAVES, DODDS, FISCHER, HIGBY

Posted By: Deb (email)
Date: 10/10/2007 at 21:50:41

Burlington Hawkeye Gazette, Monday, November 9, 1953, page 1

Mathews Wed Half Century

Danville - Mr. and Mrs. Willis Mathews will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday during an open house from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. in the Danville Congregational church. There will be a family dinner at the church at noon for about 60.

While the Mathews were married Nov. 11, they planned their anniversary Saturday to be more convenient for their children and those from a distance who work during the week.

They have four children: Henry and Marion, both with the United Air Lines in Chicago. Howard in the brokerage business in Jackson, Miss. and Mrs. E.M. Grazes*, of Chicago, whos husband has worked for Westinghouse Electric for 25 years.

Mr. and Mrs. Mathews were married Nov. 11, 1903 at the home of her aunt, Mrs. William Fischer of Augusta. They have recently purchased a home in Danville and expect to move there later this fall, after spending 50 years on their farm one-half mile northwest of Danville on route 34.

Mathews, 83, was born near Danville, attended school at Plank Road and Danville high school. At the age of 20, be began teaching school and taught for 16 years. Seven years at Plank Road, two years at Number One School, five at Cedarville and two at Maplewood.

He has been active in community and church affairs, Secretary of the Danville Mutual Telephone Co., he was also trustee for Danville township for six years, township assessor for two years and served on the school board for a term.

He was a trustee and a member of the Danville Congregational church for more than 40 years and member of the Danville Male Quartet for 20 years.

Mathews was chairman of the building committee for the new church and parsonage.

Active in Farm Bureau work he helped organize the Des Moines County Farm Bureau and is a charter member. He was one of the organizers of the state farm bureau at Des Moines and helped elect the first state president, J. R. Howard.

A member of the county board of supervisors for one term, he was offered the job as federal land appraiser while a member of the board. He served as federal land appraiser for seven years. Later he was employed by the state Farm Bureau in organization work and he and Mrs. Mathews served in this work for seven years.

Mrs. Mathews, 74, was born at Weston, Neb., April 8, 1879. The former Edith Farnsworth, she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Horace Farnsworth. Her father was a Civil War veteran, died when she was four. Her mother died when she was 14 and she came to Danville to make her home with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Higby. In 1897 she moved to California with the Higbys. She attended school at _____and in 1900 graduated from Santa Ana Business College in California. She came back to Danville in 1902 and in 1903 married Mathews,

Mr. and Mrs. Mathews have spent the last eight winters in Los Angeles with a cousin. Last spring on Mrs. Mathews birthday the flew from Chicago to Los Angeles covering 2500 miles in 5 1/2 hours. They said that they enjoyed the trip very much.

* should be Graves