Sayre 50th Anniversary

SAYRE, HOAG, FOWLER, JAYCOX, BARTLETT, STOUFER, HAWKS, TERRY, EVANS, OAKLAND

Posted By: Raven Thomas (email)
Date: 7/7/2012 at 14:52:00

Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Sayre, of Blairsburg, Celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Sayre, of Blairsburg, pioneer residents of Hamilton county, were enjoyably surprised Thursday, when fifty relatives came to help them observe the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Sayre were married at Blairsburg, Sept. 30, 1876, and their children and immediate relatives planned the celebration as a surprise to them.

Ceremonies of the day were held in the basement of the Congregational church of Blairsburg which had been prettily decorated for the occasion with everything in readiness. The wedding couple were notified and brought to the church where they found fifty of their relatives waiting for them. The wedding ceremony was gone through with Mr. and Mrs. Sayre as the bride and bridegroom. Miss Lucy Sayre, of Rockwell City, granddaughter of the couple, played the wedding march and Mrs. C.W. Hoag, of Galt, sister of the bride, and Henry Fowler, of Valentine, Neb., brother-in-law of the groom, attended the pair. Mrs. L.C. Sayre, of Blairsburg, and Mrs. W.L. Sayere, of Steamboat Rock, sang, "I Love You Truly." C.W. Hoag, of Galt, performed the ceremony.

Bride's Mother Present.
Following the wedding ceremony Mrs. I. Jaycox, of Blairsburg, mother of the bride and the only one present who attended the wedding fifty years ago, made a short talk, telling of the wedding. J.W. Sayre, oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Sayre, spoke on the early married life of the newlyweds and W.I. Sayre, of Steamboat Rock, youngest son, gave a short talk, presenting $50 in gold to Mr. and Mrs. Sayre on behalf of the children and grandchildren. Following the program a wedding dinner was given.

Mr. and Mrs. Sayer are among the true pioneers of the middle west. Married at Blairsburg in 1876, they spent a short time on a farm in Hamilton county after which they moved to South Dakota. In 1880 they harkened to the call of the west and moved to a homestead near Valentine, Neb., making the long journey in a prairie schooner.

Lived Near Reservation.
The homestead near Valentine was near the Rosebud Indian reservation and the Sayre family had many Indian scares. Wood was hauled a distance of several miles for heating purposes and water was scarce. The family lived for eleven years in Nebraska enduring countless hardships among which was living in a sod house. Then they decided to move back to Iowa where, although land was not free, rainfall was. The long journey again was made by prairie schooner. Upon arriving back in the corn state, the Sayre family settle on a farm near Blairsburg, and have been residents of that vicinity ever since.

Mr. and Mrs. Sayer are the parents of five sons and two daughters who are J.W. Sayre, of Rockwell City; Mrs. C.R. Bartlett, of Fort Dodge; N.H. Sayre, of Seneca, Mo.; Mrs. C.E. Stoufer, of Sioux City; H.J. Sayre, of Fort Dodge; L.C. Sayre, of Blairsburg, and W.I. Sayre, of Steamboat Rock. All of the children were able to be present for the anniversary celebration except N.H. Sayre.

Those present were Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Sayre, of Blairsburg; Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Sayre and daughter, Lucy, of Rockwell City; Melvin Sayre, of Sioux City; Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Bartlett, Mr. d Mrs. Howard Hawks, H.J. Sayre and family, of Fort Dodge; Mrs. C.E. Stoufer and children, of Sioux City; Henry Fowler, of Valentine, Neb.; Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Hoag and grandson, Forrest, of Galt; Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Sayre and son, of Steamboat Rock; Mr. and Mrs. Garland Terry and children, of Webster City; Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Sayre, Mrs. I. Jaycox, Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Evans and children, Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Oakland, Mr. and Mrs. Merle Evans, all of Blairsburg.

1926, from old scrapbook.