Wedding Anniversary

MCNEAR, GILLET

Posted By: Jo (email)
Date: 5/24/2007 at 22:24:05

MR. AND MRS. FRANK McNEAR CELEBRATE 56TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Mr. and Mrs. Frank McNear celebrated today their 56th wedding anniversary. They were united in marriage in Smithland, Ia., Dec. 22, 1869 by the Reverend D.P. Billings of the M.E. church.
Mr. McNear was born in Dubuque May 3, 1844, in the days when there were two Indian reservations in this part of the country, one along the Wapsie River and the other north of Dubuque. At that time Dubuque boasted of only one brick house. The others were nearly all log cabins.
He lived in Dubuque until he was 25 years of age. From there he went to Woodbury county where he farmed until the year 1880, when he sold out and moved to Sioux City. In 1894 Maquoketa became his dwelling place and he has lived here ever since, and during the past fourteen years has been proprieter of the coal yard at the Northwestern depot.
Mrs. McNear, whose maiden name was Betsey Gillet, was born in Crawford county, Pa., Feb. 28, 1841. In 1850 she came with her parents to Iowa. They settled on eighty acres of land located south of Maquoketa, the land having been granted to her father by the government for service during the war of 1812. The family made this their home until 1869, and then moved to Woodbury county.
At the Old Settlers picnic last 4th of July Mr. McNear received the cane presented to the oldest pioner registering. Mrs. McNear was second to the oldest pioneer registering among the ladies.
The many friends of Mr. and Mrs. McNear join with the Sentinel in congratulating them on this, their 56th anniversary, wishing for them many more happy years together.
EVENT DATE: December 22, 1925
SOURCE: Private collection of newspaper clippings