Mr. and Mrs. John Alley Married 60 Years Ago

ALLEY, SPIRE, GIFFORD, GROTH, PARRY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 9/15/2013 at 10:32:45

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
Monday, December 26, 1938

MR. AND MRS. JOHN ALLEY WERE
MARREID 60 YEARS AGO DEC. 24

Some interesting historical material has been gleaned regarding Mr. and Mrs. John Alley, who were privileged to observe their 60th wedding anniversary Christmas day. Many friends came to the Alley home where they were received during the afternoon at open house.

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Alley were married Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1878, in Sheridan township, at the home of Dick Spire, a cousin of Mrs. Alley, in whose home she lived, with the Rev. John V. Kendrick, pastor of the Sheridan Methodist church, officiating at the ceremony.

Their first home was the farm in Sheridan, now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Will Coe; later they purchased a farm two miles west and a half mile south of Sheridan, where they resided for eleven years. From here they moved to Grinnell and lived in the little house on Eighth avenue where the home of Dave Arnold now stands. Later they purchased the property on the corner of Seventh avenue and West street where they lived for 23 years. Jay Parrott now owns this home. In 1913 they purchased the William Luckey home at 1220 West street where they have resided the last 25 years.

Five children came to bless their home, Arthur, who is a druggist in Moline, Ill.; Ernest, who resides on south High street; Earle, who has charge of all civilian employees at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio. Two daughters, Elsie and Pearl, died at the ages of 7 and 5, respectively, during the diphtheria epidemic of February, 1894.

Mr. Alley was born in Madison, Wis., Feb. 14, 1857, his parents, Jeremiah and Catherine Gifford Alley, having moved from Ontario, Canada to Madison, Wis., in 1856. John was one of eight boys, six of whom grew to manhood, Alex of Huron, S.D., deceased, Will, who resides at 1216 West street, Enos of Huron, S.D., George of McAllen, Texas, and Charles E. of Gueydan, La., who formerly operated a drug store on Broad street in the rooms now occupied by Dr. Howell. One sister, Electa (Mrs. William Dale), deceased, lived at Westfield.

In 1866 Mr. Alley, with his parents, left Wisconsin, and traveling in covered wagons, came to Iowa. They located first in Albia, where John, aged nine years, carried water to men building Iowa's first railroad. In the fall of 1866 the family came to Tama county where they purchased a farm and here John resided until his marriage.

Mrs. Alley, (Elizabeth Spire), was born in Laverton, Gloucestershire, England, April 15, 1862. At the age of 13 years, her parents, James Spire and Elizabeth Spire, with their five children, came to America, landing in New York March 1, 1875. They came to Iowa and located in Tama county on a farm, Elizabeth making her home with a cousin, Dick Spire, one of Tama county's pioneers. Mrs. Alley's brothers, Ben Spire of Alcester, S.D., and William Spire of Sheridan, as well as her sister, Katherine, Mrs. John Groth of Sioux Falls, are living. One sister, Mrs. Ed Parry, passed away four years ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Alley have been members of the Baptist church the past fifty years and have added much to the community life of Grinnell in the capacity of a substantial, old family, honored and respected by all.