Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, July 22, l897

Monday morning when Clerk Stockton reached his office, he found a couple anxiously awaiting his arrival in order to procure a marriage license. They had driven all night in order to reach Leon. They gave their names as JOHN GREEN, aged 32 and NELLIE MYERS, aged l9 years, and their residence as Sullivan County, Missouri, the groom being a blacksmith at Reger. They did not deny that they had eloped and gave as their reason that the bride was an orphan and made her home with the family of an uncle, where she worked as a servant without pay, and her uncle was vigorously opposed to her getting married, so they started with a team Sunday, and had driven all night getting across the State line into Iowa. As both parties were of age, Clerk Stockton issued a license and they were married in the Clerk's office by Elder S.J. Fluke, in the presence of quite a crowd who assembled to witness the ceremony. The newly wedded couple departed the same afternoon on the return trip to Sullivan County.

Copied by Nancee (McMurtrey) Siefert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
November 23, 2002