MARRIED FOR FIFTY YEARS (Monroe Co News 01-01-1914)



 Today, January 1, 1914, Mr and Mrs T J Lewis, who reside on South Clinton street are celebrating their golden wedding.  There had been plans by the neighbors, friends and relatives to make it a day of celebration but the ill health of Mrs Lewis does not permit, so in place of a big crowd with all the necessary excitment the two old people are sitting in their home and their memories are wandering back to their wedding day.  And it is a sweet and happy thought that must be in their minds.  It was so long ago since their wedding day but always sweethearts has been the rule in the happy household these long years.
     The marriage occured at Lockhaven, Pennsylvania.  Their pilmrimage of life lead them to Indiana where they remained eighteen months and then on to Iowa, and thirty nine years ago they setled in the little village of Albia.
     Mr Lewis had gone to work in the coal mines in South Wales a the age of eight years, and he gained a through knowledge of all that pertained to mining.  When he came to this country he naturally followed into the same line of work and worked in the Pennsylvania mnes.  When he left home he had promised his mother that he would return in five years, but in place of doing so his mother came to this country, and he was blessed with her kindly spirit for nine years before death came.  His father at died at the time when Mr Lewis was thirteen years of age.  We asked Mr Lewis what was the most money he had made in a month at coal mining and he replied that he had made in one month $190.
     What Mr Lewis and his brother, W H Lewis, have done for Albia cannot be measured.  They operated the old Enterprise mine, west of Albia..................
caps of the people of this community to God's honest, frugal and worthy people-Mr and Mrs T J Lewis, the bride and groom of fifty years ago this day.