Surnames: COUNSELL SHORT SELVES KING SNYDER BRADBURY HOWARD BREED FRAME RINGROSE FRANTZ MCCALVY HUCKSTEAD BITER BURR POPE LOWE

----Source: CLARK COUNTY REPUBLICAN & PRESS (Neillsville, Wis.) 11/05/1908

Counsell, Henry & Susan (Gold Anniv - 28 Oct 1908)

On Wednesday Oct. 28, 1908, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Counsell celebrated their golden wedding at their home in this city (Neillsville, Clark County). In a way the celebration was somewhat of a surprise to them. During their recent visit in Wauskesha Co. their friends planned the event and their daughter Mrs. Nettie Short prepared and sent out the invitations, one of which Mr. and Mrs. Counsell received while at Hartland.

About fort-six of their children, grandchildren and other relatives and friends assembled to enjoy the day with them, and a great day it was. A bountiful dinner was served and the time was spent in renewing old friendships, calling to mind old time experiences and music and mirth for the younger ones. In the company were sixteen persons whose combined ages amounted to 1145 years. Their names are as follows: Mrs. S. Selves, Mr. R. King, Mrs. A. Snyder, Mrs. S. Bradbury, Mrs. H.P. Howard, Mrs. L.B. Breed, Mrs. H.M. Frame, Mrs. James Ringrose, Mr. and Mrs. George Frantz, R. McCalvy, Jos. Biter, Henry Huckstead and John Burr. The oldest person present was Robert McCalvy, 81 years of age, and the youngest was Helen Short, aged four and one half years. Henry Counsell and Susan Pope were married in Neillsville Oct. 28, 1858, James O’Neill Sr., J.P., officiating. The witnesses of the marriage were George Hill and James Burk. The marriage is recorded in the Register of Deeds Office in Vol. 1, page 40 of marriage records, so it is evident that this was among the earliest weddings in Clark County. No marriage certificate was issued at the time, so Mr. and Mrs. Counsell held no documentary evidence of their marriage until, on their golden wedding day their daughter presented them with a certified copy of the record furnished by Oscar Fricke, Register of Deeds.

To them were born six children, four of whom survive, namely, Wm. Of Portland, Ore., Joseph and Oscar E. of the town of Grant and Mrs. Nettie Short, who resides in Neillsville; one daughter died when young and another, Mrs. Ida Lowe, wife of James Lowe, died some years ago. They have also twelve grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. Counsell developed one of the finest farms in Grant out of a wilderness. There, by industry, frugality and hones toil, they reared their family and did well their part in bringing to their neighborhood good roads, good schools, churches and other privileges, until advancing age bade them turn the work over to younger hands. They have done a work to be proud of. They, and such as they build a nation into greatness, give it character and stability, and offer a splendid living example to the rising generations of today.