Surnames: THOMAS FISHER

----Sources: The Loyal Tribune 27 February 1930

Thomas, Don/Mary (Gold - 24 Feb 1930)

The friends who gathered at the D. A. Thomas (Don and Mary) home at high noon last Saturday enjoyed one of those rare social events which we should love to welcome more often - the golden wedding day of old friends.

Many were surprised to learn that Mr. and Mrs. Thomas had been married fifty years; and when the guests arrived and were greeted by the honored couple, they felt yet more inclined to say, "Is it possible that this is their golden wedding?" But Mrs. Thomas assures us that she was born in Winona, Minnesota, on October 5, 1861, and that Mr. Thomas was born in Plattsburg, New York, in 1856. And the it seems that it was decreed that the sunny plains of Kansas should be their happy meeting place, for they were married in Crystal Plains, Kansas, on February 24, 1880. They lived in Kansas until 1890, when they decided to join the Badgers of Clark County. Spokeville and Loyal have claimed them since that date.

We cannot say that the decorations were simply in keeping; they were a vibrant part of the whole golden scheme. A beautiful rose and carnation bouquet from the "Eastern Star" brought with their fragrance many golden memories. The baskets of just "hosts of golden daffodils intermixed with golden hearted white narcissus suggested freshness and new life of early spring. These were brought by the children and grandchildren. None of us could see them and not feel,

"And then my heart with rapture thrills

And dance with daffodils"

The soft rays of electric lights from the white wedding bell and golden shades were beautiful, but soon the real splendor of the sunshine spent itself in golden rays among the guests gathered in friendly cheer about the bounteous dinner. We do not know how much Mrs. Thomas had helped in preparation of this feast, but this was one time when she had to trust a great deal to her competent aids. But master hands were behind the scenes and deft hands served us well.

With the arrival of the first guests, the joys of old friendship and a genuine cheer of past and present were aroused and filled the atmosphere, continuing throughout the dinner and the program which followed.

A few old songs opened the program. Mrs. Tucker gave a reading, the theme of which was "Oh, could I be such a friend as you have been to me." We knew that Mrs. Tucker applied it Whole Heartedly to her neighbors, the Thomases. Mrs. Cannon gave a selection which seemed written for the occasion, "Your Golden Wedding." The thought of Mrs. Church’s reading was "the love of the thousands, not of the few...the love that is spent in love for children, for mother, for wife," the old triangle of love which lives for a lifetime, and brings to golden home life more golden weddings. These readings made us, in our inner selves, gratified to honor. Three of the more elderly friends on the program were Mrs. Frasier reading "Life’s Afternoon,"? Mrs. Chestman, reading Whittier’s "Golden Wedding", and Mrs. Welsh, singing Burass "John Anderson, My Jo." Somehow the added years and experience of these three gave significance to the thoughts they bro’t us. Miss Elma Prior said various beautiful lovely things in a beautiful piano reverie. The next number was to be a closing, but it was not.

Many of the men had remained in the dining room, supposedly to have ore room, but really to guard the large wedding cake, still occupying the center of the table. They began to call for more songs and yet more. Then came the cake and more songs. They finally all gathered in one room and continued to sing, with Mrs. Philpott at the piano and Mr. Philpott leading us on. Harmony and good fellowship were abounding, when the hour of five drew near and the farewell song was finished.

With gratitude to Mrs. Geo. Fisher and Mr. Roy Thomas who gave us the privilege of this happy occasion and with best wishes for the future happiness of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas the guests departed. About forty were present, and all regretted the absence of the four or five near friends who could not be present.

Some beautiful gifts were left as reminders and tokens of love. There was a gold sugar shell, a five-dollar gold piece of Alaskan gold, a tablecloth, a twenty-dollar gold piece from many of the friends, and two twenty-dollar gold pieces, from Mr. Roy Thomas and Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Fisher and children, Norma, Thomas, and Hazel.

Would that such occasions were not so rare. All present felt an uplift and a urge in life that was repeatedly expressed in such words as "Isn’t it good to get together on occasions like this.?"