BioA: Lawrence, Mr./Mrs. John W. (Golden - 1934)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt
Email: crystal@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Lawrence, Curtis, Wright, Crandell, Fowler, Smith, Newton, Botsford, Shaw

----Sources: Humbird Enterprise (Humbird, Clark County, Wis.) Sat., 14 April 1934

Lawrence, Mr./Mrs. John W. (Golden - 6 April 1934)

On April 6th, 1884, the Curtis homestead in Garden Valley was the scene of a happy wedding, when John W. Lawrence, a dapper young man in the early twenties, and Margaret Curtis, stood before Squire Ambrose Wright, and in the midst of relatives and friends, pledged their troth for life. It was the bride’s twenty-second birthday.

On April 6th, 1934, these same young people, forgetting a bit of the burdens and trails which may have encompassed them during the intervening fifty years, stood before an ex Squire, in the Odd Fellows hall, in the presence of about seventy friends, and renewed those vows.

With G. N. Crandell as master of ceremonies, the golden wedding celebration opened with a quartet, "When you and I were young, Maggie." The bride and groom were escorted to the ante-room, and accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Fowler, marched to the rostrum to the wedding march played by Mrs. Smith, Robert Smith strewing flowers in their pathway. After the ceremony all united in singing, "Blest be the Tie" and "Home, Sweet Home." Congratulations were then bestowed, not forgetting the shower of rice.

Other numbers on the program were duet by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Smith, toast to the newly weds by Mr. Newton, response by Mr. Lawrence, a solo by Mrs. Smith, "Put on your old Gray Bonnet," all joining in the chorus. The evening was spent in reminiscences and visiting, amongst the young and older ones present, and closed by serving of an excellent repast.

In the afternoon, seven ladies who had lived as near neighbors to the family, laden with good east dropped into the Lawrence home for a supper gathering, and presented Mrs. Lawrence a nice gift. She was also presented with a purse at the evening gathering. And the Odd Fellows sent a mammoth wedding cake. Both afternoon and evening gatherings were in the nature of a surprise.

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence and their two sons, Harry L. and Ross C., have been residents of the village for about thirty-three years, during which time Mr. Lawrence engaged in the life insurance business, excepting seven years he served as postmaster. Of late years he has operated the service station. For about fifteen years after their marriage they lived on the Curtis farm in Garden Valley, and then were in Fairchild for a couple of years while Mr. Lawrence was brakeman on the Foster Railroad. They also lived for a short time in Eau Claire.

Sunday afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Botsford came from Altoona, and Mr. and Mrs. Hal Shaw from Elk Mound, to add the final touches to a happy golden wedding anniversary.