BioA: Hinkes, Mr./Mrs. M. J. (50th Anniv. - 1930)

Contact:  Stan

Surnames: HINKES STAFFNEY WEIX PEDERSON SCHWINN

----Sources: COLBY PHONOGRAPH (Colby, Clark County, Wisconsin) 03/06/1930

Hinkes, Mr./Mrs. M. J. (50th Anniv. - 26 Feb. 1930)

Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Hinkes celebrated their fiftieth or golden wedding anniversary with a small informal dinner at their residence in Colby Wednesday, February 26th, immediate relatives only being present - their daughter, Mrs. L. M. Staffney and their grand daughters, Helen and Irene Staffney of Milwaukee and the former’s sister, Mrs. Joseph Weix. Friends and messages were received during the afternoon and evening wishing them many more happy years. They received many gifts and flowers.

Mr. and Mrs. Hinkes were married in Menasha fifty years ago. From there, they moved to LeRoy where Mr. Hinkes worked on a farm for several years. They came to this locality forty-five years ago and located on a track of land in Marathon county, three and one-half miles northwest of Colby, which they purchased from a homesteader. This piece of land consisted of eighty acres and it was all wilderness except seven acres which was chopped up but not even logged. However, by hard work and privations, they built a splendid farm out of the wilderness. This farm is now owned by M. F. Schwinn of Beaver Dam and is being managed by Gus Pederson.

At that time, there were no roads in this section and provisions had to be carried home from Colby on the human shoulder. Mr. Hinkes can recall that he carried flour home from Colby on his shoulder more than once. Later, a yoke of oxen was purchased and still later a team of horses. The only income from the farm in those days came from the sale of logs and wood, there being several large saw mills in this section at that time. Colby only consisted of a small depot, a hotel, two stores and a few houses. The old Wisconsin Central, now the Soo Line, only ran their trains as far as Abbotsford, Wis.

Twenty-three years ago, they sold the farm and Mr. Hinkes worked for the railroad company with the bridge crew until two years ago when he retired.

They have two children, Mrs. L. M. Staffney of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Mr. L. M. Hinkes of Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada.