Mr. & Mrs. Meeks celebrate 50th wedding anniversary; Mrs. Robert Hemingray listed

FIFTY YEARS AGO

WERE MR. AND MRS. ROBERT MEEKS MARRIED.

They Celebrate Their Golden Wedding Anniversary on an Elaborate Scale, Honored by Old-time Friends.

The celebration of a golden wedding is rather a rare occurrence. Within the past fifteen years such an event has been observed only three or four times in Muncie, consequently the announcement that Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meeks would observe the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage last evening and to-day, called up man incidents of the past, pleasant memories of the present and conjectures of the future.

Fifty years ago to-day Robert Meeks, then a young man twenty-three years of age, and Miss Sarah Jones, a young lady of eighteen, were married. The parents of the young couple were of the hardy, honest, substantial class of early day settlers, having moved from Virginia in 1838 and 1839 and settled near Parker in Randolph county, where the farms of both are still owned by members of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Jones, the father and mother of Mrs. Meeks, celebrated their 57th marriage anniversary, which shows that the family was one of hardy longevity, able to withstand the trails and hardships incident to the early settlement of the country.

Robert Meeks came to this city, then called Muncietown, in 1844 and began work as an apprentice in the cabinet shop of James Nottingham and Job Swain, and afterwards – prior to his marriage – purchased Mr. Nottingham’s interest. He succeeded well in the business and prevailed upon his brother Isaac to buy Mr. Swain’s interest, and the name of Meeks Bros. and R. Meeks and Sons has been a household word in Delaware and adjoining counties since that time.

Mr. Meeks had wooed and won his bride and on March 5, 1846, Rev. Corey of the Granville circuit performed the ceremony which united them “for better or for worse, until death do you part.” The union was a happy one and the Meeks family have enjoyed the high esteem of a very extensive circle of friends, have prospered in business and have contributed largely to make the growing Magic City of Muncie what it....

·

·

Dungan, David Haines P.W. Franklin, Joseph Hummel, William Huffman, R.H. Clarke, G.H. Hill, Oscar Meeks, Arthur Shideler, C.M. Kimbrough, W.H. Shirk, C.L. Bender, J.F. Wildman, Rev. Starr, Rev. Hodgin, G.W.H. Kemper, G.M. Bard, James Love, P.T. King, Robert Clare, and Mesdames J.A. Goddard, Robert Hemingray, Christina Nickey and Sarah J. Williams. Also the four children and their families.

A handsome present was received by Mrs. Meeks from her brothers and sisters, and an equally handsome one by Mr. Meeks from his brothers and sisters. They also received a very highly appreciated present from their own children.

INFAIR TO-DAY.

To-day is really the day for celebrating the wedding anniversary but Mr. and Mrs. Meeks have made it a wedding an infair dinner and have invited a large number of their friends of former days to be with them. In addition to their sons – James, Martin L., Wm., J. A., their wives and families of this city, those present are Messrs. and Mesdames Joseph Meeks, John W. Meeks, Samuel Jones, Oliver Jones, John A. Jones, James. H. Jones, J. Hamilton, David Harper, Lystria Baughn, Mrs. Rebecca Baughn, Mrs. Matilda Leavell, Lewis Haymond, from the vicinity of Parker: Mrs. Mary J. Haymond, Grafton, West Virginia; Joseph Meeks, Buffalo, N.Y.; Jacob Meeks, B.S. Hollopeter and wife, Nathan Jones, Selma; Messrs. and Mesdames Arthur Shideler, James Jones, Robert Jones, Carl Franklin, Rev. N. H. Phillips, Mary Meeks, Miss Nannie Jones, Mrs. Rebecca Jones, of Muncie, and Mr. Frank Jones from Lafayette. Some the older members of the party attended the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Meeks fifty years ago to-day, and while many winters have passed and their locks show the silver gray, they are a remarkably fine looking company of people, prepared to enjoy life and are financially in a condition to have about all the pleasures that money can bring.