Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1902 — Their Sixtieth Wedding Anniversity. [ARTICLE]

Their Sixtieth Wedding Anniversity.

Mr. and Mrs. David Nowels Were Married Sixty Years A sixtieth wedding anniversary is a rare event in any case, still rarer is it in this still comparatively new county, for a couple to have reached that anniversary, ' who were married in this county ’ and passed their whole married ! life here. In fact we believe this • combination of circumstances never occured here until today. Mr. and Mrs. pavid Nowels today passed their 60th anniversary and they are the first couple married in Jasper county who have both survived to see their 60th wedding day. On March 10, 1842, in a little one room log cabin, in what is now i Newton township, and on the farm now owned by O. C. Halstead, David Nowels, and Mrs. Phebe A. (Benjamin) Piper were unitedin marriage. The ceremony was performed by Squire Joseph Yeoman, brother-in-law of the groom, and it being the first marriage he had ever solemnized, he received no marriage fee, it being the custom in those daja that a justice-of-the-peace or preacher, should perform their first marriage “for luck.” The house in which the wedding took place was the home of the ( bride’s widowed mother, Mrs. Benjamin and her son, Jared, now a much honored resident of Rensselaer. Those two, the bridal couple and the Squire and his wife, who was the groom’s sister, were all who were present at the wedding. “Uncle Jared” and the wedding couple are all of the party now living. Squire Yeoman was the father of Capt. David H. Yeoman, of our city and of Mrs. Fred Lang, of Surrey. The one room in which the wedding occured was kitchen, sitting room, parlor, reception hall and chamber, all in one. And at night the entire family, including the newly married couple, slept on the floor thereof. As soon as the weather permitted however, the young husband proceeded to erect a log house on bis own land, some 5 or 6 miles north and a little west of Rensselaer. Some years later be erected a large two story frame hopse, on the same land, which still stands and is a good housejyet. The wedding license was issued by Geo. W. Spitler, who held all the offices in the county, and still had plenty of time to devote to private business.

David Nowels came to Jasper county in the fall of 1834, when 13 years old and was a member of the first white family to locate where Rensselaer now is, and he helped build the first house here. It was a log cabin, of course, and it stood curiously enough, on the very spot where, some 35 years later, Mr. Nowels erected the.fine three story brick business building and hotel, now known as the Nowels block. When he came here he was the only white boy in Jasper county, and his playmates when he had Say were the young Indian boys of whom there were considerable numbers. The family consisted of his fa ther, John Nowels, Mr. and Mrs, Yeoman and young David. He was born in Ohio, Sept. 15, 1821, and is 80 years, 5 months and 25 days old. His wife, also a native of Ohio, was born, Feb. 22, 1819, and her age Monday, was 83 years, 18 days. He was a little oyer 20 years old, at his marriage and his bride a little more than 23. Young as she still was she bad boon a widow more than 3 years, and had been oonected with one of the saddest tragedies of pioneer days in Jasper county. She married Mr. Piper Dec. 18, 1838. Just 10 days later, he started alone, in the dead of winter to go across the trackless

wilderness to LaPorte, to enter some land. A fearful storm came up and he perished, and his body was found, when the snow melted the 4th of the following March. Mr. and Mrs. Nowels’ long life together has been prosperous and as happy as is often vouchsafed to any in this world. Financial prosperity has been theirs, good health, the love of their children and the respect and friendship of their neighbors. Nine children were born to them of whom five are still living: W. R. Nowels, of Flora, C. D. Nowels, Mrs. Mary Ellen Grow and Mrs. Ida Randle, of Rensselaer, and David B. Nowels of Lamar, Colo. A sad event of the past year was the death of their oldest son, Hon. Ezra C. Nowels, also of Lamar. They have 27 grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren. Uncle David and Aunt Phebe still enjoy a fair degree of health, and theii mental faculties are still clear and bright, and prospects are excellent that they will see a goodly number more of their wedding anniversaries.