Golden Wedding Celebration of Mr. and Mrs. George Beed

March 18, 1933

The following article taken from the Elkhorn Journal, Battle Creek’s first newspaper, was printed in 1883, and read at the golden wedding celebration.

Rose Phillips and George Beed were married at the home of the bride’s parents in Highland Precinct, Madison County, Nebraska, March 18, 1883.   F. H. L. Willis, Esquire, officiated at the wedding of George Beed and Rose Phillips. The above event has been looked for by the people of this locality for some time. No cards but lots of cake. Miss Rose has had a host of admirers ever since her residences here but George has by persistent wooing, won the prize and left the rest of suitors in the background.

Highland’s constable, no doubt thinking that somebody might harm the happy pair, summoned about a dozen able assistants to his aid, went and guarded their premises the same evening, took such weapons as old shotguns, cowbells, etc., which I believe kept at ball all who would be liable to harm them. This, of course, is rather unusual occurrence on a Sabbath evening but the majesty of the law must be upheld at all hazards.  Signed, “The Esq.”

The couple were married at high noon at the home of the bride.s parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Phillips. After the wedding, the couple went to make their home in a dugout. They  lived in the dugout a year, then succeeded to a homestead west of Battle Creek. Four years later they sold this homestead and moved to their timber claim three and one-half miles northeast of Meadow Grove.

In the blizzard of 1888, Mr. Beed became lost in the storm. Mrs. Beed went in search of him and found him wandering near the house with both eyes and his mouth frozen shut and his mittens frozen to his hands. They lived on their timber claim until 1911 when they came to Meadow Grove to make their residence. They had both come to Madison County in covered wagons, Mr. Beed in 1872, and Mrs. Beed in 1881. The George Beed’s had three children, Emma, Earl and Lester Beed.  At the golden wedding celebration there was one guest present who was also at the wedding, Mrs. Malissa Ober. Source: They Called It Meadow Grove, compiled by Gary Kuchar and Mrs. Lenora Kuchar, page 153.

Mr. and Mrs. George Beed had three children: Emma, born August 27, 1885, Lester, and Earl. Emma married Eugene Lewis on January 6, 1904. Eugene was the son of Perry Lewis. Earl Beed married Emma Mewes on April 26, 1911. Earl and Emma Beed two children were: Mabel, who married Virgil Sanne and Harold who married Alice Kuchar. Lester Beed married Pearl Russell on January 15, 1909. Source: They Called It Meadow Grove, compiled by Gary Kuchar and Mrs. Lenora Kuchar, page 193.

Mrs. George Beed of Meadow Grove died July 23, 1945 at the age of 80.  Source: Excerpt from The Norfolk Daily News, July 24, 1945, page 2.

Double Wedding at St. Leonard’s Church Tuesday

The wedding ceremony was solemnized by Father Brass, which made Mathilda H. Adelmann and John C. Dickey and Mary M. Lintner and Albert J. Adelmann, man and wife. Both couples left by train for a honey-moon trip to Denver, Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Dickey expect to make their home after June 15th at Snyder, Nebraska, while Mr. and Mrs. Albert J. Adelmann will be home in this city to their many friends after June 15th. Excerpts from: Madison Star-Mail, Friday, June 4, 1920, page 2.

Married

John W. McCallum, 74 years of age, and Jessie L. Vaughn, 58, both of Meadow Grove, had been keeping company for about a year. Friends in their home town smiled at each other. They expected a match to result. And they were not disappointed, for Thursday, June 3rd , the couple came to Omaha, obtained a license from “Cupid” Stubbendorf and were married by Judge Foster. Immediately after the knot was tied the bridegroom fulfilled a pre-nuptial agreement by presenting the bride with $10,000. Mr. McCallum is a retired farmer—Omaha Bee.  The News extends heartiest congratulations to the happy couple. Source: Meadow Grove News, Friday, June 11, 1920, page 1.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob D. Gabelman celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Arthur Broberg of Newman Grove on Friday, June 25th. Mr. Gabelman was born at Frankfort, Illinois, June 10, 1857. Mrs. Gabelman was born in Bavaria, Germany, May 11, 1858. They both came to Madison county in 1871. In the month of June, 1877, Elizabeth Knapp, at the age of 19, became the bride of Mr. Gabelman. They are the parents of six sons and three daughters. A son, Charles, died at Tilden in the spring of 1935. Those living are: Jake, Fred, Frank, William, Mrs. Fred Yenter, Mrs. Earl Yenter, Alfred, and Mrs. Arthur Broberg. Four generations were present at the gathering, among them 27 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. Nine of the grandchildren and six great grandchildren were unable to be present.   Source: Madison Star-Mail, Thursday, July 8, 1937 on page 5.

Mr. and Mrs. Golden B. Groff celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary Tuesday, August 26th when they enjoyed a dinner prepared for the occasion at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Thomas E. Dover of Madison. Mr. Groff, who is a Civil War veteran, is 89 years of age. Mrs. Groff is 86 years of age. Both Mr. and Mrs. Groff were born in the state of Maryland and were married there. In 1870 they moved to Nebraska and have lived here most of the time since. Six of their children are still alive, and include Milton, Arthur, Frederick, Mrs. John Kneeland, Mrs. Sylvia Dover and Mrs. Thomas E. Dover. There are also 28 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.  Source: Madison Star-Mail, Thursday, August 28, 1930 on page 1.

Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Haskins observed their 50th wedding anniversary Wednesday. They were married at Sysamore, Illinois, May 5, 1887. They came to Madison county in the spring of 1890 and settled on a farm in Fairview [township]. In 1908 they moved to Madison where they have made their home except for a short time they lived in Enola. Mr. Haskins opened the first moving picture theatre in Madison. For the past several years he has been in the radio business. They have four children, Mrs. Nora Bates, Mrs. Pearly Taylor, Harvey and Horace Haskins, and six grandchildren.   Source: Madison Star-Mail, Thursday, May 6, 1937 on page 10.

County Couple Is Married 69 Years

Newman Grove—Rev. and Mrs. George A. Humrich will celebrate their sixty-ninth wedding anniversary Feb. 16. Rev. Humrich, 90, came with his parents to homestead in Nebraska shortly after they had gone to Kansas in 1859. He hauled the first load of rock for the first Nebraska capitol building. Mrs. Humrich is 85. Their romance began in 1865 on the day memorial services were held for Abraham Lincoln in the Humrich cabin a half-mile west of the site of the present state capital. It was in the Humrich cabin the first sermon was preached in Lincoln. The couple carried on missionary work in Nebraska and neighboring states in pioneer days. Most of Rev. Humrich’s service has been with the United Brethren church. He is regarded as the oldest living missionary in this territory. Rev. and Mrs. Humrich had 11 children.—–World-Herald.  Source: Madison Star-Mail, Thursday, February 18, 1937 on page 5.

Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Alberts and Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Craig were honor guests at a six o’clock dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Marion Owens last Wednesday evening. The dinner was in honor of their twenty-fifth wedding anniversaries. Mr. and Mrs. Alberts were married June 6, 1906 and Mr. and Mrs. Craig were married on June 21, 1906. Later in the evening members of the Ladies Country Club and their families came in an pleasantly surprised the two couples. About 70 guests in all were present. Source: Madison Star-Mail, Thursday, June 18, 1931 on page 8.

Mr. and Mrs. John Borchers celebrated their silver wedding anniversary recently at their home near Battle Creek. They were married December 28, 1904 in Battle Creek. They are the parents of five boys and one girl.  Source: Battle Creek Enterprise, Thursday, January 9, 1930 on page 1.