Golden Wedding (Sims)

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Howard Courant
November 29, 1923

Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Sims, of Paw Paw Township, Entertain Friends by the Hundreds

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Last Sunday, November 25, the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Sims, eight miles north of Howard, was the scene of the most remarkable assemblage of relatives and friends any Elk County couple ever enjoyed.  It was the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary, and at the noon hour forty or fifty auto loads of their neighbors, relatives and friends, in all more than two hundred persons assembled to do this worthy couple honor and to felicitate them on their fifty years of companionship.  The day was cool but not chilly, and although the sun did not shine all the time, the warmth of friendship and affectionate regard seemed to pervade the assemblage and it was indeed a happy event.  The house was full, the porches were full, the whole dooryards were full, the road in front of the house and the barnyards were full of cars, and there were even a few horse-drawn vehicles in evidence, though most everybody came in motors.  Everbody was well-dressed and every face was wreathed in smiles.  Mr. and Mrs. Sims were congratulated and deluged with good wishes, and had they not proclaimed in advance that "No presents" were to be given them, they would no doubt have been smothered with gifts.  But in spite of the proscription, we observed that two beautiful and comfortable rocking chairs occupied a prominent place in the parlor, the gift of their children.

At shortly after one o'clock, Elder Fear "asked the blessing" and the crowds formed in procession and marched past the biggest and most enticing array of everything good to eat that ever greeted the eye of a hungry Kansan--friend chicken in pyramids, sandwiches by the hundreds, cold meats, relishes, pickles, fruits, preserves, pies, cakes, 'nevery-thing.  The guests served themselves in cafeteria style, young women and girls presided at various tables and assisted in the serving.  Hot coffee, cream and sugar were found at a special table, and as a finisher, brick ice cream and Golden Wedding cake were served.  We can't begin to do justice to describing the feast, but we sure did justice to it in the way of tasting something of everything "when the getting was good."

When we saw the vast crowd of guests, we wondered how it was going to be managed.  But it almost solved itself.  Everything moved like clockwork; every guest was quickly served; everybody got what they wanted, and everybody voted that it was the finest occasion they ever attended.  Old friends and neighbors visited together, some coming from considerable distance, some who had been pioneers in that neighborhood and had since moved away, came back especially for the occasion, and it was good to hear them talk over old times with the happy "bride and groom" of fifty years.

In 1871 William Wiley Sims came to Kansas from Indiana and took a claim in north Howard county, later changed to Elk County; that claim has been his home till this hour.  In 1873, on the 27th day of November, he went back to the old home neighborhood and married Miss Louisa A. Freeman and brought his bride to his Kansas home.  They went to housekeeping in the little claim shanty, scarcely more than 12 x 14, and for many years that was their home, where their children were born, and where they built the foundation of their modest fortunes.  Their farm has never changed hands, and an abstract of title whould show but one entry, that of the President of the United States to W. W. Sims.

Mr. Sims is still in remarkable good health, but Mrs. Sims is quite frail.  She suffered an illness some months ago, which sapped her strength, but she remains in excellent spirits and it is hoped will soon recover her health and strength and belong spared to peaceful and contented life with her faithful and loving husband.

Six children came to bless the Sims home.  One son, James E., died in infancy, and two daughters, Mrs. C. C. Chase and Mrs. E. J. Chase, are deceased.  The living children are A. F. Sims of Howard, Mrs. Howard Hitt of Wichita, and Mrs. Sloan Pyle of Severy.

The grandchildren are: Mrs. Chas. McConnaughey and Walter Chase of Hillsdale, Wyoming; Mrs. C. D. Songer, Carl, Chase, Claudia Hitt and Dorathea Hitt, all of Wichita; Gladys and Ruth Sims of Howard; Ralph Chase of Kansas City; and there is one great grandaughter.

Relatives from a distance who attended the celebration were: Mrs. Joe Sims and Olive Lofton, of Oklahoma City; George Sims, of Alix, Alberta, Canada; Mrs. Clarence Gilmouth and two daughters, Blossom and Reba of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Carl Chase, Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Songer and daughter, Alta Merle, of Wichita; Mrs. Howard Hitt and two daughters of Wichita.