William and Elizabeth McCluskey (50th Anniversary)

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from THE MOLINE ADVANCE   Jan. 8, 1914
GOLDEN WEDDING CELEBRATION
50th Wedding Day of Mr. Mrs. Wm. McCluskey
Children and Grandchildren Gather at New Albany to Celebrate Event

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. McCluskey of New Albany celebrated their Golden Wedding December 21, 1913, at their comfortable home in that quiet little city.  Wm. McCluskey and Elizabeth Nimmo were married at Rutherglen, Scotland, December 31, 1863, where they had grown to maturity.  Soon after their marriage they came to America, sailing from Glasco.  But after a residence of a couple of years in this country, they returned to Scotland.  but the lure of America was still strong in their blood and in August 1869, they came back and settled on a farm in Wilson county, Kansas, where they lived until the fall of 1875, when they moved to a farm in Elk county, where they resided until 1905, when they retired from active life; moved to New Albany and have since enjoyed the fruits of their labor, of which they have a goodly store, in peace and quiet.

Mr. and Mrs. McCluskey have reared a large family of children, fine men and women, all of whom have inherited from their parents the strict honesty, thrift and perserverance of the Scottish race, and who are a joy and comfort to the worthy old couple in their declining years.  Mr. McCluskey has been an active business man and his efforts have been not confined to the farm.  He is a stockholder in the Moline National Bank, and was one of the organizers of a bank at New Albany.  He was also a member of the Moline Drilling & Development Co. of Moline and helped to develop the gas field around this city.  He is a 32nd Degree Mason belonging to the Wichita Consistory.

Those present at the celebration were:  Mr. and Mrs. James McCluskey of Radley, Kansas, brother and sister-in-law of Mr. McCluskey; children; Mesdames Elizabeth Sheel, Mary Wadman, of Moline, C. M. McCluskey of Severy, John K. and T. A. McCluskey of New Albany, James A. McCluskey of Hutchinson, and Wm McCluskey of Howard; grandchildren; Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Harris of Enid, Oklahoma, Miss Rika Sheel of Moline, Henry McCluskey of Howard and Miss Mabel M. McCluskey of New Albany, Frank Sheel and Frank L. Wadman of Moline, sons-in-law and Mesdames Cora and Mabel McCluskey of New Albany, daughters-in-law, also helped celebrate the happy occasion.

After a day spent in social converse, going over again the many happy events incident to the "growing up" of a large family, the old people again became the principal characters of a typical Scottish wedding, making anew the vows which have carried them safely over a half-century of wedded life.  A three-course wedding supper concluded the joyous day and the participants of this happy reunion dispersed to their various homes.

The many Elk county friends will wish this good old Scotch couple many more happy wedding anniversaries.