According to Marietta: "One hundred and one years ago today, June 17, 1900, my parents,Charles L. Brown and Myrtle Keeny were married in the Methodist Church in Galena. She was a daughter of John H. and Laura Keeny, and a sister to Iva J. Miller nee Keeny. This is the account from Aunt Iva's diary:"
Saturday-16- We arranged to decorate the church. Susie CRAIG came and helped us bake the cakes. Made 1 chocolate, 2 cocoanut, 2 plain white iced, 1 devil's food, and 1wedding cake ( 7 in all ) Put a toothpick in the wedding cake. Mrs. SEAMAN came, Fannie HENSON, Edna SCOTT and Nellie HUNT. We were busy all day.
Sunday- 17 - Sarah JONES and I went to Sunday School.
It began raining about 11 o'clock and quit at
2 PM. Mr and Mrs BURRIS, Emma TROUBRIDGE, Pa, Sarah and
I decorated the church. Mr BURRIS and Emma got SHORT's delivery wagon and
Jim PAYNE's horse and went after 4 loads of house plants at CARTWELL's,
SHEPHER's, HENSON's, and THORNBERRIE's. We made an arch
covered to match the bell Sarah made Friday of cedar
and elderberry blossoms. The arch had "LOVE, PEACE, AND HAPPINESS" on it.
Mr. Brown and Myrtle, the four children, Sarah, Emma, Susie, M.L.and
Mrs.Burris, and I went late to practice at the church. Flora NICHOLS and
Kitty MITCHELL came after the 1st bell rang about 8 o'clock. At 8:30 PM
Myrtle and C.L. were married at the M.E. Church by Judge Lee R. HEILMAN.
Opal KEENY, Ethel CRAIG, Bessie SHORT, and Nina CAMPBELL were the flower
girls (because they all had such long pretty curls) Susie played the wedding
march. Then about 40 came to the house and we had ice cream and cake. (
I got the toothpick when I took a piece out to send to Billy, and I put
it back and let Ella SEAMAN draw it.) Mrs. SHORT gave them a set of plates,
Nellie HUNT a cake stand, Etta S., Pearl and Green VILES a set of tablespoons,
a sugar shell and butter knife. Susie a berry set, Mrs. CRAIG a glass pitcher,
grandma ACREE a set of 9 patch quilt blocks, Mrs. A some handkerchiefs,
Sarah a white ribbon fan, Dr JONES sent her a bouquet of roses and fern
from Springfield. They waited for the moon to rise about 11:30 and then
Jim ACREE took them to Marionville in his hack to take the 1 o'clock train
to Clarksville AR to visit Mr. Brown's folks. Emma and Sarah stayed all
night with us.
Monday- 18- We delivered the flowers home. There was 4
gallons of ice cream left so the boys invited
all the little fellows in town to come at 2 o'clock to
help eat it (50 in all of us)