Wednesday, Feb. 1st, will be the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Francke and we are glad to give these good people space in the Review columns this week in commemoration of the event.

February 1st, 1883 was a mighty cold day, the wind was blowing and the thermometer hovered down, way down below the zero mark, when a young couple, H. A. Francke and Miss Laura Carey set forth in a cutter over the snow topped hills from four miles south of Hanover for Galena, the county seat town of Jo Daviess where they were married in the afternoon at a hotel by Rev. W. H. Knowlton, pastor of the Grace church at Galena.

And to give our present day readers an idea of the styles of 50 years ago, Mrs. Francke tells us that her wedding costume was a blue henrietta dress trimmed in satin of the same shade, made tight fitting basque, a high collar and buttoned down front. The skirt had a row of box pleating around the bottom with a shirred flounce of satin above and an overskirt of edged with silk fringe. The costume was complete with high, tight buttoned kid shoes and a blue hat to match. They started housekeeping in a two room log house on the farm south of Hanover that was owned by Mr. Francke and his brother Julius. They lived there for nine years and their fourth child was born while residing on this farm.

Then the next home was in the state of Kansas where they resided for three yeras. They then returned to a farm near Hanover where they lived for nine more years and then moved to Thomson where they farmed the George Melendy farm for five years. By this time they were able to buy a farm and the purchase was made of a place near Mt. Carroll where they lived for two years. Then the son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Switzer, were living on the Hollinshead farm in Ustick and Mr. and Mrs. Francke lived with them for three years.

They then purchased their present home in Thomson and have lived here for the past 19 years. Their four children are: Ernie, who married Maud Hartman and lives at Savanna; Clara, who married Charles Switzer and lives with Mr. and Mrs. Francke, their children are Philip, Walter, Ruth, Mary, and David; Amy married Frank Switzer and they have three children; Hallie married Iona Bickelhaupt and they have one child. Friends are invited to call on Mr. and Mrs. Francke at their home here next Wednesday. The hours will be 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Contributed by Alice Horner/Kathy Campbell from the 28 Jan. 1933, Thomson Review, Thomson , IL , p. 1.

THOMSON COUPLE CELEBRATE THEIR 54TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ON FEB. 1ST

Mr. and Mrs. Herman Francke will observe their 54th wedding anniversary Monday, Feb. 1, and in honor of the occasion they will hold open house at their residence, both afternoon and evening, at which time all friends and relatives are invited to call. Mr. Francke, is now 81, and Mrs. Francke, 74. Both are enjoying good health and the Review is pleased to herald the news of their 54th anniversary together and looks forward to this event each year with pleasure, as well as do the honorees and their host of friends.

Laura Carey and Herman Francke were married Feb. 1, 1883 in Galena by W. H. Knowlton, rector of Grace church . Witnesses of the ceremony were H. F. French and W. T. Robinson. Mr. and Mrs. Francke drove to Galena with a team and cutter on their wedding day. There was lots of snow and it was bitter cold. After the ceremony they drove 18 miles to his parents and spent the night. A neighbor held a dance that evening and the newlyweds attended. Next morning found three feet of snow on the ground, and Mr. and Mrs. Francke were compelled to stay another night. The drive home was a bitter cold one.

They started farming at Peterborough , four miles south of Hanover , living in an old log house. Here they lived for nine years, and their children were all born there. In 1892 they moved to Kansas , staying there three years and during that time everything was dry. On returning to Illinois they spent several years near Hanover and another five years on the Melendy farm east of Thomson.

They moved to Mt. Carroll from the Melendy farm and 22 years ago settled into their present home in Thomson. They have four children: Amy (Mrs. Frank Switzer) and Hal Francke of Mt. Carroll , Ernest of Savanna and Clara (Mrs. Charles Switzer) of Thomson, with whom they share their home.

Contributed by Alice Horner/ Kathy Campbell from the 28 Jan. 1937, The Thomson Review, Thomson , IL , p. 1.