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Condon Globe Times Friday August 31, 1951 Condon, Oregon
Fifty Years of Married Life Reviewed By John Billingsleys
John Billingsley and Martha E. Harrison were united in marriage on August 25, 1901 by the Rev. Edward Curran, pastor Congregational church of Condon, with Viola Hire and J. W. Hire as witnesses.
A marriage certificate to this effect hung over the guest book where about 125 relatives and friends signed their names before passing through the reception line at the 50th wedding anniversary celebration at the Billingsley home in Lost Valley Sunday. Mr and Mrs John Billingsley and their four children were looking forward to this occasion and were fortunate in having a perfect day for the affair.
Mrs. Billingsley, who was born in Condon on July 29, 1883, was 68 years of age, and Mr Billingsley will be 81 years old on October 13. He was born 1870 at Greenwood, Arkansas. Although not too strong, both are enjoying reasonably good health. Two sisters of Mrs Billingsley who were present at the original wedding, Mrs Cecil Palmer of Harper, and Mrs Maude Soule of Hillsboro were also present for the golden anniversary.
The wedding cake, prepared in Prineville, was a beautiful expression of the occasion, with golden rose buds and an inscription, 1901 to 1951. There were specially printed napkins as souvenirs. Mrs Billingsley was presented by a friend with a beautiful corsage, gold with an orchid center. Many other useful gifts were presented to them.
The setting for the occasion was a perfect one, it being the family home since 1919. Their home is in teh center of a 40-acre clearing on the mountain side overlooking Lost Valley. Surrounding the house are all kinds of flowers and a large garden plot with a years provision for the father, mother and son Henry, who make their home in Lost Valley. The farm land provides hay for their horses. A few feet from the back door are Mrs Billingsleys chickens and on a warm day they enjoy the shade beneath a weeping willow tree. Water is plentiful on this farm and there is no meter to check its flow.
Their home, not elaborate, but adequate, has porches on the east and north sides and it was on these porches that the honored folks greeted the guests, loitered around the place visiting, enjoying the flowers, the wooded areas around and some had the pleasure of seeing several deer going into the ranch. "We're just as happy today as we were 50 years ago," both Mr and Mrs Billingsley stated. "This has been a wonderful day. It's the first time our family has been all together since 1932."
The Billingsleys lived in Condon after they were married until 1919 when they purchased 200 acres from A A Anderson. The family grew up there and all left, except Henry, who has remained continuously with his parents, except for a hitch in World War II. They have chickens, cows, sheep and a garden, and each week they make trips to Kinzua with produce. They used to cut wood, but that business subsided considerably in recent years.
At the celebration the guest book was in the charge of their daughter, Mrs Louise Grant; and serving were Mrs Flora Dwinell of Spokane, Miss Flossie Billingsley of Wilbur, Wash., Mrs Waunita Walter of Prineville, Mrs Bertha Billingsley of Yreka, Calif.; they were assisted by a number of the guests.
Members of the family are Mr and Mrs Clarence Billingsley and 10 children, Lester, Jimmie, Robert, Kenny, Freida, Harold, June, Alfred, Patty and Roy of Yreka, Calif.; Mr and Mrs Oscar Billingsley of Hood River; Mr and Mrs Ed Grant (Louise) and four children, Doris, Dick, Barbara and Donald of Prineville; and Henry of Lost Valley. All were present except Clarence's boys Lester, Jimmie, Robert and Harold.
Mr Billingsley has one brother, Jess of Wilbur, Wash.; and one half-sister. Mrs Bruce Dodd, founder of Father's Day, of Spokane; and four half-brothers, Henry, Marshall, Charles and Fred Smart. Mrs Billingsley has four brothers and three sisters, Bill, Charles, Fred and Francis Harrison; and Mrs Maude Soule, Mrs Cecil Palmer and Mrs Julia Thompson.
Those regsitering for the anniversary celebration were: Mr and Mrs Ed Grant and family,; Mr and Mrs L W Hicks and family, Raymond and Waunita Walters, Mr and Mrs Don Grant and children, all of Prineville.
Mr and Mrs Clarence Billingsley of Yreka, Calif.; Mr and Mrs Oscar Billingsley of Hood River; Henry Billingsley of Kinzua; J J Billingsley and Flossie Billingsley of Wilbur, Wash.; Mrs. Nora Dwinell; Mrs Cecil Palmer of Harper, Oreg.; Mrs Sophia Bethel of Vale; Mr and Mrs Hubert Magee of Klickitat, Wash.; Mr and Mrs John Hertzer of Orenco, Ore.; Mr and Mrs Frank May and Mrs Maude Soule of Hillsboro; Mr and Mrs Paul Harrison and son of Neskowin; Mr and Mrs H J Bernard and Jo Ann of Honolulu.
Claudia Cupinchi of Myrtle Point; J W Harrison, Fred Harrison of Heppner; Mrs Elizabeth Harrison, Mr and Mrs Bill Wilson and daughter of Portland; Leo Tripp of Kinzua; Mrs Bert Brown, Mrs Nora Myers of The Dalles; Glen I Simpson of Anson, Texas; Mr and Mrs Larry Wade and daughter Kathy of Clem; Mr and Mrs Art Myers and Dale Hicks, Mr and Mrs Oliver Munger and Si, and Mrs. Myrtle Munger of Fossil; Mr and Mrs Robert Boyer, Mr and Mrs Lester Harrison of Lonerock.
Mr and Mrs J G Boyer, Mr and Mrs Lester Wade and Larry, Mr and Mrs Carl Anderson, Mr and Mrs George Schott and daughters Grace and Alice, Mr and Mrs Chester Schott and family, Mrs Annie Johnson, Mr and Mrs Kenneth Myers and daughters, Mr and Mrs Walter Smith and granddaughter, Mr and Mrs Emmitt Smith, Mr and Mrs W W Parish and Michael, Mrs Etta Hughes, Mr and Mrs Erie Kennedy and Clifford, Mr and Mrs Mel Eaton and George, Mr and Mrs Frank Maddock, Ed Russell, George A Stewart, Stewart Hardie, H F Harrison, Ernest Weisex, all of Condon.
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