William Clay and Elizabeth Mallon Clay Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversary

Relatives of William Clay and Elizabeth Mallon Clay gathered in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois to help the couple celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Clay Golden Wedding

William and Elizabeth were married 9 April 1864 at Cumberland, Allegany County, MD at St. Patrick's catholic church by Fr. Brennan. Fifty years later another Fr. Brennan officiated at the mass celebrating their Golden Anniversary at St. Rose of Lima parish in Quincy. 

The couple celebrated on Sunday and Monday, April 12-13th, 1914 surrounded by friends and relatives. Among the relatives that attended were six of the couple's eleven children. John Clay of Chicago, Mrs. Steven Struck (Susan) of Quincy, Mrs. John G Kroner (Mary) of Kansas City, Kansas, Frank Clay of Kansas City, Missouri, and Misses Margaret and Anna Clay of Quincy. Their son Joseph of Chicago was unable to attend. The other four children, John, William, Martin and Annory passed away before they reached adulthood. 

The couple had seven grandchildren who all attended - Helen Elizabeth Struck; W. Lloyd Kroner; John W. Clay (son of John G Clay); Lilian, Margaret, Joseph and Mary Clay (children of Joseph Clay).    

Other relatives that attended were Henry Clay, William's brother from Baring, Missouri; Mr. and Mrs. William Smith and Mollie Smith of St. Louis; Mrs. Kate Foster; and Mary Binsbacher of St. Louis. 

The celebrations were covered in the Quincy newspapers of the day. There was a dinner at 4 o'clock on Sunday followed by mass on Monday morning.  William was 75 and Elizabeth was 73. The couple traveled west from Cumberland, Maryland over forty-five years before and settled in Quincy, which was the end of the railroad at the time. 

Sources

1. Quincy Daily Journal, "Marital Happiness Is Lasting." 11 April 1914 page 8; "Mass Celebrated in Honor of Their Golden Wedding", 13 April, 1914; . Digitized on Newspaper Archive of the Quincy Public Library <http://quincylibrary.org/newspaper-archive/>

2.  The Quincy Whig, "To Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversary," 12 April 1914, page 2. Digitized on Newspaper Archive of the Quincy Public Library <http://quincylibrary.org/newspaper-archive/>

3. Invitation to Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration, copy of original given to the author by James Coakley, great-grandson of William and Elizabeth Mallon Clay.

4. Quincy Daily Herald, "Golden Wedding Mr. and Mrs. Clay." 11 April 1914, page 10.  

5. Clerk of Circuit Court, Allegany County, Maryland; Marriage Register Vol 2, page 22 line 8, Marriage of Willliam Clay and Elizabeth Mallon. Visit to courthouse, September 1991.