Centennial of Two Weddings

100 years ago this month, two well known Bovina couples were married. On February 5, 1915, Bill Burns and Emily Elliott were married in Kingston. They settled in Bovina, farming for many years on the farm that his grandson Gary now owns, just outside the Bovina Center hamlet. They would have five children, Robert, James, Eleanor, Clarence and Kathryn in an 11 year period. Emily died in 1966, Bill in 1975. They were survived by four of their children, their eldest son, Bob, having died in 1956.

This picture of Bill and Emily likely dates from the 1960s. It may be in celebration of their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1965. The picture was taken in the Bovina UP Church. Thanks to their grandchildren, Barbara Moore and Joan Townsend for getting this picture to me for this blog.

On February 17, John F. Thomson married Ina Nichols in Bovina. John was the son of Alexander Dixon Thomson and Addie Kaufman; Ina the daughter of John Nichols and Ida Wilbur. John spent his entire life in Bovina. He was born and died in the house on the family farm on Pink Street. Ina was born in North Harpersfield. John and Ina had two children, Bea and Doris. Ina was widowed in 1964 when John passed away, eight months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. She survived him just over 20 years, dying in 1985. The family farm went to their daughter and son-in-law Doris and Henry Rabeler and, like the Bill Burns farm, still is in the family.

Wedding picture of John and Ina, provided by their granddaughter Dianne Rabeler Abele.