Posts Tagged ‘Bentley’

3
Jun

Obituary: Luther Clark Bentley

   Posted by: admin    in Death, obituary

The Fort Dodge Messenger: June 3, 1095

Obituary

Luther Clark Bentley, oldest son of B.P. and S.L. Bentley, died at the hospital, May 26, at 6:40 p.m., at the age of 35 years, 7 months, and 22 days. He was born in Floyd county, October 4th, 1869 He leaves a father, mother, sister and five brothers to mourn his departure, Jennie, Clarence, Frederic, Samuel, Curtis and George, the three former brothers are in Washington and could not be present at the funeral He was a kind and loving son and brother.

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27
Aug

Freak Marriage of Stratford Girl

   Posted by: admin    in Marriage, Society news, Stratford

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 27, 1904

Freak Marriage of Stratford Girl

Wedded at Spiritualist Camp Meeting Before Crowd of Spectators

Minerva Bentley is the Bride

Weds William L. Gibbs of Abilene, Tex., Met at Camp Meeting at Cedar Rapids, and Concluded to be Made One on the Spot

Stratford, Ia. Aug. 27 — Miss Minerva Bentley of Stratford took an important part in a woods wedding at Cedar Rapids on Wednesday evening. In fact, she was the bride, the groom being William L. Gibbs of Abilene, Tex. The two were attending the Spiritualists’ camp meeting there and concluded to enter into matrimony before the close of the camp meeting. The following is a report from the meeting in regard to this strange wedding:

“There is a little matter of business to transact before we conclude,” solemnly observed a minister at the Spiritualists’ camp meeting at Cedar River Park last evening: and with the audience all in ignorance of what was to transpire a blushing bride and groom walked into full view of the crowd and proceeded to answer the usual questions incident to a marriage ceremony.

The couple who chose this novel and surprising method of becoming man and wife were William L. Gibbs of Abilene, Tex., and Minerva Bentley of Stratford, Ia. They have been in attendance at the camp meeting and arranged with Rev. J. Allord to make a preliminary announcement and perform the ceremony.

(Editor’s note: I looked up the marriage on FamilySearch.org. They were married on Aug. 24, 1904, — a Wednesday, as mentioned in the article — in Waterloo. She was 44 and he was 53. His parents were John L. Gibbs and Martha J. Long. Her parents were William Bowman and Maria Hardin.)

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