PLYMOUTH, Ill., Oct. 17 (Special) -- Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Lawton of this village celebrated their golden wedding anniversary October 13 at their farm home one-half mile south of the village limits.

Mr. Lawton has passed his 76th birthday and Mrs. Lawton, whose maiden name was Miss Mourning, is 71 years of age.  They have lived on the same farm since their marriage and in the same house for the past 39 years. Two daughters, Mrs. Roy Glass and Mrs. Staunton Smith, and two sons, Howard M., and Elmer Lawton, have established homes of their own nearby.

The Lawton home was thrown open in the afternoon and evening and many friends came to offer their congratulations.  Beside children, grandchildren and Plymouth friends there were present: Denver Lawton of Denver, Colo.; Mrs. W. D. Enness [Innes], Minneapolis, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Brewster and Mrs. Phoebe Madden, Keosauqua, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Whipple and Mrs. Orval Way of Galesburg; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Reed, Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Symonds, W. A. Symonds and Mrs. Mary A. Crum of Carthage; Mr. and Mrs. Lou Gumbart and son of Macomb, and Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Waddell of Canton.

Thursday the ladies of the Congregational church gave a surprise dinner in honor of the event.

Clora Iona "Toady" Lawton was born September 26, 1860, in Sullivan County, Missouri, to Adeline Roberts and John Marion Mourning.

She married Amos Duane Mourning on October 13, 1881, in Plymouth, Hancock County, Illinois. The Rev. J. S. Gash performed the ceremony in the presence of witnesses W. M. Butler and Ida Mourning. Of note is that the marriage license was issued to Miss Iona C. Mourning.  The Board of Health document was also prepared with that name and bears that signature.
Marriage Documents

Duane was born June 8, 1855, in or near Carthage, Hancock County, the son of John H. Lawton and Hannah M. Neal, natives of Vermont and Massachusetts, respectively.  He died March 3, 1945, in Chalmers Township, McDonough County.  Iona died February 7, 1955, at Plymouth. They are buried at Round Prairie Cemetery southeast of Plymouth.

The children of Iona and A. D. were:

Jno H Lawton, 41, male, nursery man, value of real estate 2500, value of personal estate 1000, born VT
Anna Lawton, 40, female, born MA
Catherine F Lawton, 11, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Ann E Lawton, 9, female, born MA, attended school within the year
George E Lawton, 7, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Duane Lawton, 5, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Joseph Owens, 21, male, com[mon] school teacher, born IL
John Ollonorlong ??, 52, male, born Bavaria

Lawton, John H, 51, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 500, value of personal estate 500, born VT, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Hannah, 51, female, white, keeping house born MA
Ann E, 19, female, white, school teacher, born MA
George E, 17, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Duane A, 15, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year

Mourning, John, 34, male, white, farmer, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Mary, 30, female, white, keeping house, born IL
Iona, 9, female, white, born IL
Emma, 10/12, female, white, born IL, born in August

Lawton, John H, white, male, 61, married, farmer, born VT, both parents born MA
Hannah M, white, female, 60, wife, married, keeping house, born MA, both parents born MA
Francis C, white, female, 31, daughter, single, at home, born IL, father born VT, mother born MA
Duane, white, male, 24, son, single, farmer, born IL, father born VT, mother born MA

Mourning, John, white, male, 43, married, farmer, born KY, both parents born KY
Mary, white, female, 41, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents born KY
Iona, white, female, 19, daughter, single, at home, attended school within the year, born MO, father born KY, mother born IL
Emma, white, female, 10, daughter, single, attended school within the year, born IL, father born KY, mother born IL
Luther, white, male, 6, son, single, attended school within the year, born KS, father born KY, mother born IL
Blanchie, white, female, 1, daughter, single, born IL, father born KY, mother born IL

Lawton, Duane A, head, white, male, June 1855, 44, married for 18 years, born IL, father born VT, mother born MA, cattle dealer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, was paying on the mortgage of his farm home, farm schedule 33

Clora I, white, female, Sept 1860, 39, married for 18 years; mother of 4 children, all living; born MO, both parents born KY, could read, write and speak English

Adaline N, daughter, white, female, June 1884, 15, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, at school, attended school for 7 months, could read, write and speak English

Stella M, daughter, white, female, Sep 1887, 12, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, at school, attended school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Marion H, son, white, male, May 1889, 11, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, at school, attended school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Elmer, son, white, male, Oct 1891, 8, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, at school, attended school for 8 months

Cushman, Fred E, employee, white, male, Aug 1878, 21, single born IL, both parents born "X", farm laborer, months not employed - 0; could read, write and speak English

Lawton, Amos D, head, male, white, 54, married (1st) for 28 years, born IL, father born VT, mother born MA, spoke English, farmer, stock dealer, employer, could read and write, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm
schedule 25

Clora I, wife, female, white, 49, married (1st) for 28 years; mother of 4 children, all living; born MO, both parents born KY, spoke English, could read and write

Adaline N, daughter, female, white, 25, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, spoke English, at school, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Stella M, daughter, female, white, 22, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, spoke English, at school, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Howard M, son, male, white, 20, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, spoke English, at school, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Elmer A, son, male, white, 18, single, born IL, father born IL, mother born MO, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Lawton, Amos D, head, owned his home, mortgage, male, white, 64, married, could read and write, born IL, father born VT, mother born MA, spoke English, farmer, stock farm, employer, farm schedule 67

Clora I, wife, female, white, married, could read and write, born MO, both parents born KY, spoke English

Lawton, Duane A, head, owned his home, owned a radio, lived on a farm, male, white, 74, married, age at first marriage - 26, could read and write, born IL, father born NH, mother born MA, spoke English, farmer, stock farm, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no, farm schedule 62

Clora I, wife, female, white, 69, married, age at first marriage - 21, could read and write, born MO, both parents born KY, spoke English