Middleton Coker was my gggrandfather. "Joshua's marriage was quite an event, and , as told by George McDonald, the boy fiddler, of the occasion represents some of the primitive social habits of those days. It was in 1852. Kilpatrick was to marry the daughter of Middleton Coker, two miles or more west of Rockford. McDonald reached Coker's before light, and found quite a gathering of neighbors, both men and women, already assembled. Soon the men started with dogs and guns for a hunt, while some remained to have the barbecue bits ready when the hunters returned. The ladies had in some quilts, and surrounding the frames, they worked faithfully to have the quilts out in due time. By eleven o'clock the hunters returned with several deer, a number of turkeys, squirrels, possums and birds, which were soon on the sticks over the barbecue pits, such as were to be prepared in that way. By the middle of the afternoon or before the feast was ready and spread upon improvised tables, and with the heartiness begotten of much exercise, the late hour of the meal and the prevailing good humor of the crowd, the meal was long lingered over and enjoyed. A little after dark the bride and groom were married, and congratulations and good wishes were for awhile the order of the day. Then the rooms were cleared of obstructing furniture, and the fiddlers began. There were several fiddlers present, who by turns furnished the music which inspired the dancers. the two best fiddlers were George McDonald, the neatly dressed town boy, and Jonathan Hardegree, with suit of grey home-made jeans, coat cut with dress style of claw-hammer tail. The dress of the party varied from home-made jeans, linen duster, to stylish tailor suits. The dancing and feasting continue all night with the best of humor and good will, everybody the equal of everyone else socially. With the dawning light of another day the party broke up." -Coosa Count Historical Quarterly, Spring Issue, 1942

What a delightful story! Please tell us where this took place....state? On 5/8/06 2:46 PM, "Bill Horne" <riverat@mac.com> wrote: > Middleton Coker was my gggrandfather. > > "Joshua's marriage was quite an event, and , as told by George > McDonald, the boy fiddler, of the occasion represents some of the > primitive social habits of those days. It was in 1852. Kilpatrick > was to marry the daughter of Middleton Coker, two miles or more west > of Rockford. McDonald reached Coker's before light, and found quite > a gathering of neighbors, both men and women, already assembled. > Soon the men started with dogs and guns for a hunt, while some > remained to have the barbecue bits ready when the hunters returned. > The ladies had in some quilts, and surrounding the frames, they > worked faithfully to have the quilts out in due time. By eleven > o'clock the hunters returned with several deer, a number of turkeys, > squirrels, possums and birds, which were soon on the sticks over the > barbecue pits, such as were to be prepared in that way. By the > middle of the afternoon or before the feast was ready and spread upon > improvised tables, and with the heartiness begotten of much exercise, > the late hour of the meal and the prevailing good humor of the crowd, > the meal was long lingered over and enjoyed. A little after dark the > bride and groom were married, and congratulations and good wishes > were for awhile the order of the day. Then the rooms were cleared of > obstructing furniture, and the fiddlers began. There were several > fiddlers present, who by turns furnished the music which inspired the > dancers. the two best fiddlers were George McDonald, the neatly > dressed town boy, and Jonathan Hardegree, with suit of grey home-made > jeans, coat cut with dress style of claw-hammer tail. The dress of > the party varied from home-made jeans, linen duster, to stylish > tailor suits. The dancing and feasting continue all night with the > best of humor and good will, everybody the equal of everyone else > socially. With the dawning light of another day the party broke up." > -Coosa Count Historical Quarterly, Spring Issue, 1942 > > > ==== COKER Mailing List ==== > Subscription management instructions are posted at > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/c/coker.html > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >

That been around for a while. see " From Brewer's History of Coosa County, ALABAMA pp. 116-7. Coosa Count Historical Quarterly, Spring Issue, 1942 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Janice Newton Thurmond" <jannt@comcast.net> To: <COKER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 6:35 PM Subject: Re: [Coker] From The Coosa Count Historical Quarterly, SpringIssue, 1942 > What a delightful story! Please tell us where this took place....state? > > > On 5/8/06 2:46 PM, "Bill Horne" <riverat@mac.com> wrote: > >> Middleton Coker was my gggrandfather. >> >> "Joshua's marriage was quite an event, and , as told by George >> McDonald, the boy fiddler, of the occasion represents some of the >> primitive social habits of those days. It was in 1852. Kilpatrick >> was to marry the daughter of Middleton Coker, two miles or more west >> of Rockford. McDonald reached Coker's before light, and found quite >> a gathering of neighbors, both men and women, already assembled. >> Soon the men started with dogs and guns for a hunt, while some >> remained to have the barbecue bits ready when the hunters returned. >> The ladies had in some quilts, and surrounding the frames, they >> worked faithfully to have the quilts out in due time. By eleven >> o'clock the hunters returned with several deer, a number of turkeys, >> squirrels, possums and birds, which were soon on the sticks over the >> barbecue pits, such as were to be prepared in that way. By the >> middle of the afternoon or before the feast was ready and spread upon >> improvised tables, and with the heartiness begotten of much exercise, >> the late hour of the meal and the prevailing good humor of the crowd, >> the meal was long lingered over and enjoyed. A little after dark the >> bride and groom were married, and congratulations and good wishes >> were for awhile the order of the day. Then the rooms were cleared of >> obstructing furniture, and the fiddlers began. There were several >> fiddlers present, who by turns furnished the music which inspired the >> dancers. the two best fiddlers were George McDonald, the neatly >> dressed town boy, and Jonathan Hardegree, with suit of grey home-made >> jeans, coat cut with dress style of claw-hammer tail. The dress of >> the party varied from home-made jeans, linen duster, to stylish >> tailor suits. The dancing and feasting continue all night with the >> best of humor and good will, everybody the equal of everyone else >> socially. With the dawning light of another day the party broke up." >> -Coosa Count Historical Quarterly, Spring Issue, 1942 >> >> >> ==== COKER Mailing List ==== >> Subscription management instructions are posted at >> http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/c/coker.html >> >> ============================== >> Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the >> areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. >> Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >> > > > ==== COKER Mailing List ==== > Subscription management instructions are posted at > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/surname/c/coker.html > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >