This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Reeves, Irvin, Thomas, Burnham, Sheldon, Laird Classification: Birth Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ok.2ADE/4257.3 Message Board Post: THE FREMONT COUNTY SUN. August 13, 1903. "REACHED HER EIGHTIETH MILESTONE".-- On Tuesday, August eleventh, Mrs. E. A. Reeves celebrated her eightieth birthday. Forty four relatives were present. Four generations were represented, Mr. and Mrs. Reeves having seventeen great grandchildren of whom twelve were present--grand children of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Reeves. Of the five living children of Mr. and Mrs. Reeves all were present but one son, Josiah, who lives in Omaha. The daughter and daughters-in-law of Sam Reeves prepared the dinner and a most delicious one it was. One of the many cakes bore the word "Grandma" and the date of her birth "1823", in icing. Grandma was greatly pleased and touched by their thoughtfulness, and praised them heartily. Mrs. E. A. Reeves' sister, Mrs. Sally Reeves and her daughter, Mrs. Thomas, came in from Fremont, Neb., Monday and will visit relatives here for a week or two. These two sisters are the only ones left of a family of thirteen. Their husbands were cousins. Mrs. Sally Reeves is past seventy-five. It is thirty-four years since she left here, and this is the first time she has been back. She has three great grandchildren. Mrs. Lucinda Irvin of Cherry Grove, aged eighty three, sister-in-law of Mr. E. A. Reeves, was the oldest person present. Those here from out of town were Mrs. Sally Reeves and Mrs. Thomas, Fremont; Mrs. Burnham, mother of Mrs. Sam Reeves, A. L. Burnham, wife and children, brother and sister of Sam Reeves and wife, from Griswold; Charles Sheldon and wife of Percival, and F. M. Laird, wife and children from Tabor. They had a photograph of the entire party taken. N.B.: According to my notes 1.-- Susannah J. Irvin married Elza Armstrong Reeves of Aug. 28, 1845 in Meigs county, Ohio. 2.-- Sarah "Salley" Irvin married Ambrose Reeves on Aug. 8, 1844. S-O-O, according to this write - up, Ambrose (appears first on the 1852 census) and Elza Armstrong Reeves (appears first on the 1854 census) were cousins......(Another note which I have, says that Reverend James Irvin was a brother of the two Irvin women.) 3. -- I can't figure out how Mrs. Lucinda Irvin of Cherry Grove, aged 83, could be a sister-in-law of Mr. Elza Armstrong Reeves! Perhaps, a brother (Rev. James Irvin?) of the two Irvin sisters married one Lucinda. Maybe, it is just that I don't think that to be very relevant.......In the Middle Ages, both a relationship by blood and an in-law relationship were cited as impediments to many marriages; could this 1903 in-law reference have been included just as a thought twister? MAYBE we have a "TREND" here, where the science of genetics has now shown the world that there is no reason why a brother should not marry the wife of a deceased brother -- suggesting a relationship of little imprtance? (The such has happened many times in recent history, correct?)--W.F.