The Lake County Times Friday November 30, 1906 page 1 ARE WEDDED FIFTY YEARS Aged St. John Couple Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversary ELABORATE EXERCISES Solemn High Mass Held at Local Catholic Church After Which Dinner is Served (Special to Lake County Times) St. John, Nov. 30 - Surrounded by a host of friends and relatives, Mr. and Mrs. John THIEL celebrated their golden wedding anniversary here yesterday. The high esteem in which the couple stands not only in this community but throughout the county and everywhere where they are known, their good health, though Mr. and Mrs. THIEL are 75 and 73 years old respectively, and the splendid day tended to make the celebration large and an ideal gathering. The guests began to come in on Thanksgiving eve and still more arrived on the following morning, coming mainly from Chicago, Whiting, Schererville, Dyer, Cedar Lake and Crown Point. Mr. and Mrs. THIEL, being Catholics, a solemn high mass was said in the morniing, the new pastor, Rev. H. BUCHHEIT acting as a celebrant. He was assisted by Rev. GUETHOF of Hanover Center and Rev. KEYSER of Lowell. After the mass, the guests repaired to the home of the couple whom the ceremonies honored, where they were served a festive dinner. For the convenience and the accommodation of the guests, Wammer's hall had been engaged and appropriately decorated. Good music was furnished during the entire time and other amusements were provided for. Mr. and Mrs. THIEL having lived in St. John township since their marriage fifty years ago, they have had occasion to watch the progress of civilization in these parts and have themselves been active workers in its behalf. Mr. THIEL has the distinction of having owned and worked in the first blacksmith shop that existed in what was known in his early days as "the territory." No day passes even at his advanced age but what he stands at the anvil at his shop or at the forge and works away as though there were no limit to his strength. If need be he will still "get under the horse" and shoe it all around. And today he has the reputation of being one of the best tinkers in the county. Mr. and Mrs. THIEL are the parents of five children. They are Ireneus, George, Eberhardt, Joseph and Mrs. Henry NIEBLING. Two daughters are dead. They are Mrs. Frances DEITZ and Mrs. Clara KEILMAN. The aged couple was married by Father VORS in a log cabin church which at the time was the only church in Lake county. Mr. and Mrs. THIEL were well remembered by their many friends and relatives with beautiful as well as useful wedding gifts. _________________________________________________________________ Share your latest news with your friends with the Windows Live Spaces friends module. http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=create&wx_url=/friends.aspx&mk