Hide Article Text (OCR)
dg. Of Marriage of Captain and Mrs. F. Hill Fittingly Celebrated at Their Home in Owensville. Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hill, of Owensville, Ohio, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home on Wednesday, May 6, 1908. It has been the fortune of very few wedded couples to spend so many years of happy life in unison as has been theirs, and an extremely rare exception for any couple to have so few of life’s saddening in fluences to visit them. During all these fifty years death has never tapped at their door, nor sickness for any severity visited their happy home. Captain Hill was born February 1, 1835, in Stonelick township, near Craver’s post office, and his life has been spent in the vicinity of Boston and near neighborhoods. His esti mable wife, who maidenly was Jen nie E. Goldtrap, is one year his senior and was born near Mont gomery, Ohio. May 6, 1858, they were united in marriage, near Bos ton, Ohio, by the Rev. G. W. Louis. They immediately went to house keeping in an old log house, stand ing near the present site of J. C. Fetter’s store, and by him razed a few years since. The Captain was at this time a leading teacher of Clermont county, and was soon thereafter employed to take charge of the Marathon, O., public schools. This position he held until inspired by his country’s call for aid, he re signed his position and enlisted in Co. I, 60th O. V. I. Afterward he became attached to Co. I, 158rh O. V.I., and was chosen and served as its First Lieutenant. Still later he was a member of the 175th O. V. I. and Captain of Co. H, serving his country in all about two and one-half years—one year as a pri vate, four months as a First Lieu tenant and the balance of his ser vice as a Captain. During his ab sence Mrs. Hill also did noble work for her country in caring for their two little boys. After the close of the war he again entered the teacher’s profession and continued therein for several years. Later he entered the mercantile business and still later became a public con tractor. This occupation he fol lowed for twenty years or more, and many public structures of this and adjoining counties still show his handiwork. In 1889 he was appointed postmaster at Owens ville, O., and has served in this ca pacity ever since, excepting about four years under Cleveland's ad ministration. For many years he served our township as Justice of the Peace and our village as its Mayor. In 1870, he and Mrs. Hill united with the Methodist Church at Marathon, O., and are both still members of the M. E. Church. They are the parents of five chil dren, four boys and one girl, all of whom have had instilled into them much of the vim and energy so characteristic of their venerable pa rents. The various public posi tions held by the Captain and his association with people during his long service as a public contractor have caused him to be one of the most widely known personages in Southern Ohio, by whom he is fa miliarly called “Fletch Hill.” As a politician he is such a factor that every aspirant for public suffrage deems it wise to consult him. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason, August 16, 1856, by Hamer Lodge, No. 228, and still re tains his membership in said lodge. He is a Past Master and has credit ably filled all the official positions, pertaining to the Blue Lodge, and for many years has been and still. is a member of the Batavia Chapter Royal Arch Masons. His zeal for ‘Free Masonry has always been fer vent, and he has today the honor of being one of the very oldest of living Masons. Among those present were all their children and all their grand ‘children, viz. Wm. L. Hill, Kansas City, Mo.; Dr. aah and Dr. H. B. Hill, Cincinnati, 0 . Harry L. Hill, Minoo, Okla. ;. Mel, Nettie Barclay and husband, A. V. Bar| grandchildren, John Hill], Owens ean Inl., and their three ville s and Walter and Esther , Chicago, Il]. Other near relatives present were Jacob Hill, wife and two sons, Wright and Clar j and daughter, Katie, Maine .; Mrs. Elizabeth Rapp and ., and wife, Owensville, O.; ,B.Rapp and wife and Mrs. Mattie Rapp, Owensville, O.; Ella Goldtrap, and also the following intimate friends: Rev. W. E. Shri ver and wife and Mrs. Chatterton, Lorain Marsh, wife and daughter, Miss Jessie, and Miss Sarah Wolf, Cincinnati, D. Mrs. Lorain Marsh was the “maid ‘of honor” at their wedding fifty years ago, and acted “first lady” upon this anniversary occasion. They were the recipients of many ‘golden’ mementos,” prominent among which was $100 in gold to each the bride and groom by their five children. In the afternoon a public reception was held from 2 to 4 o'clock, during which time a large per cent of the people of the village and surrounding territory called, and extended compliments and best wishes to the happy cou ple. And when the evening shades had closed the day the smaller boys, accompanied by their parents and grandparents, with tin pans, horns and motley collections of noise-making combinations, had planned to put in the finishing touches of the day’s festivities in such a way as not to be soon for gotten, but the drenching rain forbade. May heaven’s choicest blessings rest upon this venerable couple during the balance of life’s journey, is the sincere wish of a host of friends, Owensville, May 6, 1908,
Newspaper Details
The Clermont Sun
Batavia, Ohio, US
Wed, May 13, 1908
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Jun 2026
Other Publications Near Batavia, Ohio
The Clermont Courier
The Clermont Sun
