The Prophetstown Echo, Prophetstown, Illinois
February 7, 1934

CELEBRATE GOLDEN WEDDING SUNDAY
Mr. and Mrs. F. M. LaDUE WILL OBSERVE HALF CENTURY MARK

Mr. and Mrs. F. M. LaDue will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary Sunday, Feburary 11th, at the home on W. 3rd Street, this being also the 69th birthday of Mr. LaDue.

A reception will be held from 2 - 5 p.m. in charge of their children, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Glassburn of Tampico, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis LaDue of Prophetstown, Dr. and Mrs. S. B. LaDue of Chillecothe, at which time friends of the celebrants will be received. In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. LaDue will serve dinner to their children and a few other relatives and friends.

Mr. and Mrs. LaDue have lived in the city since 1918 and in 1923 built the home which they now occupy. The have the respect and friendship of the whole community. Mr. LaDue was one of the organizers of the Prophetstown Shipping Association in 1922 and was elected President at that time and still holds that office. It was largely through his business ability that the association grew to be one of the heaviest shiping associations in the state until the stock buying business became disrupted.

"Major" LaDue, as he was nicknamed by his father when a boy, and which is still his best known name, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. LaDue and was born in Prophetstown township at the LaDue homestead eight miles southwest of this city. He attended school at Leon and Tampico. Mrs. LaDue was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Griffin and was born at Bristol, Kendall County, and at the age of six years moved to Tampico township with her parents, attending the district school and the Tampico school.

They were married February 14, 1884, at Mrs. LaDue's parental home four miles southwest of Tampico, Rev. F. M. Smith, at that time pastor of the Tampico Baptist church, performed the ceremony. They started married life together at the LaDue homestead and in 1899 moved to Tampico, where Mr. LaDue operated a grocery meat market for five years. They then returned to farm and remained there until 1918 when they moved to Prophetstown.

Mr. and Mrs. LaDue are members of the Christian church in Tampico, but attend the local Congregational church.

They are the parents of three children: Mrs. Ralph Glassburn of Tampico, Lewis of Tampico, and Dr. S. B. of Chillicothe, and they have five grandchildren, Vida Glassburn, superintendant of Home Hospital at Sterling, Marion and Harriett Glassburn of Tampico, and Howard and Evelyn LaDue of Prophetstown.

Mr. LaDue has one brother, Dr. B. E. LaDue and one sister, Mrs. Mary Smith, both of Sterling. Mrs. LaDue has one sister, Mrs. J. A. Shorett of Dixon. The Prophetstown Echo, Prophetstown, Illinois

February 14, 1934

MANY FRIENDS CONGRATULATE THE LA DUE'S

HALF CENTURY MARRIED LIFE WAS APPROPRIATELY CELEBRATED SUNDAY

The Golden Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. LaDue which was celebrated Sunday at the home of this estimable couple proved a very event and was a fitting celebration of the reaching of the half century mark of ideal conjugal life. Many tokens were given as marks of the esteem in which Mr. and Mrs. LaDue are held.

The celebration was in charge of the children of Mr. and Mrs. LaDue, Mr and Mrs. Lewis LaDue, Mr. and Mrs. S. B. LaDue of Chillicothe, and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Glassburn of Tampico.

The living room of the home was decorated in yellow and white. A wedding bell suspended in the entrance hall with a clapper bearing the numeral "50" welcomed the guests as they entered. Yellow snapdragons, pussywillows and jonquils in baskets were disposed about the room and a large basket containing 50 tea roses helped decorate the dining room. A white wedding bell in the center of the living room and a minature bride and groom stationed in the archway, trimmed with lilies of the valley, white baskets of flowers stood on small tables about the room completed the decorations.

Tea and dainty refreshments were served the guests during the afternoon from two to five o'clock, and Mrs. R. L. Glassburn's daughter and the Mesdames L. E. LaDue and S. B. LaDue, daughters-in-law, welcomed the ninety-four friends of the city and surrounding community called during the afternoon to extend their congratulations and good wishes besides the following from out of town: Mr. and Mrs. Carl Gustafson, Walnut; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dorney, Hooppole; Eugene Dixon, Geneseo; Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Hendricks, Sterling; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Forward, Lyndon; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Smith, Mr and Mrs. L. B. Winchell, Mrs. Ina Hellier and Mrs. T. F. Dillon of Tampico; Mr and Mrs Robert Cross, Moline.

At the dinner at seven, Misses Helen Woods and Marion and Harriet Glassburn acted as waitresses to the following guests: Dr. and Mrs. S. B. LaDue, Dr. and Mrs. S. A. Smith, Mrs. Minnie Simmons, Mrs Clifford Mead, Mr. and Mrs Jacob Smith, Chillicothe; Mr. and Mrs Ralph Glassburn, daughters Vida, Harriet, Marion and Miss Helen Woods, Tampico; Mr. and Mrs. C. W. McDonald, Wheaton; Mr. and Mrs. Manley Rhodes, Spring Valley; Mrs. A. J. Soliday, Hooppole; Dr. and Mrs. B. E. LaDue, Mr. and Mrs. N. H. Smith, Mrs. Ethel Miller, Burdette Miller and Miss Mabel Simmons, Sterling; Mr. and Mrs. Lewis LaDue, Howard LaDue, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Crook, Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Dudley and W. S. Hossack, Prophetstown.

Sunday being Mr. LaDue's 69th birthday anniversary also, an elaborate birthday cake for him graced the table with the wedding cake.