Date: December 6, 2005
Subject: Grocery Store Wedding
Fulton Journal: November 21, 1916
First Marriage Ceremony
The grocery store of A.D. Mitchell & Son for a short time Monday afternoon passed through a sort of a transformation that was not observed to any extent by some of the clerks.
While waiting on a customer, W.H. Mitchell, the head of the firm and who last April was elected justice of the peace, was accosted by a man and woman. The man said that his name was George R. Freeman from Cedar Rapids, and the lady was Miss Effie Machamer of Lincoln, Neb., and that they were provided with a marriage license, which was procured that day in Morrison, and that they desired to be married. Will told them that kind of work was part of his business, and that if the intended bride and bridegroom could produce two witnesses that would identify them he would tie the knot in short order. The witnesses were called and the ceremony performed.
The bride then demanded a marriage certificate, and while this was being made out Officer Farley appeared with a letter from the bride’s mother to stop the marriage, arrest the bridegroom and to send the woman to Cedar Rapids. Squire Mitchell informed the police officer that nothing could be done as the couple had taken the vows prescribed by law and were now legally married. The marriage certificate was then completed and presented to the bride and the couple left for Cedar Rapids.
This was Mr. Mitchell’s first venture in this line of work, and he is now congratulating himself that it was not foiled.
