THE CLARESHOLM LOCAL PRESS
Claresholm, Alberta, Friday, September 25 1936
(photo of the couple)
Mr and Mrs A.N. Fenton, of Claresholm, who celebrated their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, September 19th

Mr and Mrs A.N. Fenton enjoyed the honor that comes to a very small percentage of this world's population when on Saturday last, Sept 19th they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, the celebration being held at the home of their son, Ernest.

Forty-six guests were seated at the golden wedding dinner. The dining room was fittingly decorated for this festive occasion with pink and white streamers. The table was centered with a beautiful three-tiered wedding cake, and all arrangements completed for the full enjoyment of the event.

Albert Newton Fenton, the groom of fifty years, was born in Boone County, Missouri in 1865, and in the year 1886 married Miss Nannie Emma Long. To this union eleven children were born:
Edgar
John (in Missouri)
Virgil (deceased)
Ernest
Estel (in Texas)
George
Maie
Lula (in Edmonton)
Lola
Linnie
Laura.
There are 27 grandchildren.

Mr Fenton came to Canada in 1912 and in 1913 moved his family here. They first lived on a farm five miles east and one mile south of Claresholm, later moving to their present ranch twelve miles southwest of Claresholm, near the Schaffer School.

Mr Fenton has always been engaged in farming. In his earliest days the grain was harvested with a cradle, and many an old-timer still boasts his prowess with this primitive type of harvesting implement. Then came the crude forerunner of the present efficient self binder. The first threshing machine Mr Fenton saw in use were driven by horse power, and the way the poor horses had to go round and round would have inspired writers of modern song hits if they could only have seen them. These threshers had no blowers and a man had to stand under the old straw carriers and do the stacking with the dust and chaff pouring out all over him. Then came the steam engines, the straw blower, and yet the bands had to be cut by hand and the sheaves fed into the cylinder. The old time "feeder" was just about as romantic a character as the present day cowboy. He wore long gauntlets, big dust goggles and invariably a red bandanna around his neck, and drew the biggest pay of any man on the crew. Then came the self feeders, the gas tractors and so on down to our present day combines. All this evolution has come within the lifetime of Mr and Mrs Fenton, and they have prided themselves in keeping pace with and taking advantage of modern improvements so far as it was in their power.

Following the wedding dinner, a presentation of a handsome dinner set was made to the guests of honor, Mr E/A. Carey making the presentation address.

Mr Fenton, when called upon to defend himself expressed overwhelming appreciation on behalf of Mrs Fenton and himself for the glorious surprise celebration. In reminiscing over the days gone by remarked particularly on the growth of the trees in the Claresholm area as compared with the bleakness of the bare prairie when he first came here.

Relatives present for the celebration were: Mr and Mrs E.R. Fenton, Mr and Mrs A Forsyte, Mr and Mrs J.T. Wilite, Mr and Mrs W.G. Wilcox, Mr and Mrs W Long, Mr and Mrs Frank Taitinger, Mr and Mrs martin Thompson, Mr and Mrs E.A. Carey, Mr and Mrs W.E. Fenton, George Fenton, Mrs Frank Sylvester of Edmonton, Miss Lola Fenton, Miss Laura Fenton, Miss Millie Carey, Alvin, Warren and Glenn Fenton, Dorothy and Audrey Forsyte, Lorraine and Ronald Wilcox, Chester and Allan Long, Stella, Archie and Kenneth Fenton, Ret and Kenneth Sylvester. Eight of the 10 living children were present.

Many friends and acquaintances of this highly respected old couple will join with The Local Press in wishing upon this happy occasion and wish Mr and Mrs Preston the best of luck and many more years of life and happiness

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ALBERTA DEATH REGISTER #007-428