JOHN RANKIN
Ironton Register, Thursday, February 03, 1876
PEARL WEDDING
Submitted by Sharon Kouns

Many of our readers know Rev. John Rankin. He has preached here several times, and has contributed interesting articles to the REGISTER. He lived at Ripley 44 years, and is now at his son’s in Lawrence, Kansas. Recently his wedding of sixty years ago was celebrated. We copy from the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal, an account of it.

The marriage took place at Washington College, Washington County, East Tennessee. Mr. Rankin was licensed to preach the gospel there. Shortly after the birth of his oldest son, he started with his wife and child to go to Ohio, leaving his native State because it was a slave State; but when he reached the town of Paris, in Kentucky, he was influenced by some of the clergy of that region to accept a settlement in the church of Concord, where he was ordained and installed as pastor. Several of his children were born there.

He remained there four years, successfully preaching the gospel; then, determined to carry out his original intention, he moved to the State of Ohio; was settled as the pastor of the church at Ripley, where he preached forty-four years. In his advanced age, he resigned the charge of the church, and lived now with his youngest son at Emporia, Kansas. He is now eighty-three, and his wife, eighty years of age. The reunion took place at the residence of Hon. John K. Rankin, Mayor of the city of Lawrence, Kansas.

 The relatives of the family in attendance were Rev. Alex. Rankin, of Baltimore, Maryland, a brother of the groom, and Mrs. Adams, youngest sister of the bride and her three children, Alex. Rankin, Mary Merryweather, and Jno. K. Rankin, a grandson of the oldest brother of the groom, Joseph Rankin, of Kansas City. The children present were R. C. Rankin and wife of Ripley, Ohio; J. T. Rankin of Mississippi; A. C. Rankin, M. D. and wife, of Illinois; Rev. A. T. Rankin, of Indiana; W. A. Rankin and family of Lawrence, Kansas; T. L. Rankin and family, of Emporia, Kansas; Mrs. Jas. Wiley and husband, of Quenemo, Kansas; Mrs. Fletcher and husband, of Douglas County, Kansas. The children absent were Rev. A. L. Rankin, of California; Rev. S. G. W. Rankin of Connecticut, and Mrs. Humphreys, of Huntington, West Virginia.

Also cousins present were Mr. Thomas Rankin and wife, of Olathe, Kansas, and a grandson; John C. Rankin and wife, of Osage County, Kansas. The meeting was opened by Rev. John Rankin, his golden wedding having been celebrated ten years before at Ripley, Ohio.