----Semi Weekly Register 29 March 1920
Submitted by Martha J. (Kounse) Martin

Mr. & Mrs. John G. Keys very fittingly celebrated yesterday at their beautiful home at Rock Camp, their golden or fiftieth anniversary of their marriage, which took place on March 28, 1870. The celebration was in the nature of a surprise, planned by their children, as it was their intention to quietly observe the event at which time some of their children were to visit the old home. Almost a hundred guests, confined entirely to children, grand-children, great-grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and their families made up the list for the occasion.

The guests assembled at the home of A.H. Keys at nine o'clock and proceeded in a body to the home and both Mr. & Mrs. Keys were completely overcome with surprise. The guests all came with well-filled baskets and promptly at the noon hour a most sumptuous dinner was served to all present.

Immediately after dinner the guests assembled in the parlor where a well-arranged program was carried out under the leadership of Tracy Keys, songs were sung, talks were made by Prof. C. G. Keys, H. M. Edwards, John G. Keys, and others. An appropriate poem was written and delivered by Prof. C. G. Keys, who was an attendant at the wedding 50 years ago, proceed one of the most interesting things of the day. After the program, the guests all assembled in the yard where a number of Kodak pictures were taken.

One of the most interesting events of the day was the stories told of 50 years ago by the older ones present, not the least of which was the story of the wedding of the parties in whose honor the day was observed. The parties being only 19 and 16 years prospectively, were considered by their parents as too young to venture out upon the sea of matrimony, and the result was an elopement to West Virginia, whose marital laws at that time lent more encouragement to youthful lovers than did those of the Buckeye state. Huntington was at that time undreamed of and the county seat was miles from the river, but a Mr. McGinnis, an attorney at Guyandotte, then acted as a deputy county clerk and he issued the license, a minister was then found, the ceremony performed and the party returned to the home of Mr. Keys' parents, the identical house in which they now live, the parental blessing was forthcoming and their career began.

The trip in those days was always made on horseback and the main road, in fact really a part of the oldest road in the state was the old Jackson Road, or the Lawrence-Jackson, inter-county highway, which started at Burlington, formerly the county seat, across the hill to Soliday creek, over to Buffalo, and crossing to Ice Creek near the old Sutton farm thence past High Top directly past the old Keys home to Rock Camp and on toward Jackson. The road today, while still an open thorofare through Perry Township, is practically unused, the alter method of highway engineering having devised more practical routes of travel, yet the older residents still remember when this road was the most frequently traveled road in that section of the county. This road was the one traveled by the party above referred to and their stories of muddy roads, Symmes creek out of banks, the river which was unusually high, and which was crossed in a skiff, was most interesting.

The families united by this marriage were two of the oldest and best known in Perry Township. John G. Keys was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Keys, the former of whom emigrated to Lawrence county from Pennsylvania, about the time of the civil War, and while he himself is the pioneer of his family in this county, he today has a long list of descendants of Lawrence county's best citizens. Mr. Keys' mother was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Coleman Waller, another of the pioneer families of the county. Mrs. John G. Keys, who was formerly Miss Mary Allen, was the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Allen, whose father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. James Allen, emigrated to Lawrence county and settled at Deering in 1817, the year that Lawrence county was organized. The Allen's came from old Virginia, and was Abolitionists and at that times belonged to the "Whig" party. The name Allen is perhaps the numerous one in Perry township. Scarcely in that section of the county is not related to this family either by blood or marriage. Prominent among such families are the Deerings, Melvins, Bruces, Colliers, Alfords, Suttons, Edwards, Keys, Brammers, Winters, Bazells, Stanleys, Fetters, Markins, Woods, Dilleys, Hill and many others.

There are no better people in Ohio than Mr. and Mrs. John Keys, no people in the community enjoy more respect and confidence of their neighbors than they. Mr. Keys has held many offices in Perry township where he has lived his entire life. He also served two terms as commissioner of Lawrence county, and the county was never served by a more conscientious or more faithful official. Both are life long members of the Baptist church and deeply interested in the welfare of the community.

Among those present at the anniversary celebration were: (names followed by did not type in this story-mm)..

The following most interesting poem by Prof. C. G. Keys was one of the big hits of the day:

A Half Century of Smiles

Sweet times are those when Cupid's darts are hurled
And sweeter still when lover's flags are furled
For the birds begin to make their nests
And buxom boys are seem with brand new vests.

The hero's true of when we now would write
Made tracks for West Virginia young and bright
Those tracks were made just fifty years ago
In March they say, with waters then now low.

McGinnis trained, the way to safety knew
Credentials right, were soon brought forth to view
And then the parson sought 'twas quickly found
So there the two for life as one he bound.

The names of these two heroes true he'd give
For they are starting up the road to live
The bride, Miss Mary Allen, bright and fair
The groom, John Keys, with lovely eyes and hair.

Tho this world's good they knew but little about
The loped to strike a few while on the route
I would not be so very wide the mark
If one should say they loved to live and spark.

But children soon began to make it light
And that brings husband home quite late at night
Year in, year out, from morn to night they strove
To keep some oil and meal in cruse for stove.

George soon was buckling on the armor bright
To help his Pa to make a winning fight
And Cora too was found with spoon and tray
At early hours for little girls that day.

In later years she captured Allen Sutton,
He stood for all that's good in Lincoln mutton
So Roxy came into the pantry mild
To help her mamma do, tho' but a child.

She later took a risk with one McKee
But often after wished she'd climbed a tree
Here little Lois comes to help to swell
But what to do she does not know so well.

She did, tho' learn her place quite well to fill
And subsequently chose a little Hill
Ross quickly sought some use to be to Dad
Was early in the field, tho' quite quite a lad.

He later tried to soldier's life awhile
But his discharge he soon had put on file
It seems the trolley cars have winning ways
For there he found a job, and there he stays.

Then Tracy came, his father much to please
But still he fails to learn to hive the bees
Awhile he swapped some jokes with Sadie Crow
But why he stopped none ever claimed to know.

The last report some give is much the better
He's changing yarns with one Miss Sadie Fetter
Tho' Maggie came in late, her part to play
She did her work quite well without delay.

She first hitched up for life with one John Jones
But he went down the road with loads of bones
She made a second hitch with Orville Markin
And this proves out she thinks it all in sparkin'.

Then Lilly last to come to please her Ma
Made steps into the line with much Hurrah
She found a running mate in tall Frank Bruce
And all is well if the don't play the deuce.

The parents have a right to be concerned
In all affairs their children they have learned
Because the habits formed in younger days
Control their lives in much of all their ways

So anxious are the parents as a rule
To see their children standing high at school
But better still to see an early move
To help the saints the Gospel message prove.

And find one's self abreast in thought and life
With that which helps avoid all worldly strife
With these few links we bid you all adieu
And hope to hear at times, good things of you.

Yet this one thing you should remember well
God loves to have his children learn to tell
What great and lifting things He does for them
As they through life are made the world to stem.
----C. G. Keys

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