Wedding Wednesday - Bowman & DeLong

From the June 21st, 1901 issue of the Lexington Herald:

DELONG-BOWMAN

The marriage of Miss Katherine L. DeLong and Mr. A. Smith Bowman was celebrated Thursday evening at the residence of the bride's mother, Mrs. Edmund S. DeLong, on North Limestone street, with Rev. Edwin Muller, of the First Presbyterian Church, officiating. The hall was arranged with palms and ferns. The two parlors were a mass of tropical plants and roses, and burning among them were weight veiled candles. In the chandeliers white candles also burned, and swinging between the doors were large baskets of sword ferns. The back parlor was in a bridal attire of white. Here white lilies were banked against the mantels and from the corners at the end of the room palms and ferns rose to the ceiling in a pyramidal effect.

For some time before the ceremony strains from Saxton's orchestra, placed on the back piazza, were heard and as Lohengrin's bridal chorus was played the bridal party entered. From the hall came Dr. Carrick and Mr. Thomas Lewis, who passed into the front parlor with white satin streamers. At the center of the room they stopped, and from there Mr. George Weeks and Mr. Clifford Patterson passed through the parlors with the ribbons to the ends of the pyramid, forming an aisle. Then came Miss Belle DeLong, the sister of the bride, as maid of honor. She wore a gown of white satin covered with white tulle. From her left shoulder to the hem of her gown was a garland of pink roses. Her hair was adorned with a single rosebud, and she carried a large bouquet of the same flower.

She was followed by the bride on the arm of her brother, Mr. James Lucas DeLong. Her wedding gown of white satin and tulle was covered with a white Renaissance lace overdress. The bertha of lace was caught with a bunch of orange blossoms, with smaller bunches and sprays falling in grace lines to the end of the gown and about the long court train. Her tulle veil was caught to her hair with a diamond sunburst, a gift of the groom, and she carried a shower bouquet of white roses and lilies of the valley tied with long satin streamers. The groom and his best man, Mr. Horace Bowman, of Danville, entered from the back piazza and met them at the altar of greens. During the ceremony, "Call me thine own" was played. The tableau was one not soon to be forgotten.

After congratulations supper was served. The bride's table was entirely in white and green, and was placed in the summer parlor. In the center was a large mound of white roses and smilax, surrounded by a circle of silver candlesticks holding white tapers and shaded with silver shades. Massive candelabra with white candles were placed at the four ends of the table. At each place was the name card, hand painted in orange blossoms, with the name and monogram DELB written in gold. Seated with the bride and groom were Miss Belle DeLong and Mr. Horace Bowman, Miss Daisy DeLong and Mr. Thomas Lewis, Miss Susie Satterwhite of Louisville and Dr. Carrick, Miss Virginia Lee of Danville and Mr. George Weeks, Miss Margaret Duncan and Mr. Clifford Patterson, Miss Sarah Bullock and Mr. Joseph LeCompte.

In the dining room was a large center table surrounded by smaller ones, where other guests were served. Each was decorated in pink roses and smilax A supper of numerous courses was served, the ices being designed as white roses with sprays of green leaves. Many happy toasts were offered to the young couple.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowman left on the late train for a wedding trip, of several weeks and on their return will be with Mrs. Edmund DeLong until further plans are materialized.

Others present besides those named at the bridal table were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jacobs, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Creel of Danville; Mr. and Mrs. William DeLong, of Danville; Mr. and Mrs. George Wilson, Mrs. Mary Bowman, of Danville; Mrs. Cassell, sister of the groom, and the Misses Cassell of Dallas, Texas; Major Robert Bullock, Miss Anna Didlake, Dr. and Mrs. John William Scott, Mr. and Mrs. G. A. DeLong, Mr. G. A. DeLong, Jr., Mrs. Mary Lucas, Mrs. J. Curry Tebbitts, of Pittsburg, Pa.; Miss Fanny Lucas, Mrs. Facker, of Danville; Mrs. Moore, of Harrodsburg, sister of the groom, and Mr. and Mrs. James Lucas DeLong.

On a side table in the room where the bridal party were seated was the wedding cake. Its base was beautified with marguerites and from its center arose a crystal vase of white roses. Silver cords attached to the sides connected with the emblems of fate - the dime, the ring, the needle and the thimble.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowman left on the late train for a wedding trip of several weeks and on their return will be with Mrs. Edmund DeLong until further plans are materialized.

[Blogger's note:  I found out upon further research that Abram & Katherine Bowman moved to Virginia, where he produced a bourbon under the name of Virginia Gentlemen. Since bourbon can only be called such if its distilled in Kentucky, I'm not sure how he managed that. The brand is now defunct.]


Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Records Crisis

I am linking an article from The Mormon Times on The coming genealogical dark ages. This was sent by cousin Karen. If you think it isn't happening, think again. Records are disappearing from those nice, friendly courthouses where you were allowed free access to vital records. Counties all over the United States are in financial crisis and record preservation is usually at the bottom of the list, if it is on the list at all. I know that records in Tennessee are disappearing and disintegrating and will not be filmed until all counties are organized and ready for filming. Who knows when that will happen.

One of the things I found most interesting about this article was the mention of email as a replacement for writing letters, and how we organize it. I think that is a new project for me. I usually save all my family email, but perhaps actually printing it out might be in order. I know I have birth and death announcements in those emails along with news of other family members. How do you handle that? Let me know.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

Relatively Speaking - Wild Indians in the Family?

Due to a death in her family, I've switched turns with cousin Carol . It's what we Wild Ones do anyway, help each other out.

In transcribing the wills, inventories, sales & distributions of my Bowman ancestors (Carol has Bowman connections too), from time to time I've come across some Riddle/Ruddell/Ruddle information. Since this is one of the lines Carol also researches I have been loading up her email box with tidbits I've found recently.

Abraham Ruddell's Account

First, let me explain that my g-g-g-g-g grandfather was Hans Georg "George" Bowman. He married Mary Hite and they had quite a few children. One of the daughters, Elizabeth, married Isaac Ruddell/Ruddle. Even in the same record you will see the name spelled differently. Isaac and Elizabeth established Ruddle's Mills and Ruddell's/Ruddle's Fort in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It was at said fort in 1780, that the fort was attacked by the British and Shawnee Indians. Many of the people sheltering in the fort were killed or captured. The prisoners, although assured by the British that they would remain captives, for the most part they were sold to the Shawnee to do with them as they pleased. Two of the Ruddell's children, 6 year-old Abraham and 12 year-old Stephen were among those sold to the Indians. Stephen became Big Fish and was raised as a warrior, becoming close friends with Panther-in-the-Sky, or as we know him Tecumseh. Poor little Abraham, was not so lucky, but was sold to a woman who enslaved him, and between the ages of 6 and 9, Abraham endured many privations. He was not taught how to hunt and was sorely beaten by his owner, until his brother Stephen threatened to kill the woman if she beat Abraham again.

The years passed and Tecumseh with his brother - The Prophet - tried to unite all the native American tribes to force the whites out of the country. In 1795, at the battle of Fallen Timbers, the Prophet was defeated by General Mad Anthony Wayne.

Afterward, Big Fish (Stephen) was approached by an aide of Wayne's because he was told that Stephen spoke English and was used as an interpreter. He asked Stephen if he knew what had happened to Abraham and Stephen Ruddell. He pointed to himself and said, "Stephen, me Stephen Ruddell." It was at this time, fifteen years after the boys had been captured that they found out that their parents still lived. Old Isaac Ruddell (now 65) went to meet his sons and bring them home. Abraham age 6 at the time of capture was a man of 21 and Stephen was 27.

I find it rather amazing to find out that the Ruddell brothers eventually did leave what we consider a normal life. Stephen's native wife returned to her people after a time, not caring to live in the white man's fashion. Abraham moved to Independence county, Arkansas and Stephen became a Baptist minister and eventually moved to Ursa in Adams county, Illinois.

Stephen Ruddell's account

During the time of the war of 1812, Abraham and Stephen, both living in Bourbon county, Kentucky were accused of aiding and abetting Indians. Both men took the trouble at that time to publish their experiences with their captors in the newspapers of the day. Certainly, Abraham was far less likely to want to aid the Indians, his treatment being not so happy.

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Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes