“Golden Jubilee — 1874 Jan. 13th, 1924.” Those were the captioned clues on a photograph appearing in a few weeks ago.
No one recognized any of the people but several provided pathways to the solution and I thank them. In suggesting ancestry, newspaper and gravesite searches, along with Waterloo Region Generations, the clues led to Wilhelmina (Alles) and Henry Schenk, the proud parents sitting amid their children and grandchildren. Henry, born in Germany in 1847, arrived in Canada just a few months later as his parents settled in Wilmot Township.
Wilhelmina, born 1853, was from South Easthope Township in Perth County. Marrying in 1874, the couple settled on a farm along the Huron Road, two miles south of Mannheim. During the next 43 years, Wilhelmina had nine sons.
Four survived and are in the photograph: Andrew, John, Herman and William. The celebration was held in Kitchener where the couple had lived for the past seven years at 135 Weber St. W.
Many other relatives and friends attended the event including several who had been at the wedding 50 years earlier. A lengthy article in the Kitchener Daily Record of Jan. 14, 1925, described some of their golden gifts such as a watch chain, locket, broach and coins.
The celebration concluded with “...
dinner which had been provided by the ladies. Fitting musical numbers were sung and older members participated in interesting reminiscences over the past. A group photograph of the gathering was taken.
” This is that photograph.
