McGaughey - John - Alice Masterson
Source: Greencastle Star Press 24 March 1894
John McGaughey of Russellville, Ind aged 73,
and Mrs. Alice Masterson, aged 43 of Santa Fe, Oklahoma were married yesterday
morning by Dr. WH Penhallegen. The groom is a widower with several married
children. The bride is a widow and also
has children married. They were friends years ago. The groom of yesterday was
30 years old when the bride was born. He watched her grow up and saw her
married and saw her leave her native home. The years went by and he became a
widower and she a widow. In her far western home she often thought of the home
of her youth and the good man who had been her friend. He, in his now lonely
home, thought of the widow whom he had fondled when she was a babe. He wrote to
her and she answered. The letters became more frequent and tender. The question
was asked and answer was yes. He did not
care to get married at home, neither did she. They decided to meet each other
half way and Decatur was selected as the Gretna Green. The groom arrived Monday night and bride
yesterday. A minister was engaged and in a few minutes widower and widow were
husband and wife. There was not so much gilling and cooing as is usually the
case after an occasion of this kind. About the first thing they did was to talk
business. They decided to go to the groom’s home in Indiana to live. Before
doing this the bride had some business to settle in her Oklahoma home. Unlike a
bride of more tender years she did not insist on her husband going with her. He
had also passed the age when he would insist on going. Both were satisfied that
she should go to Oklahoma alone and then come to Decatur where they will meet
and go to their new home. The bride left on her journey yesterday afternoon and
the groom stopped at the Brunswick Hotel. He retired early. A reporter called
there at 8:10 o’clock and found that he had gone to bed and could not be seen.
Mr. McGaughey is a wealthy farmer, owning about 500 acres of land near
Russellville, Ind. Mrs. Masterson is also a land owner of Oklahoma.