Stotts - Prather marriage (1897)

STOTTS, PRATHER, THOMAS, HOUSTON

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 5/31/2017 at 20:58:49

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Thursday, Oct. 14, 1897, pg. 3

Exira Department

The following regarding the marriage
of Bonnie Stotts, a young lady
who was born in Exira and here passed
her childhood days, and who was a
member of the graduating class of the
Audubon High Schools, we clip from
the Little Rock, Arkansas, Gazette,
October 7, '97:

They intended to keep their marriage
a secret until January, but it
leaked out yesterday morning when
the minister's certificate was spread
upon the public records at the County
Clerk's office.

Last Sunday night Miss Bonnie
Gean Stotts and Mr. H. Rutlege Prather,
well known young people of this
city, were quietly married by Rev.
James Thomas, pastor of Winfield
Memorial church. On the preceding
day Mr. Arther visited the County
Clerk's office and obtained a marriage
license. He enjoined secrecy upon the
part of the officials and the fact that
the license had been issued was not
given out. The wedding occurred so
quietly that the secret would have been
well preserved if the matrimonial credentials,
duly certified to by the officiating
minister, had not been returned
to the Clerk's office and spread
upon the records to meet the scrutiny
of the reporters who are in the habit
of scanning the marriage license record
daily in quest of news items. Of course
the law does not contemplate or permit
the withholding of marriage certificates
from the public records and there
was no alternative; the certificate had
to be recorded even at the expense of
spoiling a romance.

Now that the secret is out the many
friends of the young couple will hasten
to extend congratulations without
waiting for January to come. The
bride is a very charming young woman,
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. F.
Stotts, who came to Little Rock a few
years ago from Des Moines, Iowa, to
engage in the realestate business here.
Mr. Prather is a successful young
business man. He was formerly city
represen.... of the dry goods
...mpany, of
...ng sales-
....is a
(rest of article cut off)

Note: Parents of Bonnie Gean Stotts were William F. Stotts and Eudora Indiana "Dora" Houston.

Audubon County Journal (IA) - October 14, 1897
 

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