NEWS: Samuel B. & Mary FURRY, 50th Anniversary, 1910, Martinsburg, Blair County, PA

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On Saturday December 31, Elder S. B. Furry and his good wife celebrated 
their fiftieth marriage anniversary.  Their children and grandchildren were 
present, and a number of friends.  Elder S. B. Furry was born at New 
Enterprise February 17, 1836, married Mary Ann Shelly, daughter of John 
Shelly, born near Martinsburg, in 1842.  Elder John W. Brumbaugh performed 
the ceremony in the home in which they now live.  Elder Furry moved in 1869, 
having purchased a farm near the town of Martinsburg, upon which he spent 15 
years, then located in the home he now occupies.  Three children were born, 
two are living, Elder John E. and Mrs. James Crofford, the wife of our 
optician.  There are six grand children.  Elder Furry was elected deacon in 
the Church of the Brethren in 1872, having united with the church in 1858, 
was ordained as minister in the Brethren church in 1888.  At the age of 18 
he become [sic] a teacher in the public schools and taught five successive 
terms.  Was the first Sunday school superintendent in the Yellow Creek 
church of the Brethren, and re-elected for a number of terms.  After his 
location in Martinsburg he became superintendent of three Sunday schools - 
two of which were union schools.  On account of defective hearing, he was 
compelled to resign Sunday school work.  His ministerial labors have been 
free of charge, as well as his literary labors, which if compiled would make 
a large volume.  In this direction Elder Furry was brilliant.  He was among 
the first to advocate unfermented wine for communion occasions, though 
criticized, it has become almost universal in the churches today.  A 
coincident lies in the fact that he lives in the home in which he was 
married 50 years ago.  Elder Furry has lived all his days in the beautiful 
valley of Morrison's Cove.  A Christian man of unimpeachable character and 
wide influence.  After partaking of a most sumptuous dinner, the friends 
gathered in the sitting room where the children presented a number of 
valuable gifts, among which was a beautiful gold headed cane to the Elder 
and a silver set to the mother, with a number of other valuables, to which 
the Elder responded in words of gratitude and thankfulness.  The occasion 
was a delightful one, long to be remembered with the best wishes of all 
present for the host and hostess.  The friends present were:  S. L. Haffley 
and wife, Mrs. Solomon Lehman, Mrs. Christ Bowers, the writer and his other 
half.  May the sunset of their lives of the Elder and wife be the happiest 
in their sojourn.  After a brief service the guests repaired to their homes.

                                                                  JASPER.

Martinsburg Herald, January 6, 1911

Note: First name, Samuel, from 1910 Martinsburg Borough, Blair County 
census.