Happy Dance 1

I've been doing the happy dance for over a week now. Last week I was looking on Ancestry dot com for information on the Gaines family. As I was looking around I found a transcribed obituary of  James Benjamin Gaines. At the bottom was the source of the transcription:   

"Information from http://www.gabartow.org website. The story is from The Courant American newspaper published in Cartersville, GA on 5 Jan 1899, page 8. It was transcribed for the gabartow website by Laurel Baty."

I immediately went to that website (http://www.gabartow.org) to check it out. Am I ever glad I did! I found a boatload of documents and newspaper transcriptions for the Gaines and Vandivere families. I'll share a few here and more in later posts.


I looked at marriage records and found the marriage license for Richard M. Gaines and Willie B. Vandivere. They applied for a marriage license on March 19, 1898 in Bartow County, Georgia and were married on March 20, 1898. They are the parents of Guy Vandivere Gaines, Jim's grandfather, which makes them Jim's great grandparents.

Marriage License for Richard M. Gaines and Willie B. Vandivere, 1898

This is what appeared in the newspaper, The Courant American, Cartersville, Georgia on March 24, 1898:

A Marriage Sunday

 
The Courant American Newspaper
Cartersville, Georgia
March 24, 1898 Page 1:
Transcribed and submitted by: Laurel Baty

A Marriage Sunday.

Go to Dr. Felton’s to Get Married and Surprise Their Friends. [This didn't make sense other than to indicate the couple eloped. KJH]

Mr. Richard Gaines and Miss Willie Vandivere were married last Sunday. The ceremony was performed by Dr. Felton at his home, the young people having driven out there for the purpose of being joined in matrimony.

The marriage was a great surprise to the friends of the couple when it was known in the city.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. Sanford L. Vandivere, the well known conductor on the W. & A., and is a very worthy young lady. Mr. Gaines is a member of the firm of D. R. Gaines & Bro., marble dealers and is energetic and steady and has many
friends.

The couple have received many congratulations from their friends.


From this marriage license and newspaper article I was able to:
1) confirm their marriage date and location.
2) know the name of the person who married them.
3) surmise they eloped.
4) find out Willie Vandivere's father's name.
5) find out the occupation of her father and the railroad company he worked for.
6) find out Richard Gaines' employment information
7) find out something of the couple's character, however limited.


This was all new information to me. Now can you see why I've been doing the happy dance.


BUT WAIT . . . the happy dance will continue! There's more to come in future posts.