Goldenweds Celebrate at Open House on Sunday

Mr. and Mrs. Percy Shelley Aldrich, who make their home on Route 1, Waitsburg, in the same house in which the former was born 81 years ago, will be celebrating their golden wedding next Sunday May 18.

They are sending out no invitations but they hope all their friends will call at their home between 2 and 5 p.m. on the appointed day. And they request no gifts.

Wed Here

The Aldriches were married in Walla Walla May 20, 1908 at a ceremony attended by the family. For their honeymoon, they traveled to Seattle to see the U. S. fleet drop anchor in Puget Sound — first time in history that the entire fleet had congregated on the Pacific Coast.

"And it was quite a sight," Mrs. Aldrich recalls.

The bride, incidentally, was the former Mary Abbey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Abbey of Waitsburg. The Abbeys had come in 1893 from Iowa where the daughter, Mary, was born. Since she was a younster [sic] of only six at the time they came west she considers herself practically a Westerner.

Real Pioneers

No doubt about Mr. Aldrich's designation, however. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Aldrich, were really early-day pioneers. His father came West in 1859 and his mother in 1862.

Except for a few years when they moved to town for the winter to send the children to school, Mr. Aldrich has always made his home in the same house.

Active In Groups

The Aldriches, who attend the Methodist Church, have long been active in fraternal organizations. Both are members of Alki Chapter 25, Order of Eastern Star, and Mrs. Aldrich is a past matron of the group. She also belongs to Daughters of the Nile and the Rebekah lodge of Dixie, the latter for 47 years. Mr. Aldrich is a member of Walla Walla lodge 7, F&AM, the Scottish Rite and Shrine and a more than 50-year member of Trinity Lodge of Odd Fellows.

They belong to the Dixie Grange, Mill Creek Farm Bureau and Mrs. Aldrich is a member of the Mill Creek Home Economics Club.

Have Three Children

Two sons, Dr. P. M. Aldrich and Robert Aldrich, and a daughter, Mrs. Robert (Esther) Kittle, make up the immediate family. In addition there are nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Mrs. Aldrich has two brothers, Ray Abbey of Stevenson and Charles Abbey of Kennewick and a sister, Mrs. Nellie Branton of Roseburg, Ore. Mr. Aldrich is the last of his immediate family. Misses Ruth and Mary Walker of Dixie are nieces, and Eric Aldrich of Waitsburg and Elmo Aldrich of Long Beach, Calif., are nephews.