Celebrating Fifty Years of Marriage in 1976

                                   Carl and Zella Olsen November 6, 1926

While I was living out of the country my grandparents Carl and Zella Olsen celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Since I wrote about Zella earlier this week I thought I would include notes from a speech given in their behalf at that event. It is especially endearing to me, as I could not be there. Special invitations were ordered, dinner was held at a favorite restaurant and family and friends gathered to honor this special couple. Next week on November 6 they would have been married eighty-five years. They were married at the home of her cousin Annie Hosmer Sherk in Sherwood, Oregon. So, for all those who love to read the details involving our ancestors, I am sharing this story with you.

A Verbal Bouquet

The following are notes used by Fred Olsen (Carl's brother) at a dinner party given in honor of Carl and Zella's fiftieth wedding anniversary.

A verbal bouquet for Zella for making such a happy home for Carl and their family. It takes two to make a happy home, but it is usually the wife who is spoken of as "homemaker!" I know they are both equally happy with each other. We wish them more happiness in the time ahead. "Surely goodness and mercy hath followed me (us) all the days of our lives and we (I) shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." This is not an obituary of such, but very briefly more on the order of "this is your life - Carl and Zella."

Carl Olsen was born September 15, 1898 (in Orenco, Oregon). He was third in a family of seven children. When he was very young (4 or 5), they had a chicken house fire on their farm. There was a home style fire brigade. When Carl was about 14 he ran his hand in the gears of a corn hopper. He was taken to Hillsboro to the doctor by horse and buggy (five miles.) When he was about 15 he ran into the edge of a cross-cut saw, chasing a small goat around a wagon. Hurry home, horse and buggy to Hillsboro again. In the meantime a young lady was born and growing up (born July 20, 1903 in Independence, Iowa). While very young her mother died and father remarried. It was not too good a setup after they separated for Zella so she came west to Sherwood to make her home with her cousin, Mrs. Annie Sherk. Another meantime, back to Carl, we left Orenco in 1916. Moved four times in the next five years, landing in Sherwood in 1921. You can just see in the making of the future. Zella attended Pacific College, now George Fox College, in Newberg. Carl attended Oregon Agricultural Colllege now Oregon State. His sister Edith helped financially for two years, Anna for one year. All going to school at the same time. Carl and I worked for our Dad painting when he and I were home for the summer. One morning he was up on the roof working and fell, breaking both arms, no horse and buggy this time, but in a 1919 four cylinder overland. Another meantime, Zella was working in the office of Carlson and Sherk and had hurt her ankle. The doctor had her wear a cast made of cardboard and use crutches. With Carl and his arms in casts and Zella and her crutches and cast on her ankle, people said there wouldn't be much hugging going on there. In closing, Carl and Zella, all of us here and many who are not here wish with all our hearts many more happy days together and again may we recall the words of Psalm. "Surely goodness and mercy hath followed us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."