Willa Cather's Parents' 50th Anniversary Celebrated

1922

RED CLOUD, Neb., Dec. 6. — On Tuesday. December 5, Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Cather of this city celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Cather were married in their old home near Winchester, Va., in 1872. They were born and grew up in a country township in Frederick county, near Winchester.

In 1883 Mr. Cather followed his father, William Cather, and his brother, George Cather, to the west. The father and brother had moved to Nebraska some years before. In the spring of 1883, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cather came to Nebraska with their four small children, Willa, Roscoe, Douglass and Jessica. They lived for two years on William Cather's homestead in Catherton township, Webster county. On his son's arrival, William Cather and his wife, Caroline, gave up the responsibilities of the farm and moved into Red Cloud. After two years on the farm, Charles Cather and his wife also moved in to Red Cloud, in order to provide schooling for their growing family.

Their three children, James, Elsie and John, were born in Red Cloud — making in all a family of seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Cather brought this large family of seven to manhood and womanhood in Red Cloud, and the children were all educated in the Red Cloud public schools. Of these children only two reside in Red Cloud, Jessica, now Mrs. William Auld, and Elsie Cather, who is teaching in the high school in Lincoln. Every child of this widely scattered family, however, still calls Red Cloud "home," and to each of them it is the home town.

Roscoe Cather, the oldest son, is in business in Casper, Wyo. Douglass Cather is in business in Los Angeles, Cal. Willa Cather, the author, lives in New York City; James Cather and family live in Holyoke, Colo., and John Cather, whom we all know as "Jack," lives in Smethport, Pa.

All of the Cather children but two came home to Red Cloud for their parents' golden wedding, and the glorious mild winter weather, the brilliant sunlight and wonderful moonlight of this week, have given a golden atmosphere to this unusual celebration. Mr. and Mrs. Cather have never lost a child, and their family circle has never been broken by death. Thru this long stretch of years, their children have been healthy, active men and women. They have attested their loyalty to their home town by coming back to it from distant states and countries on every possible occasion.

The country about Red Cloud, our Republican river, our beautiful autumns and sunny winters and fertile fields, even some of our amusing "local" characters have been made known to the world thru the novels in which Willa Cather lovingly describes the country of her childhood.

—Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln, NE, Dec. 10, 1922, page 1, second section.