| Mr. and Mrs. Eben Harris were married at Shirley, April 26, 1853, by Rev. Mr. Guild, paster of the Baptist church at Ayer, and Sunday the anniversary was celebrated with the immediate relatives at their pleasent home, 33 F... street. Mr. Harris has not enjoyed the best of health of late, his service in the Civil War having left effects which grow more marked with advancing age, but Mrs. Harris' health is excellent. There were present Mr. and mrs. Calvin Baker of Gardner, Mrs. Warren Bailey and Mrs. W. H. Wilson of Lynn, and other more distant relatives. Mrs. Baker is a sister of Mr. Harris and the two are the only survivors of their father's family. Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Wilson are sisters of Mrs. harris and she has one other sister, Mrs. L. O. Russell and one brother, Alexander H. Jordan of Somerville, both of whom were detained by illness. A nice dinner was served and hearty congratulations extended to the worthy couple. Quite a number of townspeople called during the afternoon. Mrs. Harris is a native of Mason Village, now Greenville, N. H., where she was born August 25, 1834, and she was the fifth child and eldest daughter ..... Jordan. Their family consisted of six sons and four daughters. Mrs. Harris went to Shirley and worked in the Longley mill, where her future husband was overseer, and it was there that the acquaintance commenced and ripened till consummated by marriage. Mr. Harris was born at Cooperstown, N. A., Sep. 6, 1830, and was a son of Jonathan and Sally (Howe) Harris. He was the third of 12 children, four sons and eight daughters. He learned the chairmaker's trade at the Heywood shop in Gardner before going to Shirley. Mr. and Mrs. Harris remained in Shirley but a short time after their marriage and then moved to Lawrence, where they resided till the war broke out. While on a visit to Worcester Mr. Harris enlisted in Company D, 15th Mass. regiment, July 12, 1861, and served till March 14, 1862, when he was discharged on account of disability caused by inflammatory rheumatism. The family moved to Gardner, and on Oct. 17, 1862 he was mustered into the United States service in Company G, 53d Mass. regiment. He served the full period of enlistment and was discharged with the regiment Sept. 2, 1863. While he was at the front, Mrs. harris came to Fitchburg, where they have resided since his discharge. He was employed for many years by A. Davis & Co. He has not been able to engage in active work for about fice years. He was ordained as a clergyman of the Christian church at Milton, N. H., in 1876, and preached at that place about two years, at Taunton about 18 months and at other places. Mr. Harris was presented by his friend, Amos Maynard, who has boarded in the family 34 years, with an elegant gold-headed ebony cane, inscribed "A. M. to E. Harris, April 26, 1903." Mr. and Mrs. Harris were presented with silverware from friends, a nice jardiniere from George and Gracie Mack, seven and five years old respectively, beautiful flowers, and $70 in gold. |