Last week we began looking into the history of the Banfield family. Nathan F. Banfield’s brother, Herbert, married Addie Cook on June 22, 1894. Addie was the daughter of John F. and Addie Cook and the wedding took place at the Cook residence: 208 Water Street, now 4th Avenue, the current Hormel Historic Home.

From the Mower County Register wedding announcement:

“The rooms were decked and garlanded with vines and flowers everywhere, smilax twined with rare pink roses dropped from pictures and draperies, pink roses arranged in bunches; indeed, pink was the prevailing color throughout the house.

Promptly at two o’clock a wedding march was played on the piano by Miss Fannie Geisel and the wedding party came down the stairs heralded by four little children, Albert and Alice Hayes, Nathan and Helen Banfield. All cousins of the bride and groom, and carrying two streamers of pink satin ribbons, and also smilax. They passed down the length of the hall, where the two little girls, looking like fairies indeed, and holding the pink ribbons in their hands, crossed the back parlor to the bay window, where they separated, one standing on either side, the little boys remaining at the door and holding the ribbons, forming a passageway for the bridal party as they came down…

The wedding gown was pink brocaded satin, trimmed with Duchesse point lace, cut high at the neck, where it was clasped with a golden buckle which once belonged to the bride’s great grandmother, elbow sleeves with long pink gloves. She also wore pink slippers and carried bridal roses in her hand.

…Mr. Banfield has lived among us for a number of years as assistant cashier of the First National bank, and his record has ever been good, and he has many friends here, every one of whom he has proved himself worthy.”

Sadly, the marriage lasted just shy of 13 years, as Addie (Cook) Banfield passed away from complications of childbirth, on June 13, 1907. From the Mower County Transcript obituary:

“She was born in this city Oct. 25, 1869, and was reared here. She graduated from the Austin high school, class of 1888, and later from the Winona Normal. She taught in this city and in Spring Valley… Cultured and refined, her ideals were high and she showed the best traits of human character… She leaves her husband and three children: Adelaide, aged 8, Loren, age 4, and a baby son aged eleven weeks.”

Thursday: New fiscal year, membership campaign begins

For more information on becoming a member of the Hormel Historic Home, go to our web site at www.hormelhistorichome.org.

Sept. 5: Office closed for Labor Day

Coming soon

Sept. 20: Social Concerns: Impact of Tourism on Mower County by Cheryl Corey of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau at 10 a.m.