Mr. and Mrs. Florian Carnel Celebrate Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary

A large gathering of relatives and friends came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Florian A. Carnel on Sunday, May 3, to congratulate them on their sixtieth anniversary of their marriage. On Saturday, May 2, with their children and grandchildren they assisted at the Holy Sacrifice of the mass at St. Pius V. Catholic Church. Rev. Father Normoyle offered the Mass of Thanksgiving for the many favors and blessings they have received. Florian Carnel was born in Waddington, St. Lawrence, New York and came to Minnesota in 1865. The farm that he now resides on was purchased a few years later fro the late Francis I. Wise, then head miller at the old Pheonix (sic) mill. Sarah Ryan was born in Springfield Mass., and came to Cannon Falls with her parents and brother, John in May, 1856 and this has been her home ever since.
Mr. and Mrs. Florian A. Carnel were united in marriage on May 2, 1871 in St. Marys church, New Trier, Rev. John Pius Byers performed the ceremony.
The history of Cannon Falls and the surrounding country is inseparably bound up with the life of the young man from New York and his young wife who settled on the farm, their present homestead, sixty years ago. Filled with the ambition and determination of the early pioneer they have been successful in their business of farming. They have reared a family of eight children namely: Henry A., Zillah M., J. William, Mrs. James A. McCann, Culbertson, Mont.; Sister M. Florian of the Order of St. Joseph, St. Paul; Mrs. D. E. Bray of St. Paul; F. Robert, Sister M. Cecelia who died in 1918.
To have lived together for sixty years and shared each others joys and sorrows and sorrows there must have been plenty of in those early days when they were trying to get a start in life in a record that falls to but few people. Their greatest sorrow came in 1918 when their daughter passed away and only a short time ago they were called upon to mourn the loss of a little grandson who was also very near and dear to them. To look ahead sixty years seems a very long time but perhaps to this worthy couple as they look back sixty years to their wedding day and recall events connected with it, it does not seem so very long ago as we have found with many of the older people that events of fifty or sixty years ago seem to be engraved on their memory while those of a short time ago are forgotten. And so we congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Carnel and hope that for many more years they will live and enjoy life on the farm which they have called home for so many years.
Published in the Cannon Falls Beacon, 6 May 1931