Luther Austin & Ulala Mahala McQueen Kile

Mr. and Mrs. Luther Austin Kile of Coleman will celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary Sunday, May 18th, with an Open House hosted by their sons and daughter. Friends and neighbors are invited to call at the Clubroom at Coleman County Electric Cooperative between 2:30 and 5:00 p.m. They ask that no gifts be brought.

Mrs. Kile, the former Ulala McQueen, came to Coleman County with her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. J. M. McQueen, from Houston County in 1905. They lived at various places in the county before buying a home at Fisk. At the time of the Kile-McQueen marriage they were living at Silver Valley.

The oldest of 12 children, Mrs. Kile has a number of brothers and sisters still living, including Claude and Henry McQueen of Fisk, Lum or C. J. McQueen of Gruver, Glenn McQueen of Andrews, Will McQueen of Corpus Christi, Mrs. Elwood Hamilton and Mrs. J. E. Snider of Fisk, and Mrs. Oran Henry of Pleasant Hill, Missouri.

Mr. Kile came to Coleman County in 1897 from Bell County to make his home with his half-brother and half-sister, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Duggins. He said, “Can you figure that one out?” Then he explained that Mr. and Mrs. Duggins, before their marriage, were step-sister and stepbrother to each other and half-brother and half-sister to him. His close relatives are now all deceased.

On their wedding day, May 22, 1909, Mr. Kile left his home at Liberty and proceeded to the Herds Creek bridge on the old Abilene highway. There he met his bride; her sister, who is now deceased; and Ernest Turner of Coleman. The officiating minister was the Rev. McCorkle, a Baptist minister, neighbor of the McQueens, and a former teacher of the groom.

First plans were to perform the ceremony on the bridge, but the day was so warm the wedding party decided to take advantage of the shade of a large mesquite tree on the side of the road. So the party stood under the tree for the rites.

The newly married couple then went to a farm in the Liberty community to make their home. They farmed in various communities in Coleman County until 1943, growing cotton, feed, grain, and some stock. After their move to Coleman In 1943, Mr. Kile worked as a laborer at various jobs until 1957 when he retired. They are members of the Church of Christ, which they attend regularly.

They have five sons, a daughter, 15 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Winnie Lane of Coleman is the daughter. The sons are Wesley and Luther Kile of Coleman, Bennie Kile of Abilene, and Wayne Kile, twin brother of Mrs. Lane, who lives In Ft.Worth.

Mr. And Mrs. Kile expect the children and at least some of the grandchildren to be here for the celebration.