Ruggles - Massey Marriage Certificate

Visiting in Colorado to help take care of my mom while my sister and brother-in-law have an anniversary trip, I was going through an interesting old box. I believe it was some kind of combination make-up and jewelry box with mirrors, drawers and many little compartments. It came from my mother's step-father's family.

Kenneth Massey Branchflower married my grandmother Ada Grace Colby Werst on 22 May 1944 after a long courtship. Their families lived on farms on opposite sides of Old Yamhill Road about 2 miles outside of Newberg, Oregon.

I believe the box either belonged to Kenneth's maternal grandmother Lutharia Ruggles Massey or to his mother Cora Massey Branchflower.

At the bottom of the box, folded in sixths, was this wedding certificate. It reads:

Marriage Certificate
This Writing is to Certify
that on the 2 day of November A. D.
1870 at the house of Stanley Ruggles
in Marion county, Wm P. Massey and Lutharia Ann Ruggles were by me united
in the bonds of Wedlock, in due accordance with the forms of law
and the ordinance of God.

Witnesses
Mary J. Long
Elizabeth Massey

Signed
J. C. Knight
Pastor Congregational Church
Salem

I decided to post this information on my blog to see if we could find descendants interested in the Marriage Certificate so it could be returned to the family.

We always considered Kenneth Branchflower to be our grandfather "Poppy" and he did not have any children of his own. His grandparents William Pleasant Massey and Lutharia Ann Ruggles had six children. I don't believe that sons William S. A. "Ad" Massey, Ira Massey or Harley Massey had children. Harley was married to my grandmother's sister Madge Colby. Daughter Emma married a man named Wilmot O. Cooper and they had at least three children. According to a family tree on ancestry.com, daughter Lula married a man named Wiley Milton Wilson in 1907. That tree does not list any offspring.

Hopefully, a descendant of Wm. P. and Lutharia will see this posting and comment.