Happy birthday to Malinda Catherine (Wood) Ashbrook. It sounds like they had quite a party for her in 1915 — here’s the account from the October 7, 1915 Skidmore, Missouri New Era, page 1:
Birthday Surprise
Last Monday, Oct. 4 being the fifty-sixth birthday anniversary of Mrs. G. C. Ashbrook, her children and two brothers and their families met and at ten o’clock went to the Ashbrook home and found her busily engaged in giving the summer kitchen its regular fall cleaning. The surprise was complete.
At noon a fine dinner was taken from baskets and other receptacles, brought by the guests, and placed upon the table. All present did full justice to the eatables.
Those present were Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Wood and daughter, Mildred, of Quitman, Messrs and Mesdames B. E. Wood, J. M. Ashbrook and children, Georgia and Dorothy, M. Gray and daughter, Katherine, Ray Strickler and daughter, Margaret, and the home folks.
May she live to see many more such happy birthdays.