Person Page 1,957

; ceremony by the bride's father, Rev. Williams. Wedding reported in the 22 AUG 1921 edition of the Des Moines Register, page 8 (Newspapers.com).

No children.

Problem discovered with some Iowa Marriage Records

Source citation: (Ancestry.com), Iowa Department of Public Health; Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Marriage Records, 1880–1922; Volume 500 (Jackson-Osceola).

Original source data: Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa Marriage Records, 1880–1945. Textual Records. State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa. Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa Marriage Records, 1923–37. Microfilm. Record Group 048. State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines, Iowa.

What appears to be a page of Iowa marriage records (microfilm image #431 of handwritten transcripts of marriage records found on Ancestry.com) exists showing a marriage 17 AUG 1921, at Sibley, of Henry H. Lutterman, age 44 (second marriage) to Melita A. Williams, age 24 (first marriage). The ceremony was performed by H. R. Williams, Baptist minister (Melita’s father). Witnesses were Grace Sonner (Paul’s sister) and Harold Williams (Melita’s brother). This page lists twelve marriages beginning 19 JUL 1921 and ending 6 SEP 1921. Henry Lutterman (1878-1938) was first married to Mabel Anna Jacobs (1884-1918) on 26 SEP 1901 at Baker, Osceola County. The problem with this apparent record is revealed by the license date under the license serial number on the left edge of the left page. It is 10 JAN 1922. So, two separate pages of a book of transcriptions were arranged side by side and microfilmed, creating the appearance of a single marriage record, when it is in fact the left (groom) side of one record and the right (bride) side of a second record.

The correct left (groom) side of the marriage of Melita Williams is found on image #433 of the same microfilm, with the right side being the correct bride (Bessie Cooper) for the Henry Lutterman marriage on 11 JAN 1922.

So the marriage date of Paul W. Sonner and Melita W. Williams was 17 AUG 1921 at Sibley, performed by her father and witnessed by her brother and Paul’s sister.

Obituary -- (Findagrave.com):

Services Held Tuesday for Paul Sonner

Paul W. Sonner, 65, auditor of Clay county for nine years died at the Spencer Municipal Hospital Saturday evening.

Sonner had been suffering a heart ailment for some time and had been in the hospital at intervals during th past several weeks.

Funeral services for Paul W. Sonner, were at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Warner Chapel, with Rev. Roy Shervey of the Congregational Church officiating.

Burial was in Riverside cemetery.

He is survived by his widow; a daughter, Mrs. Don (Susan) Minnick of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin; and a sister, Mrs. Edgar Carson of Logan. Mrs. Minnick's husband is the assistant pastor of the Congregational church there.

Pallbearers were Howard Summers, Wilber Sackett, H. B. Brenizer, Robert Olhausen, Wayne Hurd and Ray Fuller.

Mr. Sonner was born July 7, 1896, at Murray, the son of Oren and Susan Wick Sonner. On July 11, 1926, he married the former Marie Evans at Chariton.

Mr. Sonner came to Spencer 25 years ago as station superintendent for Mid-Continent Oil Co.

He had been an active member of the Congregational Church, past commander of the Glen Pedersen American Legion post, past president of the Spencer Kiwanis club, a charter member of the Spencer Barbershoppers Chorus and a member of the Spencer Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Sonner was a graduate of Des Moines University and served in the Army during World War II.

Source: Everly News, Everly, Clay County, Iowa, March 8,1962.