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JOHN R. & SUSIE WELLS (COTTINGHAM) PEAVEY Valley Couple Marks Sixtieth Anniversary By Bob Fatheree  Today marks the sixtieth anniversary of the spring day in 1917 when John Peavey used a horse and carriage to spirit away a young Brownsville lass so that the two might elope and begin their married lives together. The passing years do not seem to have dimmed either the adventurous spirit or the affection of the two as they celebrate their sixtieth anniversary with a reception in their honor at the Good Samaritan Center in McAllen at 3 p.m. today. Peavey says that he was forced to "steal the girl" he loved because her family thought that Peavey, who had only recently arrived in the Valley from St. Louis, came from the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon Line. Alls well that ends well though, and the two have enjoyed a long and successful marriage. Peavey pursued successful careers in law enforcement, appraising, and writing before his retirement. Peaveys 37 years in the law enforcement field began in 1915, when he became a Deputy Sheriff in Cameron County. He was soon appointed chief of the eight scouts the U.S. Army maintained at the time along the Texas-Mexico Border. Peavey then joined the Border Patrol as Assistant Chief Scout in the Brownsville to Roma district. Peavey spent three years as a Texas Ranger, beginning in 1938 before accepting a position as an appraiser of real estate and cattle with the First National Bank in McAllen. He worked there for over 19 years before retiring. Peavey is also the author of a book, Echoes from the Rio Grande, which details his activities in law enforcement along the border. Peavey says that his many years of police activity have given him the unique status of being recognized in any city he goes to "south of the Tex-Mex Railroad from Laredo to Corpus Christi." Asked for the secret of their long and happy marriage, Mrs. Peavey instantly replied, "I stayed home and raised the children." After some reflection she added, "My husband has always been a good man and a good provider, kind and generous." In addition to her sixtieth anniversary, Mrs. Peavey will also be celebrating her eighty-fourth birthday today. See Also - John R. Peavey's Obituary listed in the Texas Obituaries HOME ALPHABETICAL INDEX
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