Comstock, Julia: Picture of Gene Field's Future Bride Is Brought to Light for Poet's Centennial News Article, 1950

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St. Joseph Museums

Name/Title

Comstock, Julia: Picture of Gene Field's Future Bride Is Brought to Light for Poet's Centennial News Article, 1950

Entry/Object ID

AM1989.11.2

Scope and Content

Picture of Gene Field's Future Bride Is Brought to Light for Poet's Centennial, 1950. The picture was taken in 1872. The picture shows Julia Comstock, Eugene Field's future bride at the lower lefthand corner. Mrs. Perry Fulkerson owns the photograph, which is among the many bits of Fieldiana brought to light at the approach of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the distinguished writer. The centennial will be observed Sunday night on the lawn of the St. Joseph Museum . Many cities claim Eugene Field. St. Louis has converted the house where he was born into a museum of Field treasures. Chicago claimed the last 12 years of his life and has an appropriate tomb in the Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Kenilworth . St. Joseph claims the most romantic happiest years of his life. Neither the beginning or the end of his life could have caused fellow-citizens the thrill of his elaborate wedding. Its details have been passed down to the third and fourth generations of those who were in the wedding party or were guests. St. Joseph also shared through the Gazette with the other two cities plus Denver and Kansas City the unusual newspaper career of this poet and story-teller. Mrs. Fulkerson's mother, Kate Howard, is at the right of the picture, Miss Howard became Mrs. Waller Young. Her future husband was a groomsman at the elaborate Field-Comstock nuptials. Margaret Sparks, later Mrs. Lon Tuller, sits between the other two girls, Standing, left to right, are Harry McCord Tootle, James O'Toole and Ed Kuechle. Mr. Tootle was a nephew of the first Milton Tootle in this city. He was the father of Harry King Tootle of New York; Mrs. G. H. Larke of San Francisco and Mrs. Thomas E. Thrasher of Washington. Mr. O'Toole became governor of Wyoming, Mr. Kuechle was the father of Mrs. Ada Hall of Kansas City and the uncle of Mrs. Huston Wyeth and Mrs. William Snail. The wedding was October 16, 1873 at the Christ Church. Dr. James Runcie officiated. The invitation card is displayed in the case at Central Public Library devoted to the late Purd B. Wright's collection of Field's first editions. The long refreshment table, in the basement of the Comstock home, had 34 wedding cakes. The next morning at their wedding breakfast the poet and bridegroom is said to have played with a stray dog. On the spur of the moment he invited all his wedding party to accompany him and his Julia to St. Louis, their future home, for a visit. All accepted. His bride was 16 and they had waited to wed, at her parents' insistence, all of two years. She bore him eight children. She was the one and only love of his life.

Lexicon

Search Terms

Weddings in St. Joseph, Eugene Field & Julia Comstock Wedding, Field, Eugene, Comstock, Julia, Christ Episcopal Church

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

News Clipping

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Maintenance

Maintenance History

Date

Jan 20, 2015

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Julia Comstock

Person or Organization

Field, Eugene

Person or Organization

Mrs. Perry Fulkerson

Person or Organization

Ada Hall

Person or Organization

Katie Howard

Person or Organization

Ed Kuechle

Person or Organization

Mrs. G. H. Larke

Person or Organization

Harry Tootle McCord

Person or Organization

James O'Toole

Person or Organization

Dr. James Runcie

Person or Organization

William Snail

Person or Organization

Mrs. William Snail

Person or Organization

Margaret Sparks

Person or Organization

Thomas E. Thrasher

Person or Organization

Harry King Tootle

Person or Organization

Milton Tootle

Person or Organization

Lon Tuller

Person or Organization

Wright, Purd B.

Person or Organization

Wyeth, Huston, Mrs.

Person or Organization

Mrs. Waller Young