Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Childhood Sweethearts Wed By Local JP

Maxine McKinnon, 74, of Poteau, Okla., and Ray Steele, 75, of Sun Lakes, Ariz., were married on June 17 in Prescott by Justice of the Peace Curtis Lee Johnson.

The couple had been childhood sweethearts and, after meeting at a school reunion, found out that after rearing their families they were both single again.

Mrs. Steel was in Prescott seeking information on the Steele family. She knew that he had lived in the county jail when we was real young becuase his father, Luke C. Steele, was sheriff.

Mary Johnson realized that he was probably a distant relative and told her mother, Elizabeth Murrah.

Mrs. Murrah wrote this relative and received his father's record, which included his birth record showing he was born September 3, 1884, in Lamesa, Texas. A copy of a newspaper article telling of his death and the fact that he had served as Nevada County Sheriff from 1919 until 1923.

After the death of Fred Murrah, city marshal, late in 1923, he was appointed city marshal and served in that office for three months when he resigned to take up other duties.