Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Week 23 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Prompt - Going to the Chapel

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 23
Prompt – Going To The Chapel


On November 20, 1938, my mother and father got married. - Jacob Peters and Lydia Vivian Sullivan McLaughlin. There was a time when it was quite common to have a write up put in the local newspaper announcing the marriage. I am lucky that I have their announcement. Although not in the best of shape at least it is still readable. I believe this was posted to Saskatoon Star Phoenix in the week following the wedding. I do not have the exact date. 

Like obituaries much information can be taken from these notices that otherwise would be lost to future generations. For example the wedding was held on a Sunday at “high noon”. We find out who attended the bride and groom. Also they had an after ceremony wedding dinner at the bride's home and a reception at the groom's home in the evening. I had to look up what “Madeira” lace cloth and found out that it is an embroidery that was desired by all and especially the aristocracy of the nineteenth century.
The announcement tells us that they plan to live in Saskatoon which they did.
Much of this I knew about. It is a good place to look into for additional genealogical information. 

Sometime in 1977, my sister, Bonnie took an oral history of mom and dad's wedding. She wrote it up and it gives even more information about their wedding. I have copied some parts of the oral history from her write up which gives us even more details. Thank you Bonnie.

"Mom and dad were married on a clear, cold, sunny Sunday in November. It was the twentieth day in that year nineteen-hundred and thirty-eight. The place was Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and the setting was the depression times...”

“The wedding guests turned out to be more than listed. The wedding was held at twelve noon following the church service. Pastor Eisfeldt turned out to be quite considerate and invited the whole congregation of St. Paul's Lutheran Church (then at 8th and Dufferin) to stay for the wedding ceremony, and so they did, the whole group. Mom and Dad were not in church and so they were rather surprised to see the whole church present.”

As in all weddings there was even a little bit of drama;

“The groom's attendant was John Harder - dad's cousin and the bridesmaid was Lenora Krikau. Mom's best friend, Eunice, would not stand up for her cause she wasn't in favor of dad. Another friendly guest was Mrs. French who said the marriage would last a year. That was said thirty-seven years ago.”

And more specifically we find out the exact addresses of both of their parents and mom and dad's first home.

“The noon dinner was held at 512 Ave K. South - mom's parents place. The reception was held at dads' parents place - 1108 Ave C North.
No honeymoon was afforded by the couple. Their first home was made in a room in the 300 block of 25th Street." 

Between the two sources we are able to visualize more specifically their wedding day.

Wendy 

 






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