Mom's Story Part 19 .............. Wedding Anniversary Special

 This post is in honor of Mom and Dad's Wedding

April 3, 1944.... 69 years ago

 

The six weeks before my wedding were filled to the brim with excitement.  I was in Phoenix with my sister Mayola.  She had bought a beautiful little house on McDowell Street.  Mother sent us truckloads of old furniture to be refinished and recovered with which we furnished the house.  I was busy, scraping old wood finishing off the furniture while Mayola was learning about a new job.  The pressure on her must have been terrible for she bore the entire financial burden.  We made curtains, covered old chairs, refinished tables and other pieces and when we finished the house looked like a dollhouse.  It was beautiful.  I shan't forget how ugly and bleeding my hands looked, and how I tried to get them ready for the wedding band that would soon be placed on my fourth finger.

Bill's mother and sister, Frances, came from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Mother and Dad came from Snowflake.  Mother brought a beautiful temple outfit plus all the other necessities I would need. She had worked so hard getting things ready in Snowflake for the reception, which would follow.  World War II was at the height of intensity and gifts for weddings were out, so Mother had supplemented my now bulging Hope Chest with the things I needed.  I received a beautiful quilt from her Relief Society Stake Board, but I think that was about the only other gift I had outside my family.  I still have two of the beautiful quilts Mother prepared for me herself.

The temple ceremony on that April 3rd, 1944, evening was beautiful.  I was scared and anxious, but Bill was calm and serene as always.  Pres. Harry L. Payne married us.  There were many little incidences which stood in our way just before we left for the Temple, and I remember Bill taking my hand and saying:  "Come on, honey, let’s get in the Temple.  It must be the right thing for Satan is trying his best to stop us."  From the Temple ceremony to the little wedding supper Mayola and Frances had prepared for us after the session, all was heavenly, and I will admit I was in a cloud and so was Bill, for many of the details are still lost to our memory.

The next day Mayola and all the family left for Snowflake, leaving Bill and I to come later.  I can only imagine the excitement and preparation, which went on at our house getting things ready for us.  The reception was held in our home and hundreds of well wishers streamed through the house.  The LaMusica Woman's Chorus under the direction of Rufus Crandall sang, Dad recited the beautiful literary classic "The Lady of Lyons", my lovely trousseau and hope chest was displayed, but other than that I don't remember much about the reception.

The next day we left for Phoenix again with the family.  I was scheduled to sing in an Easter Cantata that Sunday night in our Phoenix Stake.  After the Cantata the family took us to the train station and told us goodbye amid tears, rice and hugs, and well-wishes.  It was like a dream with my darling Bill by my side.  I'm sure everyone on the train was aware we were newly-weds, but we were oblivious to all their stares and glances.

            Our married life began in San Antonio, Texas, where Bill was stationed at Kelly Field, as a radar instructor.  Housekeeping in our first little garage apartment was meager.  We lived high on the hills of San Antonio at Ridgewood Court a nice residential part of town.  It was not too far from the Zoo and we spent many happy hours wandering around the Zoo feeding the animals.  Also for entertainment we walked around the city looking at the beautiful homes and dreaming of the time when we too could have a home of our own.  At night coming home from our walks we studied the Constellations of the Heavens.  Bill was such a teacher. He has always been such a student of science.  Our transportation was the City bus service and would ride the bus from one end of the line to the other just to see the City.