On a hot late summer evening in 1966, this pretty young girl

and this skinny fellow

exchanged their marriage vows before God, family, and friends.  Some wondered why she would want to marry the fellow, but stranger things had happened.

The two had been dating for about three  years and she, without his knowledge had began to save for their wedding.   Financially her parents weren’t in position to pay for a wedding leaving it up to her.  Entering that summer, the fellow knew he would soon be getting a letter from his draft board and had started looking at enlistment options.  It was only a matter of time before he would be entering the military one way or another and that tended to hasten the process – at least in her mind.

They had never really talked about marriage and it wasn’t necessarily on his mind, but she had started in small ways putting the thought into his head – getting him prepared one might say.   At that time they were both taking night classes at Washington U and would often meet in the park across from the campus before class.   On one of those meetings she became more specific and started talking about wedding plans as though it was all decided.   The seeds she had planted paid off as he didn’t put up any argument.

Shortly thereafter he decided to enlist in the Army and his induction was scheduled for September 13, 1966.  Based on that, the date of the wedding was set for the third of that month at the church she attended with her family.  He was told the things for which he was responsible – get a best man and a couple groomsmen;  get a tuxedo picked out ( she suggested it better be with a white coat), fitted and rented;  and show up at the appointed time.

Meanwhile she made all the arrangements for both the wedding and the reception that would take place immediately afterwards at a VFW hall with food, drink and a live band – DJs playing records were unheard of back then. Together they purchased the wedding rings and they planned a short and inexpensive honeymoon.  All was accomplished within the $600 she had managed to save with the exception of the honeymoon to which he did contribute.

All went as planned, although there were some obstacles to overcome along the way.  But that is a story for another time.  Today on the 3rd of September they celebrate fifty years.  Neither can remember their first with the exception that they had some of the wedding cake she had frozen to be eaten on the occasion.   Some kind of tradition supposedly.  A few  anniversaries were memorable only because of the circumstances and locations they found themselves.

(More wedding photos here.)