The Wedding Journey

It’s time for the honeymoon - and how nice of mom to describe it for me!



A lovely trip to Carmel where we spent a wonderful week at the Highlands Inn.  While there we visited many interesting places the most beautiful of which was the Point Lobos State Park.  Also saw the Carmel Mission, the Monterey wharf, historic points in Monterey, Big Sur (what a flop!), Seventeen Mile Drive, museums and others.  We had a marvelous time.  Even got a chess set and spent several enjoyable hours learning the game.  Our cabin had a fire place and we were able to toast a few marshmellows [sic].

Not only did she describe it, but there’s pictures!

This must be the cabin she describes.



I’d heard about the Highlands Inn as a child but never pictured it looking like this.  I’m sure it was very peaceful and romantic.

And here’s mom at the door – Malcom must have been the name of their cabin.



And here’s Dad sitting on the porch.



I wonder what Mom was taking a picture of.



Could it be this?

Fish Fleet at Monterey

Mom looks so happy here.



And last but not least, Mom in her “honeymoon garb” (that’s what Dad wrote on the picture).  Even though I know that brides usually have new nighties and such for the honeymoon, you don’t often see them in the photos!



And that’s all I want to know about that :-)

Best wishes for a long and happy life together

Now that the ceremony is over, it’s time for a pause - first with the flower girl, Sandra Dick.  This picture is so sweet and just like any little girl would be, Sandy was probably so excited to be dressed up for the occasion and no doubt was dreaming about the day she would be a bride.



And then it was time to read the notes of congratulations that came pouring in!



And the next page of the Bride’s Book shows the telegrams they received.  Telegrams were so popular back then but aren’t used anymore.  I can imagine it was very exciting to receive a telegram.



Again, my grandmother wrote the address on the telegram, probably so that my mother could send a note of thanks at some point.  Having an address will give me good information to research in the future.  Interesting that just a few years ago all of these names wouldn’t have meant a thing to me but now several are familiar.

Heartiest congratulations and best wishes Cecile Cohen Leah Jacbos	Congratulations and best wishes on this very happy day with many more years to follow May Cerkel Marks

It’s hard to see here but someone, probably my grandmother, tried to fix the spelling from Jacbos to Jacobs.

Heartiest congratulations.  May all your days be as happy as this one. Gussie and Paula Levy	Sincere and hearty congratulations.  Long life and happiness. Mrs. and Mrs. K Simonian

Here’s a special one – Aunt Bella was Bella Steen Benas.  Bella was my grandmother’s cousin and was married to Max Benas, brother of my grandfather’s mother.  This is my first example of a cross over where my grandparents’ relatives married each other.  I’ll never know for sure but my gut tells me that Bella and Max were the individuals who introduced my grandparents.

May your wedded life be one continuous honeymoon Aunt Bella

Uh-oh, here’s another example of relatives marrying each other.  Lionel Benas was the son of Max and Bella Benas – his wife, Hesper Hertz, was the daughter of Bella’s sister, Myrtle Steen, and Harry Hertz.

May your marriage lot be years of happiness and love Hesper and Lionel Benas

We both congratulate you on this wonderful occasion and wish you a long and happy wedded life Louise and Jerry Riese	My sincerest congratulations and best wishes for your continued happiness Al Mendelson

Lionel Traube was the brother of Natalie Traube Gunzendorfer, wife of my grandmother’s brother, Wilton Gunzendorfer.

Our love and best wishes for many years of happiness Lionel and Ella Traube

And here’s another Levy mystery.  My grandmother added Mr. and Mrs. Melville Levy, 1037 N. Fulton, Fresno.  Need to add that name to my research to-do list.

Sincere wishes for much happiness.  Sorry cannot be with you Levy’s and Markovits	Congratulations to you and young couple wishing all abundant happiness Ethel and Arnold Friend

And this last one is appropriate for two Stanford grads, although I don’t know who Indian Ray is.  Since back in those days Stanford’s mascot was the Indian, I wonder if this has something to do with the mascot.

Congratulations and best wishes for all the years to come and keep the cardinal waving Indian Ray

I’m sure all of the people who sent congratulations to my parents in 1950 had no idea their telegram would still be out there today.  Who knew?

Guests, guests, and more guests

Now that my parents’ wedding ceremony was over, it was time to party!  And it looks like there were a lot of people to participate.



Actually, it doesn’t look like this crowd was too into partying – this group looks pretty reserved.  And with all the people in this photo, there is only one person that I recognize and that is my grandmother, Clara Fitzgerald Martin Hunter.  You have to look really closely – she’s the lady underneath the canopy with the fun hat on.  It is almost like she is just standing there surveying the crowd.  And probably breathing a sign of relief that the stress was behind her.

And here is another crowd shot with Mom throwing the bouquet – looks like bridesmaid Patricia O’Farrell is ready to make the grab. 



There’s only a few familiar faces in this photo – my dad’s brother, Robert Levy, is in the center of this photo (with white tux jacket) and to his left, I believe, is his future wife, Patricia Davis.  And it also looks like some of the guests are enjoying that lovely cake. 

And how fun that I have a list of the guests who attended, and in their own handwriting!  Notable guests noted below each page.



Mr. & Mrs. I.T. Thurber – Mrs. Thurber was Dorris Feuerstein, daughter of my grandmother’s sister, Viola Fitzgerald.

Nell Martin – older sister of my grandfather.

Mamie Burks (nee Anderson) – the half sister to my great grandmother, Frances Brooks Martin.  Frances’ father, William J. Brooks, was killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg and her mother married John Hayward Anderson in 1868.

Earle Martin and his family – Earle was my mother’s father, Verda was his second wife, Michael was their son, and Paul and Pat were Verda’s children whom Earle adopted.

Ethel and Gertrude Stubblefield – these sisters lived next door to my grandparents, Sig and Loraine Levy, as long as I can remember.  One of them was one of my father’s elementary school teachers.  Neither one of them every married.

Clara Dick (nee McAboy) – Clara was an older sister of my great grandmother, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald. 



Mr. & Mrs. A.K. Sherwin – Mrs. Sherwin was Irene Gunzendorfer.  Her father, Jacob Gunzendorfer, was the younger brother of my great grandfather, Abraham Gunzendorfer.

Lois and Marshall Peal – Lois was Al and Irene Sherwin’s daughter.

Jessie Hamilton – I know she is important but I just can’t remember how.  My mom talked about her as we were discussing genealogy but, sadly, I didn’t take notes related to Jessie.  Add that to my to-do list.



Mrs. and Mrs. E.A. Hamilton are both on this page.  I wonder if they are in some way related to Jessie Hamilton.

Winifred (nee Dick) and John Hoey – Winifred was the daughter of Clara McAboy and Alexander Dick.

Malcom Bell – Malcom was married to Elizabeth Sronce, who was the daughter of Anna (Fitzgerald) and Robert Sronce.  My mother lived with Anna and Robert for several years while her parents were going through their divorce.
 
Helen Schwartz – I’m not sure but it seems like she could be important since her last name is Schwartz and my great grandmother’s maiden name was Schwartz. 

Robt. Sronce – there he is.  I wonder if Elizabeth Bell and Anna Sronce signed the book.

Ed Fitzgerald – my great grandfather.  His daughter was my mother’s mother, Clara Fitzgerald Martin Hunter.

Mabel (nee McAboy) Fitzgerald – my great grandmother.  These were the only two great grandparents I ever knew.

Mrs. Fred Levy - hmmmm, who is this?  Is she related in some way?



Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Follett – Mrs. Follett was Loraine Feuerstein, whose mother was my grandmother’s sister, Viola Fitzgerald.

Keith Miller – a childhood friend of my dad’s.  I believe he lived on an adjoining street and was friend’s with my dad throughout their lifetimes.



Gilda Levy – my dad’s cousin.  Her father was Benjamin Levy, youngest brother of my grandfather, Sig Levy.

Patricia Davis – future wife of my uncle, Robert Levy. 

Sandra Dick – flower girl and my mom’s second cousin.

Hazel & Alan Dick – Alan was the son of Clara (McAboy) and Alexander Dick and they were the hosts of the event.

Betty Ann Bell – there she is!  Betty was the daughter of Anna (Fitzgerald) and Robert Sronce.

What a treat to be able to see not just who attended the wedding but to be able to see their signatures, too!

To have and to hold

Aww, look at them gazing into each each other’s eyes! 



Here is the Certificate of Marriage from the Bride’s Book.



And here’s the ‘real’ marriage certificate.



I remember when I sent away to Fresno for this marriage certificate and received a “no record found” response.  Huh?  I asked Mom about it and she was just as confused as I was.  Why was there no marriage certificate?  Did the official ‘forget’ to turn it in?  Finally it occurred to me – they must have applied for their marriage license in another county.  So I asked Mom again and she thought for a minute and said “oh yes, we must have applied for our license in San Mateo County since we were at Stanford at the time”.  Sure enough, that’s where it was.  Phew, I was beginning to worry that my parents’ marriage was not legal.

5409 Wilson Avenue, Fresno was the home of Alan and Hazel Dick.  Alan was the son of Clara McAboy and Alexander Dick – Clara was an older sister of my mother’s grandmother, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald.  Here they are, along with their daughter Sandy, who was the flower girl.



What a beautiful cake!  I wonder if they smashed it in each other’s face.



I’m somewhat surprised that we didn’t find those bells lying around Mom’s house somewhere. :-)