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Memories of My Wedding Day
Yesterday was the wedding anniversary for my second husband and I. Since it ties into
family lore, thought I would tell you about it.
Cos (Cosmo Zang) and I became friends back in the early 1970's when he was moved into
an office suite across the hall from mine in the newly built USPHS Parklawn Building
in Rockville, Maryland. It was friendship and gradually became more serious. Neither
of us had any inclination for a second marriage, but when it was getting time to retire,
our tax advisor seemed to think it was time for us to take the plunge.
Then the question of where to get married came up. We were both sentimentalists at heart
and wanted the place to be meaningful -- but not a big wedding as it was a second marriage
for both of us. My Aunt Helen came to visit and settled the question. We should get married
in Russellville, Alabama, in the house where my grandparents, Ben and Ellen (Fant)
Gruner met, the same house where my mother was born. Cos liked that idea, and we didn't
want a big wedding.
We got Ginger to bake the cake and cater the small reception. (She had recently taken a
chef's baking course.) We arrived in Russellville a day or two early as we had to get
a license. We left early one morning to get the license. On the way something flew off
the side of a truck ahead of us and Cos ran over it. Flat tire and a long, long wait to
buy a new tire (a story in itself).
Finally everything was arranged and the local
Probate Judge agreed to come out to the house and perform the ceremony. (We later
had our marriage blessed in a church ceremony, as Cos didn't have the necessary
dispensation yet.)
My sons were in diverse parts of the country and couldn't have come to the wedding, but
I did want to at least ask my sisters. Mary Jo (MJ) couldn't make it from Michigan, but
Gerry came down from Kentucky with her husband John and teenage daughter Lisa.
It tuned out Uncle Bob was visiting from Detroit, actually nursing a broken leg caused
when he had a sinking spell and drove his car into his neighbor's house (another story in
itself). Since Uncle Bob was going to be there, we naturally had to ask Uncle Phil and
Aunt Rose to come down from Collinwood. Since Ginger was doing the catering we had to
also ask her husband Bob and daughter Debby, still in high school.
We assigned Uncle Bob to be the Best Man, Aunt Helen to be my Matron of Honor and Uncle
Phil to give me away. Lisa played the wedding march. Now you have to imagine all this
pomp and ceremony in a very small house, so the only thing that was taken really
seriously was the wedding vows.
Trouble started early that morning when the refrigerator went out. Well, okay we
solved part of that by buying ice, a lot of ice. About mid afternoon, Aunt Helen's
big window air conditioner died. By that time the icing on the multi-tiered wedding
case was nearing the melting point. Poor Auntie was mortified by then, but the
rest of us took it all in stride. What else could we do but laugh, sit around and
fully enjoy each other's company? It was a happy mini-reunion.
I may not have done an adequate job of explaining it, but I knew even at the time,
it had been a much happier and more memorable wedding day than had we spent thousands
of dollars for a formal wedding and had it held back in Washington with many more
family, friends and coworkers in attendance. Even today, as I look back 28 years
later I smile at that very happy and memorable day in my life.
Marian
G-75-42
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2009, 7:22 PM
  
 
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