Wedding Wednesday - Everything Old is New Again

Wedding Wednesday

Everything Old Is New Again

"From this day forward

our thoughts and actions

will be for each other...

our plans mutual, our joys

and sorrows shared...

as we become

one in Christ."

Isn't that a lovely wedding program cover? I recently attended a wedding where this program was used. A beautiful calla lily on the front, with this loving sentiment.

This was a wedding no one thought would happen.

Let me back up a bit, and give you a little history.

My brother-in-law comes from a large family. He is one of the babies of the family (plural, because he has a twin brother.) Among his sisters, is Rachel. She is 15 years older than my brother-in-law. She never had children. And in 1993, she lost her husband, Eddie, to cancer. He was 52 at the time.

Fast forward to 2015 (22 years later), my Mom passed away, and just 2 weeks after her death, her childhood best friend, married to my Mom's brother, passed away. Aunt Phyllis was just a few days short of turning 78. Leaving my Uncle Bill a widower.

In the winter of 2015/2016 my Uncle Bill moved from his home state of Indiana, to live near my sister and my Dad. He felt more at home here. My sister provided him with private quarters on her property, and he always was a few short feet away from family if needed.

Late in the year 2016, my brother-in-law got the idea of introducing his sister, Rachel, to my uncle Bill. The thought was that the two might find some companionship with one another: someone to go out for coffee with, or to a movie. But there were sparks, and within a matter of weeks the two were engaged! And on Saturday, May 20th, the happy couple were wed. (I'm hoping for some copies of the nuptials soon.)

Left side:

Wedding of Rachel Lafon and Billy Dreher

May 20, 2017  at 2:00 p.m.

Bethel Pentecostal Holiness Church, Organ Cave, WV

Officiated by Rev. G. Wesley Comer, Pastor

P

H

O

T

O

Matron of Honor - Wanda Ford, sister of bride

Best Man - Walter Beane, brother-in-law of groom

Ushering and Giving of Bride - Ronald Dunbar, brother of bride

Right side:

Song - He Touched Me (Bill's favorite)

Entrance of Matron of Honor and Bride

Prayer

Lighting of candles in memory of Phyllis and Eddie,

who were a part of our lives and will always be

part of who we are.

(Song: When Our Eyes Meet Again - Gloryland Quartet)

Charge and Giving of Bride

Declaration of Intent

Scripture - Colossians 2:2

Lighting of Unity Candle (Song: The Wedding Prayer)

Vow and Ring Ceremony

Pronouncement

Prayer

Presentation and Recessional

Song: I Know Whom I Have Believed (one of Rachel's favorites)

The honeymoon is over, and the happy couple have settled down in the home where Rachel lived alone for so long. And they seem such a happy pair!

We wish you both all of the best, and may happiness and love be with you forever more.

(By the way, the Matron of Honor is a widow, and the Best Man (my Dad) is a widower, hmmmm, wonder if we could play a little matchmaking here?)

Sentimental Sunday

This is a rare photograph, if not the only photograph, of my Mom's family all together at once.

Mom was the youngest of five children. The eldest was 14 years older than Mom, and she used to recall her brother Billy as being the one to whom she was closest, as he was only 2 years older.

The photograph was taken with a Kodak Instamatic camera about 1968. It is a little fuzzy, but I treasure it still.

From left to right:
My grandpa, Henry C. Dreher (1902-1977)
Ethel Dreher McCutchen (1924-2012)
Arthur C. Dreher (1926-2013)
Laura Marion "Maryann" Dreher Grose (1931-2006)
Billy Leon Dreher (b. 1936)
Lois Dreher Beane (1938-2015)
My grandma, Irene Banet Dreher (1906-1989)

The occasion was the only family reunion I remember Mom's family having. My grandparents lived on a farm then, and we all camped about in one way or another to stay. Little Indian River ran through the property and we swam for hours! We also canoed. And we had a giant fish fry! I remember Mom being the fish "fryer". Dad had caught a big old catfish, and Mom was frying it up, and it flipped out of the skillet (any of you fisherpeople know what I'm talking about when you fry fresh fish!). It landed on Mom's foot, and as I recall blistered it pretty good.

It was such a precious time! If I could revisit a time in my life when "all was well with the world", this would be it!

Do you have such a time you would like to be able to revisit? If so what would you do differently, if anything.

I would sit down and ask my Grandpa more questions about his family. I'd love to find about more about his grandparents and great-grandparents.

Yep, it was a great time!

Matrilineal/Military Monday

It's been a while since I've been into the swing of working on my genealogy blog. I've only recently got back into the habit of daily genealogy research and newsletter writing for my family.

So I wanted to start back with the GeneaBloggers daily prompts today. Thomas can always get you in the mood for some fun and antics in genealogy, as well as inspire you to further your research!

Today I chose a dual subject for Monday. Both Matrilineal and Military. Why? Because I have not honored my Mom since her death on this blog. (Heck, I haven't written but once on the blog since her death!)

Lois Velleda Dreher was born in 1938 in Indiana and passed away in 2015 in West Virginia. On both occasions she was surrounded by those who loved her most. In between the two dates, she lived a life full of service to our country and to those who were in need. She never shirked her duty. At times to her children she had to be both Mother and Father, as her spouse was a military man. During those times, I am sure it was especially tough. But she never complained.

She was introduced to the man who would become her husband while she was in the Women's Army Corps (or more affectionately known as the WAC's). The friend who introduced her was also in the WAC's. The two women were friends until the very end.

Lois was a lovely woman. Although she'd never tell you she thought herself pretty or handsome. My memories of her will forever be tainted with the scent of her Tabu cologne. I pass someone in the market, and for a brief moment I look around and wonder where my Mother is hiding to jump out and make us both laugh!

I've seen her cut her grass in a sandy yard on the beach with a pair of sewing shears, and replace the carburetor in the car. And yet again, sit in the floor and play Barbie's with her two little girls who wanted Mommy to play with them. As well as read the family Bible and have prayer each evening; never forgetting to ask God to watch over Daddy who was away at sea. When I was older, she asked me what dress I wanted to wear to the spring prom, and I showed her a picture in a catalog for a dress I knew we didn't have the money for. Yet, when it came time for the dance, I wore that very dress. Only, Mommy had made it with her own two hands, without even a pattern to go by, just the photo in the catalog. My friends never knew it was a handmade a dress. That's how good of a seamstress she was. She taught herself to crochet, and she could make anything, simply by looking at a picture of it. Flowers, dolls, sweaters, afghans, and doilies.

As a teen I saw my Mom grow a garden and then can everything in it for winter. She put up thousands, and yes you read that right, thousands of quarts of vegetables every year. Going to the grocery store meant for disposable items like toilet paper, napkins, and dish soap. I've seen her churn butter and make cheese.

And I've seen her sit quietly by the side of the bed of someone dying. Holding their hand, or wiping their brow. Praying when they asked, aloud. And silently the whole while. I've seen her start a bus ministry from scratch, needing a 64 passenger bus in the end to transport the children and adults to church. I've seen her teach children's Bible scouts. Bible quizzing. Sunday school. And Bible school.

I've seen her spend years caring for the elderly in the community. Solving minor crises within the community. And offering transportation or counseling to those in need. More than once I've seen a troubled couple show up on the doorstep and ask for Mom and Dad's help when their marriage had hit hard times. Why? Were my parents any different than so many others? My parents had endured through a military marriage. They had to put Country ahead of Family. And they both knew that. The only difference was that they put God before either. And that made all the difference in the world. I've seen those same couples who came seeking help still together after many years.

My Mother left a legacy behind that few today can lay claim too. As she lay dying, all of her four children, were at the bedside around the clock. Her last few breaths were taken with the four of us and my Dad praying, our hands holding each others, over Mom. It was a somber time. And yet, we looked forward to Mommy's graduation day in Heaven! We knew when her last breath here was over, she'd be taking her first in Heaven, with purest of air! And we rejoiced that she would be the first to see our Savior!

Mommy entered the military in 1957. She married a handsome sailor in 1958. And she was discharged in early 1959, expecting her first child. Me.

My Mommy was my hero! She was not only my Mommy, I had the distinct honor, and privilege of calling her my teacher, my counselor, and my best friend.

On July 30, 2015 she stepped away from the mortal realm, and began her eternal walk with Jesus. I can only imagine that little has changed about her. She wasn't perfect by any means. But she was about as close to it as anyone I've ever known, and I am proud to be her daughter.

Lois Velleda Dreher Beane

1938-2015

Advent Calendar - December 13 - Holiday Travel

Did you or your ancestors travel anywhere for Christmas? How did you travel and who traveled with you? Do you remember any special trips?

Holiday Travel

While nearly all of our Christmas’ were spent at home, there were at least two that were spent at grandparent’s homes.

When I was about 3 or 4, I can just recall a Christmas we spent at my Grandma Bean’s home, in West Virginia. I don’t remember the big day itself, but I do remember the night before! Grandma’s downstairs consisted of 3 rooms. A parlor, that had a big old iron bedstead in one corner [this is where Grandma slept when company came], a dining room [connected to the parlor with a central hallway that also contained the stairs to the second floor] here there was also an iron bedstead – this was where Grandma usually slept, and next to the dining room was a kitchen – complete with a large iron wood-burning cook stove.

On the evening in question, my sister and I were sitting on the bed in the dining room, Mama, Daddy and Grandma were seated at the table. This was no ordinary table. It was a long painted four board wooden table. A homemade one. Grandma kept it covered with a printed piece of oilcloth. [Years later, I took that table, painted it, and my own family with five children would gather about it for our meals; how I loved that old table and the memories it evoked! But I digress!]

Suddenly, the door from the dining room to the porch swung open, and in stepped a big burly man wearing a red coat, and a huge set of chin whiskers! The whiskers were almost black, and whiskers were something we had seen seldom of! [We were growing up in a military town! No chin whiskers allowed on service personnel!]

But here was this man who was crying out “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!!!”

When my sister and I shrank back on the bed, he came over to us and said, “Don’t you recognize Santa when you see him?”

I remember getting up on my knees and staring quite intently at the man. I knew it wasn’t Santa, and it only took me a few moments to figure out who he really was! And so I laughed and giggled quite merrily!

But for my sister, those whiskers were scaring the daylights out of her! I recall her beginning to scream, and she continued screaming! And screamed. And screamed. And screamed some more!

Finally, my dear uncle went about shaving the whiskers off, just to show my baby sister who he really was! As soon as she saw him, sans whiskers, she laughed and insisted she knew it had been him the whole time! [You must remember, she was only about 2 years old at the time!]

It’s a funny recollection to bring to mind when we are all gathered together on Christmas Day!

The only other travel I recall on Christmas, was one year when I was about 10 going to my Grandma and Grandpa Dreher’s home in Corydon, Indiana.

Dreher Cousins – Christmas 1969

I can remember every gift I received that Christmas! My sister and I received matching pink pantsuits, and I got a Kodak Instamatic camera [my second camera – my first was a second hand Brownie with the top viewfinder!] I got a Gumby and Poky clay figure set, and a book, “Lassie Come Home”. I was in seventh heaven!

Later that day our cousins [Mama’s brother’s children] were there and I had Mama take a picture of all of us, using my new camera. That’s the picture above. [I’m the sullen looking tall one in the back. Everyone said I used to pout, hmmmm, I just recall it being the way I looked! I have several pictures of me appearing in the same manner!] In the front from left to right is my cousin Patsy, cousin Suzy, my sister Eydie, cousin Terry and cousin Gary. [I haven’t seen those cousins in more than 30 years!]

I can remember with every trip we made, which was always to visit relatives, Daddy liked to drive late at night, or very early hours, in order to avoid traffic. There were many times we arose at 2 a.m. to begin a trip to Indiana or West Virginia!

I used to love going to Indiana. Well, not necessarily the trip, but after we got there. You see, back then, Daddy was a heavy smoker. He was not a courteous smoker, either! The closed windows of our car, the thick cigarette smoke used to choke me and make me feel I could never get enough air into my lungs. [In 1997 I was diagnosed with lung cancer – thankfully in remission – having never smoked in my life! My doctors believe it was induced from second hand smoke, first with my Daddy, and later with my first husband.]

My Daddy was an excellent driver when he was a young man. However, his sense of direction and ability to drive and navigate left a little something to be desired! As soon as we came to the Interstate-64 junction with Insterstate-65 in Louisville, Kentucky, Daddy would rely on Mama to get him across the many lanes of traffic and headed across the river into Indiana. There were several times when Daddy would wake Mama out of a dead sleep [back then the drive was about 14 hours to that point] and tell her, “I’m lost…figure out where we are and tell me how to get back to where I need to be!” It wasn’t a pleasant time to be in our car, for sure!!!

As far as I can recall, these were the only two times we traveled on the Christmas holiday. I was always much happier to be tucked safe and secure in our own little world right in our own home! And I still am! Although the dh and I do venture forth to go to my sister’s house on Christmas Day, which is only about 30 minutes from our own home. Our parents live with my sister now, and so we gather there to be a complete family once more. I have two younger brothers, [they became a part of our family after I was married and had left home, so my early memories do not have them in them – however, they are certainly part of them now!], and one of them will be joining us for this Christmas, the other will be in Texas with his own children this year.

I enjoy hearth and home for the holidays, any of the holidays! But especially for Christmas!