Sunday, August 1, 2010

Where Were You Fifty Years Ago?

Not long ago we asked where you were five years ago. Now take it back a little further, to fifty years.

August 1, 1960. 10:00am. I was somewhere, a single man, but getting all dressed up for a date. My desk calendar said simply, "Meet Suzy at St. John's."
From Our Wedding Pictures
Suzy was staying at my parents' house, finishing up makeup, and getting into a fancy white dress.
From Our Wedding Pictures

At 11:00am, I was standing up by the altar at St. John's, staring down the center aisle, the lovely Suzy was in the church's vestibule.

At 11:45am, I was a married man with a wife to support.
From Our Wedding Pictures

Not long thereafter, we were in my parent's backyard, celebrating with a small number of family and friends, doing all the typical things such as trying to dance on a rough brick patio,
From Our Wedding Pictures
posing for photographs,
From Our Wedding Pictures
cutting cake
From Our Wedding Pictures
From Our Wedding Pictures
and GENTLY offering each other a bit of the cake,
From Our Wedding Pictures
From Our Wedding Pictures
drinking champagne. Suzy was grinning like a cheshire cat, and I won't tell you what my grin was like.

Late afternoon we had changed clothes, piled into our 1953 Chevy BelAir (note: now it was OUR, not MY, car!), headed out for a wedding night and a two week honeymoon.
From Our Wedding Pictures

Oh, I gotta tell you why we had only a small number of family and friends at the wedding and the reception.
From Our Wedding Pictures
At the time, I was working as a grocery clerk for Safeway. When I asked the Store Manager (Gil Souza; I'll NEVER forget that name) for Saturday off for my wedding, he refused. I had to get married on Monday!

Off we went to San Francisco, checked into the Sir Francis Drake Hotel (pretty posh place!), then out to a nice dinner at The Shadows, a fine German restaurant with a view of San Francisco Bay.

When we returned to the hotel and went up to our room, the day area seemed small, with a couch, and end table and a couple of chairs. I checked the door opposite the entry: locked. That was the door to the adjoining suite. Something seemed to be missing. Then we realized that the small couch actually pulled out from under the end table to become what passed for a bed.

Before proceeding further, we ordered a room service breakfast for the next morning, as we had travel plans.

Soon it was the all important moment, time to climb into bed for our first night as a married couple. The couch bed turned out to be about two feet short, so that my legs and my feet hung out over the end! Even Suzy was too tall for that bed.

The next morning at 3:00am, we were up and out of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and well on our way up the California Coast toward Oregon.

And that's how we spent the day -- and the night -- fifty years ago today! Even then we were living ... Our Life on Wheels! [If you are interested in seeing more of these pictures, you can go to our WebAlbum titled Our Wedding Pictures.]  In a few days, as soon as we can recover from a hectic weekend, we'll tell you about our anniversary celebration!

15 comments:

  1. Congratulation on fifty years of marriage thats quite a feet these days.

    Hope you have many more good years together.

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  2. Gosh Jerry, you must be gettin old too! Aren't memories wonderful, what would we do without them? You were a great looking couple back then just like you are NOW!!!!
    Nice Blog!

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  3. Terrific post!! I felt like I was there with you guys as you said your "I dos."
    CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY!!!!
    I hope you enjoyed your special day with a wonderful celebration.

    Mike & Gerri (happytrails)

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  4. Well this proves my theory..it is not how large the wedding is that makes a marriage!!
    We also had less than 40..we were suppose to be eloping..my hubbie decided that morning to tell his family..who told others..I didn't get to tell mine..and they lived 6 hrs away..
    Small wedding..turns into a lifetime with each other!!

    Happy Anniversary!! Love the pictures..Ya'll are such a cute couple!!!

    Cindy and Walker

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  5. A lot of great memories in those photos. Suzy looked much too young and pretty to be getting married to a guy like you Jerry, no offense, I'm just sayin....!

    Hard to figure out how a guy could deny you a day off for your wedding day? What a jerk!!

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  6. Awww...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and many, many more! (50 years ago, I had finished kindergarten and was looking forward to 1st grade at St. Eugene's)
    - Mary Ann :-)

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  7. Fifty years is one AMAZING run!!!! You both look like babies in those vintage wedding photos!! Congratulations to you both...cause marraige is not always easy, but is well worth the effort.....I couldn't imagine being with anyone by Dennis these 41 years!!! Have a glass of champagne for us!!!

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  8. Happy Golden Anniversary, Jerry and Suzy. May you be blessed with many more wonderful years together!

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  9. Happy 50th Jerry and Suzy!!! What a find looking couple then and now. May you share 50 more. Sandy and I are a liitle behind you working on 37. Best wishes to you two.

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  10. What a wonderful remembrance of your wedding and 50 years together! Thanks for sharing with us. Wish we could be there with you, and hope the celebration is a memorable party. You two are quite a pair!
    Sharon & Don

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  11. Awesome post and the supporting pics really told the story. Congratulations and may you both enjoy many more years together.

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  12. Congratulations Absolutely lovely post and pictures. We also had a small wedding - 49 yrs this Oct - but the pictures were lost in a basement flood. Thanks for sharing
    Barb & Bob

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  13. Nice pics & narrative for sure. Always boggles my mind whenever I read about people being together for those huge lengths of time. But, unlike so many people today, you guys stuck to your vows & promises & it made it all work for you. And, since you asked where I was 50 years ago I'll tell ya.....Still in high school, still loading my hair up with Brylcream every morning & still covering up all the pimples on my face with tubes of acne paste.........

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  14. Happy 50th anniversary to one of the happiest couples I've ever known. You were indeed blessed when you found each other!

    I'll drink to 50 more!!!

    hugs,
    Joy and PHil

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  15. Happy 50th Anniversary. Sure hope you have a wonderful weekend celebration!

    50 years ago I was 2 1/2 yrs old...don't have any memories of that time.

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