Wistful Wednesday: Weddings at home

In the olden days many people were married in their homes. 

Some were married at Christmas or New Years.  Relatives would come the house was cleaned before Christmas and baking was done….so why not have a wedding or two?

I found this old polaroid and thought…it was taken this time of year.

Grandpa Jim, Grandma Tracie, Great Aunt Emma and Great Uncle Rubert.  The two women are sisters born 22 months apart, Tracie in June of 1895 and Emma in April of 1897. This photo was taken at Far Guys home.  I will guess that Far Guys Dad got out his Polaroid Camera and took this photo near their anniversary time.  I wish I knew exactly what year it was. It was taken earlier than November 1968.

So when Tracie was 18 1/2 years old she married Jim on Christmas Day 1913 in rural Logan Iowa on her parents farm. Jim would have been 24 years old.

Rubert, Grover, Jim, Tracie, Emma and Esta

Then the next week Rubert married Emma on New Years Day 1914. Emma would have been 16 years and nine months old. Rubert was 21 years old.

Grover, Rubert, Emma and Stella

Later in 1914 they would all move to Minnesota, I am certain that these marriages took place so that the group of them could leave Iowa and find cheaper land to farm in Minnesota.

I would bet that Grandma made both of the wedding dresses she was quite an accomplished seamstress.  The Bridal Bonnet that Emma is wearing always makes me smile…Emma was a bit of a character all her life.

Jim and Tracie celebrated their 54th Wedding Anniversary before Grandpa died in 1968.

Rubert and Emma celebrated their 67th Wedding Anniversary before Rubert died in 1981.

Wistful Wednesday : Two Sisters Get Married

On December 25, 1913 Far Guys Grandparents were married in Iowa. They were headed for Minnesota. The brides entire family was going. Her parents and her siblings. Land prices in Iowa were very high. The gumbo soil was hard to farm anyway. The price of farm land was much lower in Minnesota. They sold what they could, and then loaded what animals, equipment and household possessions were left on a boxcar for the trip North. The women and children rode in the passenger section of the train.

They arrived in Park Rapids, Minnesota in the winter of 1914. Far Guy's Grandpa H. was disappointed when he looked at the farm land that he had purchased. It was nothing but Jack Pines and sand. He rented a different farm for two years until finally trading off his parcel of Jack Pines for some land he could actually farm. Of course he had to pay extra to make the trade. They bought good land this time, and spent the rest of their lives on the farm. It is still in the family and still known as "The Farm" Far Guys Uncle owns it and it is just four miles down the road from us..or two miles as the crow flies. What this young couple liked most about Minnesota was the trees.


On January, 01 1914 Far Guys Great Uncle and Great Aunt were married. When they got to Minnesota, Great Aunt Emma said " There were no roads, only trails winding through the woods and the wolves howled every night."
I love Great Aunt Emmas head piece. She was always a colorful woman..she probably designed it herself.

Far Guy and I had always wondered why the move from Iowa to Minnesota, two relatives were kind enough to answer our questions. So that we could put more of the puzzle pieces together. It must have been some adventure:)