36TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

It sure does not feel like 36 years have gone by since our wedding. But my drooping body, etc reminds me of it daily. Our anniversary was August 28th. We invited a few family members to come over for a b-b-q. I managed to eat part of a sausage--umm good.

I have to tell you the story of how Rudy and I got married. It was August 1970 and Rudy was still living at home. I had taught school at Medicine Hat High School for one year and was going to return to teaching there. We had discussed getting married many times but I knew it would be hard for him to go through a long ceremony. It was on a Tuesday that I said to Rudy we should get married before I went back to school. The reason was the students. I did not want to have my name changed part way through the school year. I wanted to have my married name before school started. After much discussion we decided to get married on Thursday at the City Hall with a Justice of the Peace. It took two days to get the license and arrive at a time for the JP to perform the ceremony. I did not have time to buy a new dress so I wore an orange two piece dress I already had. It was very short. Now how many of you got married in an orange dress?

On Thursday when we got to the City Hall we were told we needed two people to stand up with us. We phoned a couple we knew, Jake and Hilma, and asked them if they would stand up with us when we got married. We told them they had to come to the City Hall right away. Now Jake and Hilma are farmers and live about 15 kilometres from town so it took them awhile to get there. Meanwhile we were both nervous wrecks waiting for them.

When they finally arrived they had their farm work clothes on. They thought we had asked them to come to town to help us apply for a wedding license. They were some surprised to find out we were getting married in just a few minutes. So there I was in my orange dress, Jake and Hilma in their work clothes and Rudy looking very nervous. We did get married

When the ceremony was done, and we left the City Hall, Jake said that we needed to celebrate and he would go get some wine and go to my place and have a drink. Rudy informed everyone that he could not do that as he had to get back to work. I didn't know he hadn't asked for time off to get married. What could I do--I kissed him goodbye and went home. Jake and Hilma arrived shortly and we had a nice drink of wine.

Rudy arrived about 15 minutes later and said he did not have to go back to work. Now Rudy was taking his barber training at this time and had come over to the City Hall to marry me on his coffee break. When he got back to work, his boss asked him why his coffee break was so long. Rudy said that he had just got married. Obviously his boss believed him because he said "well, what are you doing here. I don't want to see you until Monday."

We went out for a very nice supper, drove to Fort McLeod, ate at the A & W, slept in a motel by the train track and drove to Waterton the next day. We sent a telegram to my parents: all it said was "Three down--two to go". I know it took Mom and Dad awhile to figure that out.

It has been a very good 36 years.