1946 - March 5 - Getting Married

1946 – March 5     Getting Married

March 5, 2010 - I remember what I was doing back in 1946 sixty four years ago. Harold had picked me up early so we could go get our blood test. I wanted yellow roses for my bouquet but there were no yellow roses to be found in Harlan; not even a yellow rosebud. Harold promised me that when we had our first boy he would get me a dozen yellow roses. I forgot all about that promise until Danny was born; but sure enough when Danny was born I got a dozen yellow roses.

Leonard Powers, Harold’s first cousin, and his girlfriend at the time, Betty McKeon, went with us as our witnesses. Leonard and Betty married later on. I worked at greyhound bus station; Leonard worked at Modern Bakery across the street. Betty McKeon was one of my friends; she was one of the ones that would bring her towel, shampoo and stuff to get her Saturday night bath at our house. We had a bath house under our house that Pop had built by boxing in under the house we lived in. So all us girls could use that bathhouse.

I’ve always hated the sight of a needle; and always passed out at the sight of blood. The kids knew that if they wanted to get doctored they had to go to their dad not to me. When we went for the blood test I would kill over every time that I saw the needle. Until finally Harold had me to lay down on a couch that was there. Harold held my one hand and put his other hand over my eyes until I finally got the blood test done. Yes, sitting here rocking has brought back a lot of memories.

We went to the preacher’s house and they were eating supper, so we had to wait. Harold was holding our marriage license; he had chewed on the corner of it until Leonard told him, “You’re going to eat it up before you get married, while they are eating supper. Give it to me.” The next thing you know Leonard had it in his mouth. The preacher and his family finally got through eating and we got married.

We had borrowed his cousin Clyde Hill’s car. Clyde had been out of service for a little while and was going to college. We had borrowed Clyde’s car for the whole week so we could run around for the blood test, license, and to go to the preacher to get married. While we were inside someone had let the air out of the tires. I always believed it was my little brother and his buddies, but I never really knew for sure. Willis never confessed.