Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
By the 1900s, marriage venues often took place in the home of the bride’s parents or at the parsonage. (Sheldon and Judy Waggy were married at the Sinnett’s Lane parsonage with Rev. Siki Kulman officiating. The first church wedding was at Calvary Lutheran Church with Rev. Henry Schulz officiating for Paul and Carrie Schulz’s marriage.)
Next to the wedding dress, the biggest part of a wedding was the ceremony itself, taking place around noon. Usually, it was a short affair with scripture being read by the minister in most cases, the couple joining hands and reciting vows, followed with a wedding reception and dancing afterwards.
Marriage was a significant event in any young woman’s life. This would mark her transition to adulthood and her role as a wife. There were strong social pressures urging men and women to marry. The average age to marry for males was 27.6 and for females was 23.6. Eighteen of the 45 states required marriage licenses.
For many couples, marriage was a working partnership, and families were the basis of many businesses. Social stability and moral behavior allowed secure transfer of property within the family which was the way marriage was seen. It was seen as a strong religious meaning…a joining of two people by God.
The focus of weddings during this era was more on the ceremony and the exchange of vows with less emphasis on elaborate receptions and pre-nuptial parties. The bridal flowers that were popular at this time were orange blossoms, white roses, lilies of the valley and white orchids. The groom would pay for these bridal flowers and this wedding tradition is still going on today. The procession of the wedding stayed with the old tradition of the flower girls leading the way, followed by the father of the bride and the bride herself. Most of the formal weddings of the time would have the bridesmaids and the groomsmen walk separately in the procession, pairing up and following the bride and groom in the recessional.
The writer and husband, along with the Jennifer and Tim Hoover family and the Brandon and Cara Mitchell family, motored to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they met family and friends from Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and California to attend the wedding ceremony/reception weekend for daughter, Janelle Mitchell, and husband, Jace Sroka. Adding to the gorgeous weather were the beautiful spring array of flowers and blossoming trees to make a picture-perfect setting for the occasion.
Early Sunday morning found Jace and Janelle entertained by a proper West Virginia “belling.”
Life’s instructions include the following:
- Share a person’s thoughts, feelings, and needs openly and honestly with one’s spouse.
- Be gentle with the earth, be gentle with one another.
- Don’t leave trash in someone else’s car.
- Always signal when changing lanes.
- Don’t hog the armrest on planes.
The lovely weekend was followed by gentle rains falling. Tulips and daffodils tossed their heads in the winds; however, following the gentle rains, the forecast of temperatures dipping into 20s and 30s may make changes to that lovely spring scene. The weather is definitely fickle.
This week’s quotes are as follows:
“Spring, March bans it, April christens it, and May puts on its jacket and trousers.” — Henry David Thoreau
“Humanity is a parade of fools, and I am at the front of it, twirling a baton.” — Dean Koontz
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” — William Shakespeare
“I must have flowers, always, always.” — Claude Monet
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” — Unknown
Sitting by the fireplace is where one can learn of the “Talk of Sugar Grove.”
Evelyn Varner and Wanda Pitsenbarger attended the Douglas Smith family reunion Saturday at Traditions in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Jerry and Julie Smith also attended, and they were all happy to see Carolyn and Eddie Smith of Staunton, Virginia, among other family members.
Christ Central Church was where music lovers came Sunday evening to hear the Valley Four perform. Attending from this area were Evelyn Varner, Rose Brackman, Geneva Mongold and Roger and Reda Shrewsberry.
Good to hear that George Hevener had successful hip surgery in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- A person can buy a square watermelon in Japan.
- Before alarm clocks, people would pay someone to knock on their window and wake them up.
- Otters have a pocket in their skin to keep their favorite rock in. Some keep the same rock their entire lives.
- There is only one letter that doesn’t appear in any United States state name, “Q.”
- Arithmophobia is the fear of numbers.
Concerns for this week are for the following: Charles Anderson, John Ashley, Roger Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, Dave Basagic, Allen Beachler, Liz and Mick Bodkin, “Bo” Boggs, the Patty Chapman family, Marie Cole, Stanley Dahmer, the Thomas DeByl family, Phil Downs, Jennifer Errett, Isaac Eye, Marie Eye, Mary Eye, Carl Gant, David Gillespie, Patsy Green, JC Hammer, Steve and Armanda Heavner, the Donald Hedrick family, Hannah Hedrick, Jack and Starr Hedrick, George Hevener, Jim Hiner, Evan Hise, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Keith Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie Horst, the Arlin Dale Jamison family, Linda Jones, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Tom and Kim Kline, Tracie Knight, Laura Kropp, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Rex Landis, Donna Mallow, Roger and Skip Mallow, Audree Marsh, Ed May, Gene and Joan McConnell, Gary McDonald, Neil McLaughlin, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Tom Mitchell, Barbara Moats, Gloria Moats, Jim Moats, Helen Nash, Rick Neil, Aaron Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryl Paine, Terri Parker, Wilma Pitsenbarger Rexrode, Andy Pond, Janice Propst, Alda Propst, Janis Propst, Marilyn Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, Tom Rader, Willard Rader, Brandon Reel, the Cheryl Reichard family, Jason Rexrode, Jimmy Rexrode, Linda Fay Rexrode, Dennis Riggleman, Jenny Ruddle, Mary Sawyers, Brittany Shriver, Annie Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Greg Simmons, Judy Simmons, Nelson Simmons, Tonya Simon, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Ed and Carolyn Smith, Natalie Stephenson, Tina Stuben, Steve Stump, Linda and Larry Vandevander, Sandra Vandevander, Amy Vaus, Estelle Wagner, Mary Louise Waldschlager, Rene White, Sherry Wilfong, Judy Williams, Ann and Ed Wimer, Christians persecuted around the world, people of war ravaged countries and families affected by natural disasters.
