Chapter 23 of Tales That I Can Remember by Elsie Swagerty Burton
Now that I had a job as well as Harry, we figured we could swing getting married. Our combined wages came to nearly $30 a week. After three years of going together and three years of engagement, we could finally start our married life. We figured we could mange it by March 1937. I had always had a fantasy about June brides, for some reason June always seemed the most appropriate time for a wedding. After waiting all of that time, I decided I could endure just three months more of waiting to realize a dream. The date decided upon was the first Sunday in June – June 6, 1937.
What a commotion was set-off by setting the date. My, all the showers! There was one at Betty Rae Stone’s. All the youth groups of our church were invited. That was a very large group. Mother’s circle, a group of ladies at the church, gave one and a Friendship Club of hers had one for me. Ella Burton, the wife of Harry’s oldest brother, gave a shower and invited all of the Burton relatives, some relatives and friends of mine as well. Ada gave me one; she was going to nursing school at the time and had her fellow students as guests. My, all the lovely things! And then the wedding presents started coming. There were so many gifts we had so few things to purchase to set up housekeeping. That was a blessing because we would have had to have gone without because there was so little besides the absolute necessities.
Speaking of necessities I figured a washing machine was one of those. That was before the days of laundromats. It was either sending the wash out to a laundry or do-it-yourself, scrub-a-dub-dub. I knew we never could afford laundry fees so before we were married, we contracted to buy a washing machine at Montgomery Wards for $60 at $5 a month. It was delivered and installed before we were married.
My cousin, Iona, was to be my Matron of Honor. I had been her Maid of Honor, but she was having troubles with a pregnancy just then. So I asked Ada to be my Maid of Honor. Betty Rae Stone, Roberta Ewing, Helen Bronson and Laura ( a girl I had known while going to State and now was an office nurse who worked in the same building as I did) were my bridesmaids. Harold, Harry’s brother was Best Man. Clem and Floyd, my brothers, Don Burke and John Roster, Harry’s fellow workers, were ushers. Darrell was the candle lighter and Elaine, the baby born on my 15th birthday, was the flower girl. For the longest time afterwards that little tyke declared she had married Uncle Harry. Her mother was never able to convince her otherwise. Iona was able to be at my wedding after all and was my official dresser. It was very welcome and appreciated help.
Mother’s younger sisters, Aunt Lucy and Aunt Ethel consented to sing at my wedding. It is a very fond memory I have of me all dressed and ready for the ceremony waiting up on the balcony, just outside the Bride’s Room, listening to my Aunts sing in duet the songs I had chosen (“Oh, Promise Me”was one of them. I don’t remember the other.)
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