Brian: I had breakfast with Edward (groomsman & long time friend) and Sue Wollenberg at the Holiday Inn. The buffet was fantastic and included custom made items! After completing this fine meal and partaking in good conversation it was off to see Jean Linn (an uncle and the brother of Eldon & Margie) to arrange for wedding day transportation, specifically, his Cadillac Sedan DeVille. He was the only person who knew where we would spend our wedding night and I was the only person who knew that his car would provide transport of us as newlyweds. Chuck Hennick (husband of my cousin Heather, Jean’s daughter) had called offering to help out with any last minute wedding details. I thanked Chuck and stated that everything appeared under control, but would keep the offer in mind. Since all of the logistical details were in place, I was free to head off to the airport with my father to pick up another groomsman, Robert Stewart (dear college friend and former colleague).

The bleak mid-western weather was to now begin making its mark by stalling air traffic out of St. Louis and trapping Orlando based Bob, who by then was probably truly desiring that he’d never removed himself from sunny Florida. It turned out that Bob had been rescheduled on a later flight that was due to arrive Des Moines precisely in the middle of the wedding rehearsal. So much for having the details under control! I promptly telephoned Chuck and cashed in on the earlier offer! By the time we worked out the details for Bob, the last groomsman arriving by air had arrived at the Des Moines airport, Jack Spitler. Jack has been friends with me for many years and once took in both Bob and I as colleagues.

Naturally, no wedding would be complete without tuxedoes so it was off to the formal wear shop. Things really came together when we reached the shop (it was truly open this time) when Joy’s father, Gary, and brother, Jerald, arrived. What a fit(ting) the guys all had, wriggling into the duster style tux with all its tux type hardware. With this task done, all was ready for the wedding. A quick stop at the church to inspect the decorating and off to change for the rehearsal and dinner. But wait, I nearly forgot to stop by the caterer’s to pay for the rehearsal dinner, something Jack and I took care of before heading home to change.

Joyce: While the aforementioned describes Brian’s day, my day was also interesting. I decided to remain in slumber in until nearly 7:00 a.m. whereupon I arose and went to the store to finish shopping for the reception food. I spent about three hours beginning at 9:30 a.m. fixing food in Janice’s kitchen (Janice said it would be available, as usual, because she had yet to find a use for it during her 25 or so years of marriage) with some help from Margie and Arlene. My parents then telephoned and decided to join me for lunch; while awaiting their arrival, I dropped in at the church to find the arrangements in total chaos. Par for the day, but this would be no problem for a lady with plenty of spare time on my hands! So what’s a girl to do? Well, have lunch with her parents of course. Because no merchant had yet been willing to dye my shoes, Jerald (my dear brother) took charge of the task and managed it by spraying on the dye while trying to dodge the rainstorm. Never being one desiring to melt in the rain, I finished up the flowers for the rehearsal dinner. It could no longer be avoided; the time was nigh to return to the scene of chaos. Only one and one-half hours were required to undo the chaos and complete the jobs that the wedding (un)coordinator said she would perform. Massive decorating was the order of the moment: additional help arriving as the afternoon progressed.

Brian: The hour would quickly arrive for Joyce to transform herself from reception creator to bride. Within 15 minutes she metamorphosed into a beautiful bride ready for a wedding rehearsal, well it might have happened even more quickly if her parents had brought her dress to the church. Naturally, Jerald scurried back to the hotel and retrieved the garment in question. Once again, big brother saves the day … or was he just ensuring that his sister would no longer be his! The rehearsal went well and all, expect Chuck and Bob, had fun. Chuck was busily attending his task of picking up the weather delayed Bob (the man who displayed that lost, why-is-no-one-here-to-meet-me look upon his face) and both arrived just in time for dinner: they couldn’t have planned it better! Dinner was good and filled with felicity.

	From left to right: Chloris Stoll (aunt by her marriage to Brian’s maternal Uncle, Roy), Lovernia Lansing (maternal grandaunt to Brian), Opal Stoll (maternal grandmother to Brian), Eldon Linn, and Letha Linn (paternal grandmother to Brian).
From left to right: Jerald Cobb (brother of Joyce), Ruby Cobb (mother of Joyce), and Gary Cobb (father of Joyce). Standing is Sue Wollenberg, wife of groomsman Edward Wollenberg.

We then took a few minutes to express our appreciation and honor some special folks. At one point in the evening, it seemed as though it became warm quite quickly when a torch, masquerading as a birthday cake, was presented to Margie Dawson in honor of her birthday, the 25th of October. It was special to be married on her birthday and interesting because Brian’s parents married on the 28th of January, the birthday of Eldon’s mother, Letha Linn. Incidentally, the 73-candle torch set off the smoke detector. An omen perhaps?

Joyce: I was to remain awake late this night far beyond what my body desired, not for a bachelorette party, but to work the final wedding details: my shoes and flowers. Jerald headed for a good night’s sleep and I finished up the shoes and the flowers before heading for slumber at 1:00 in the morning. My husband-to-be decided that going to bed early was appropriate because, after all, he had nothing else to do.