ANNA TELLS OF FAMILY WEDDINGS

Amish do not wear wedding rings or any jewelry for that matter, but Marilyn thought the above picture would be nice in honor of our anniversary.  Elmer was right, we were surprised about the party for our 30th wedding anniversary.  What he left out was we got talking about family weddings.

What started us off was John saying that he hopes, over the years, he and Sarah look at their wedding anniversary as a happy day and not sad because of her Father's illness and passing.  Eli said it was God's will, which they understood.  One thing led to another and Elmer's Mother started by telling of the disaster at our wedding.

Elmer's Mother was so happy that Elmer was getting married.  Because of his being a small person, she said, she worried so that he would never marry.  So when the day came when Elmer and I were getting married she was so happy.  Shortly before our wedding started, she was coming from the cooking wagon in the yard into the house, carrying a dish, and she tripped coming up the stairs.  Down she went.  The dish went flying and crashed on the porch.  Elmer's Father carried her inside.  She had cuts on her hand and her leg was swelling like a basket ball.  We were going to run to the shanty phone and call the ambulance when she yelled for us to stop.  Not until after Elmer gets married she said.  I've waited all these years for this day and I am not leaving until he is married - and she didn't.

After we were married, she let them call the ambulance.  She had stitches in her hand and she tore the ligaments in her leg, was laid up for weeks, but she saw Elmer and I married.  Today she laughed, but it wasn't funny back then.

Our daughter Alma told of her wedding day.  The day before her wedding, she tried on her dress to show a couple of her girlfriends and to make sure it was all set.  Somehow in taking it off, she tore it, but didn't realize it until she put it on her wedding day.  She came running down the stairs and showed me.  Now I can sew, but to fix a situation like that so it wouldn't show, I didn't know what to do.  Elmer's Mother arrived first and saw the dress.  She made Alma take it off and took the dress into my sewing area.  She told me to send my Mother in when she came, which I did.  I am trying to supervise the cooking in the kitchen, Alma is crying and the two Mother's are in the other room.  Finally my Mother came out and told Alma to stop crying, it would be just fine.  That didn't help.  About 15 minutes before the wedding the Mother's called Alma in to where they were sewing.  Finally Alma stopped crying.  When Alma came out, the dress was perfect.  My Mother said they almost had to remake the whole dress so that tear wouldn't show.  We laughed now.

Son Nathan took over then telling of his wedding.  He is allergic to cats.  Dogs don't bother him, but for some reason cats do.  We never had any cats or kittens on our farm while he was growing up because of his allergy.  He did take allergy pills for this, but to be safe, we had no cats.  So when he married at his wife's parents, they cleaned the house from top to bottom to make sure none of their barn cats got into the house.  I always made sure Nathan took his pills.  Well on the wedding day, we had a lot of other things on our mind.  The wedding started and Nathan started - sneezing.  At first it was just a sneeze now and then.  Then it got worse and worse and worse.  There had to be a cat near him.  Being seated in house during a service, it is hard to look around for cats, but we tried.  No cat.  Finally after they were married and service ended, Nathan said there was a cat in this house.  I sent one of our son's home to get Nathan's allergy pills while we searched the house.  Finally, we found it.  I guess with all the doors opening and closing it had gotten in the house.  When our other son arrived, Nathan took his pill, but it took about an hour before it took hold.  Today, they have shots now that last a while, but that was before then.  He said he is so glad that he works with wood now and doesn't have a farm.  His children are allowed to have a dog, but no cats or kittens.

Eli's Mother and stepfather were also at the dinner for us.  She asked Eli if he remembered his wedding to which he said not much.  Flu season was going around then.  Eli had gone to bed just fine, but when we woke up on his wedding day, he was sick.  So sick he said he couldn't get out of bed.  His Mother told him you have to.  There are about 400 people coming to your wedding.  He better show up.  He came to the house with his Mother on one side and his Father on the other holding him up.  The Bishop saw him and took him into a private room.  Soon they heard the Bishop speaking loudly so Eli's Father went in.  The Bishop thought that Eli had been drinking.  Eli's Father assured the Bishop that Eli had not been drinking, but was sick.  They weren't sure if the Bishop believed them or not, but he couldn't smell liquor on him.  The wedding went on.  Eli swayed when he had to stand.  After the wedding Eli was seated at the table and the food came.  He ate very little and soon had to make a run to the bathroom.  You can guess what he did in there.  Somehow he made it through the whole day.  Eli and his wife were suppose to spend the night at her parents house to help straighten up the house the next day.  Eli's Mother sent them to their house saying he was his new wife's problem now.  His nor our children had ever heard that story before.  They laughed.  Eli didn't.

Our eldest son named Elmer, of course after his father, came to his wedding on crutches with a broken leg.  We had gotten a new carriage horse.  Elmer Sr. told his son to leave it alone as it was not a riding horse.  Our son thought he could ride it.  Elmer Sr. told him no.  Well Elmer Jr. did get on the horse, but it threw him and Elmer Jr. broke his leg when he hit the ground.  The hospital wanted to keep him longer, but Elmer Jr. signed himself out.  After he married, he sat in a wheel chair the rest of the day.  With all the people there, there wasn't really much room to roll him around.

Elmer Jr. said it is dangerous to marry someone of our family.  You never know what could happen before or at the wedding.  By this time John and Sarah were laughing.  I thought you might like hearing of a few of our weddings.

Elmer and I got talking and said if we are around next year, maybe we should have a party like this for John and Sarah on their anniversary.  A party of relatives and their friends.  It might give them a lighter view on their anniversary.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Anna

NEXT WEEK ANNA WILL TELL OF HER AND ELMER'S THANKSGIVING.