Grandparents

My maternal grandparents were married 62 years ago today. I remember when I was younger how one of my aunts or uncles (they had 8 kids together) would inevitably make a joke about how they were probably married by a prankster posting as a JP and were really living in sin. My grandmother used to get so upset even though she knew they were joking. It would have been an interesting story though.
Here they are around the time they were married:



Aren't they adorable? My grandfather was in the Army and stationed at Carlisle Barracks in PA. My grandmother was from the area and attended a USO dance. They met there, married in 1947 and the rest is history. My grandmother passed away in Sept of 95 and my grandfather followed in March of 96.

As a side note, my grandmother was actually married before my grandfather and divorced him. In the 1940's this was scandalous. Her first husband was a drinker who apparently beat her and she, being a smart woman, left him. They had 2 children together, so my mom's oldest brother and sister (making a total of 10 children) are her half siblings.

As yet another side note, my grandmother's parents were also divorced. In 1929. This was unheard of! He (my great-grandfather) didn't want the children and she (my great-grandmother) was seen as a fallen woman (being divorced and all) so she was not allowed to keep the children. Instead the children were split up and went to various relatives. Does that make sense? No, no it does not. My great-grandmother was pregnant at the time of the divorce, though no one knew, save her brother, whom she swore to secrecy. She gave birth and put the baby up for adoption. When my grandmother was 65, her uncle (the brother) was on his deathbed and told the family. Everyone was shocked. Shocked! A private investigator was hired and her younger brother was found (aged 62) living very close to where my grandmother and her other siblings grew up. Can you believe it?