An Anniversary

My computer has been down and I am only now getting back up to speed

This is a picture of Mom and Dad on their wedding day, November 27th, 1943. They look so young and yet they were 26 and 27.

I decided to go ahead and post this because it’s not every year that Thanksgiving falls on my parent’s wedding anniversary. Were Dad alive, it would have been their 65th.

Their’s was a rather whirl-wind romance. They got married in Puerto Rico after only six months. My father’s mother (we called her Nana) confessed to my mother years later, that she had concerns her son was going to bring home an exotic dark-skinned woman. Despite whatever fears and/or prejudices Nana may have had, she wrote this letter to my mother, which Mom faithfully preserved in her Wedding Album. It is dated, November 12, 1943. Nana was writing from California.

My dear Erva: -

John has written a beautiful letter about you & has told us how much he loves you & how happy you have made him. We are all so glad to have you one of our family & wish you all the peace and happiness any girl could dream of. When John went away from P. R. he mentioned having met a girl he hoped to see again and now – that’s wonderful for him.

He has never been much of a gallant so you must have been able to see through his shyness & reserve. I am more glad than I can tell that you care for him – His brothers always had girls, coming and going, but he never did, & I always knew that when he really fell in love it would be forever.

No matter what misfortunes befall there is truly only one in life anyway.

You can depend on one thing & that is that you will not find me an interfering mother-in-law – In Puerto Rico or California –

We all wish so much that we could be present at your wedding and we really will be – in spirit any way.

Will you write me your true wishes regarding a wedding present as I asked John & he no doubt told you.

I am sure you are very busy with plans and preparations etc - & I am finding it hard to think of anything except you & John – He has always been a bit absent minded at times so if he forgets something just prod him a bit –

With lots of love,
Vivian Braendlin

Here they are about a year later at the Rose Room of the "World Famous Palace Hotel" in San Francisco (which is still in operation.) Doesn’t Dad look spiffy in his sailor suit? And Mom, fresh from Puerto Rico, and no doubt still speaking English with a strong Spanish accent, not only looks confident, but beautiful.

Sigh.