52 Ancestors: Going to the Chapel

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For Oregonians wanting to run off and get married, Washington is a short jaunt across the river, where you can get married with no waiting period. Three generations of my family went to Vancouver and were wed.

The first instance I remember clearly, the marriage of my paternal aunt Susan. We had a family gathering at our house, and my aunt wanted to show a video, which turns out was  of her wedding.

 

I had never seen my grandma so mad. I was six at the time, and didn’t really know what the big deal was, but now I know that because of that wedding my aunt lost the ability to claim her dad’s social security benefits.

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They remained married for 26 years, until Roger’s death in 2014.

The second marriage was of my paternal grandma and her first husband.

Veva with first husband, Edmond _Chad_ Comstock
I assumed my grandma destroyed all photos of her with her first husband, but after she died my aunt found this hidden behind another picture in a frame.

My grandma was only 17 at the time, and her new husband Chad had just turned 23. She would later tell me she was too young, but would also only refer to him as “the bastard,” even when I was a kid. I am not sure about their marriage, but their divorce had a lot of hostility.

They had one son, David, born on their third wedding anniversary. Chad and Veva divorced in 1946, and she married my grandpa Gerald Eby the following year. Chad remarried in 1948.

Veva Crowe and Chad Comstock marriage

The final marriage is that of my great-grandparents.

Myrtle Sanford and Chester Crowe

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Obviously as a genealogist I love their marriage certificate the most, because it lists addresses, parents names, and even occupation. Their witnesses were Myrtle’s sister Eva Sanford Lebengood and her husband, Carl.

They're Goldenweds

Chester and Myrtle remained married for 54 years, until Chester’s death in 1972.

If you are interested, you can find the rest of my 52 Ancestors posts my clicking the tag at the top of the post.

And you can follow along on Instagram as well: @familyhistoryfood.

Until next time,

Meredith

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