Our Wedding: Marriage Booklet of Audrey Meinzen & Lee Doyle - Wedding Wednesday

I tell myself that this booklet from my parents' wedding, in some very small way, makes up for the fact that there are no wedding photos.  It doesn't, but at least I have the names and signatures of the guests at the wedding.  When I first looked at them I knew who some of them were.  Looking at them again now, I see I can place nearly all of the guests into families.  (Click on any image to enlarge it.)

The letters on the cover are embossed.  The cover and pages are creamier than in these images.  My scanner doesn't always catch the color accurately.

The booklet was printed and copyright 1916 by The Methodist Book Concern of New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago.  The inside left page below tells me that the form for the solemnization of matrimony was taken from the The Ritual of The Methodist Episcopal Church, copyright 1932.  My parents were married in 1939.

How was this booklet was used?  Did the minister hold it and read from it?  Did he give it to the couple to follow along and read their parts from it?  The directions to the bride and groom are printed in red.

The bridal party included my parents' friends, Earl and Leona (Paine) Tuxford.  The two couples became great friends and vacationed together.  James Sullivan was a friend of my father's.  Howard Todd was, or became, my mother's brother-in-law, married to Mom's sister, Geraldine/Jeree.

Pauline Meinzen was my mom's youngest sister, Doris Jean her second youngest.  Robert S. Clemmons was the minister.  Beatrice Clemmons may have been his wife.

Guests, above, left page:

• Mrs. Leathers - Emma (Doyle) Leathers, my father's paternal aunt
• Mrs. Leona Tuxford - Leona (Paine) Tuxford, my mom's nursing school friend
• Mrs. Davis - Brendice (Gerner) Davis, my father's maternal aunt
• Mrs. Jones - ?
• Earl Tuxford - Leona's husband and my father's good friend
• Jas. W. Sullivan - James Sullivan, another good friend of my father.  He may have introduced my parents.
• Wm. McClelland - William McClelland, Dad's cousin by marriage and husband of Evelyn (Lengauer Leathers) McClelland
• Mrs. E. J. Bickerstaff, Sr. - Mary (Thompson) Bickerstaff, my mother's maternal grandmother
• Mr. E. J. Bickerstaff, Sr. - Edward Jesse Bickerstaff, my mother's maternal grandfather
• Mrs. Agnes Bickerstaff -  Agnes M. (Pressell) Bickerstaff, wife of Edward Bickerstaff, my mom's maternal uncle
• Mrs. Emma Miller - Emma (Bickerstaff) Miller, Mom's cousin and daughter of William H. and Lucy (VanKirk) Bickerstaff
• Mrs. W. H. Bickerstaff - Lucy M. (VanKirk) Bickerstaff, wife of William H. Bickerstaff.  They were Mom's maternal aunt and uncle.
• Mrs. Alice Bickerstaff - Alice (Bickerstaff) Bickerstaff, wife of John Ellis Bickerstaff; they were maternal aunt and uncle to my mother
• Eddie Bickerstaff - Edward Bickerstaff, maternal cousin to my mom and son of Edward and Agnes (Pressell) Bickerstaff
• W. H. Bickerstaff - William H., maternal uncle to my mother
• John E. Bickerstaff -  John Ellis Bickerstaff, maternal uncle to my mother

Guests, above, right side:

• Mrs. William McClelland - Evelyn (Lengauer Leathers) McClelland, my dad's cousin and daughter of Emma Doyle Leathers.
• Mrs. James Woodward - ?
• Miss Beatrice Meinzen - Mom's paternal cousin, daughter of Henry and Helen/Ellen (Dray) Meinzen
• Mrs. Clarence Harris - wife of Mom's paternal cousin (no other information about her)
• Ray E. Davis - Dad's maternal uncle by marriage to Brendice (Gerner) Davis.  Ray was very helpful to my father when Dad emigrated from Pennsylvania to Niles, Ohio.
• Clarence Harris - Mom's paternal cousin, son of Mina (Meinzen) Harris
• Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Fair - Leonard and Zerelda Elizabeth (Hendricks) Fair, Mom's paternal cousin, daughter of Hannah (Meinzen) Hendricks
• Helen Brooks - ?
• Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brooks - ?
• Mrs. Belle Hashman - Isabelle (Meinzen) Hashman, Mom's paternal aunt
• Mrs. Margaret Schwab - Margaret (Meinzen) Schwab, Mom's paternal cousin, daughter of Henry and Helen Meinzen
• Miss Mildred Meinzen - Mom's paternal cousin, daughter of Henry and Helen Meinzen
• Mr. and Mrs. Russel Rhome - Russel and Naomi (Meinzen) Rhome, Mom's paternal aunt

Guests, above, left and right pages:

• Mrs. Chas. Sticker - Lula (Meinzen) Sticker, Mom's paternal aunt
• Mrs. Geo. Harris - Mina/Wilhelmina Elizabeth/Elizabeth W. (Meinzen) Harris, Mom's paternal aunt
• Mrs. Lillian Titus - ?
• Mrs. Veronica Gettings - Veronica (Meinzen) Gettings, Mom's paternal cousin, daughter of Henry and Helen Meinzen
• Janet Morris - mom's maternal cousin, daughter of Edward and Mayme (Bickerstaff) Morris
• Mrs. Mayne Morris - Mayme/Mary Ellen (Bickerstaff) Morris, Mom's maternal aunt
• Bobby Morris - Mom's maternal cousin, son of Edward and Mayme (Bickerstaff) Morris
• Henry Meinzen - Mom's paternal uncle
• Mrs. Sidney Harris - Mom's paternal cousin by marriage
• Mrs. Frank Vinion - ?
• Howard Todd - Mom's future brother-in-law or possibly already a brother-in-law, husband of Geraldine Mae Meinzen
• "Just Jeree." - Geraldine Mae Meinzen, Mom's second youngest sister
• Bill Dray - William Dray, future brother-in-law to Mom
• C. E. Leathers - Chauncey Edward Leathers, husband of Emma (Doyle) Leathers, Dad's aunt

I think it's interesting to look at the handwriting and realize that the signatures were written with a fountain pen.  Some are smooth, some scratchy, some thick, some thin.  Perhaps some of the adults brought their own pens.

Just a thought:  when you are a wedding guest, sign your own name on the guest register.  In future years there will be no mistake who it was!

--Nancy.
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