50 years in the making -- Part 2, the wedding

A snapshot taken after the reception

     Robert and I set our wedding date for May 15, 1962, on my parents 20th anniversary, but Robert's best friend, Frank McCubbin, was being sent to Germany by the Army. Therefore, for Frank to be the best man, we moved the date to February 18. Yes, from November 7 until February 18 wasn't a long time, and we were told our marriage wouldn't last six months. Whew, what a long six months.

     My cousin Barbara Gilbert (later to become Barbara Harris) acted as maid of honor. Robert's sister Pat was a bride's maid and his other sisters, Peggy and Edna, were candle lighters. My sister Diana Gilbert was junior bride's maid. Nannette Harrin and her twin brother Nathan were flower girl and ring bearer.

     The only picture showing Robert's attendants is a splotchy snapshot.

Far right, Diana Gilbert, Pat Zabel (now Powers), Nannette Herrin in front, Barbara Gilbert, bride and groom, Frank McCubbin, Daivd Powers, and Nathan Herrin

     Robert's attendants included Frank as best man and David Powers as groomsman. Richard Hill and Howard Gilbert were ushers.

My parents, Raymond and Dolly Gilbert, us, and Robert's parents, Ed and Lucy Zabel

     We married in the First Church of the Nazarene, Midwest City, Oklahoma. The church no longer exists. The minister who performed the ceremony, Glen Golden, ended up divorced, but we've survived.

     We didn't have many pictures during the wedding because the photographer's cameras didn't work, all three didn't work.  In fact, Robert and I had to go to the photographer's studio to get some photographs of us together -- over seven months after the wedding.

     The organist had a flat on the way to the church, but rather than call for help, she waited until her parents picked her up on their way to the church, thirty minutes after music was needed for ushers to seat guests.

     The candle holders didn't get decorated. A sister-in-law to be and her boyfriend played on the organ after people began to enter the church, her in her bare feet. My mother had been ill for about two weeks and wasn't doing well. Robert left the marriage license in the glove compartment of his car, locked in my parent's garage. Frank rushed him out to pick it up.

     All that mini-disasters are funny now, but I was ready to cry before the wedding began.

Photograph taken in studio nearly eight months after the wedding

To be continued ...