I am participating in
the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (April 2016), where we write 26 blog posts
featuring each letter of the alphabet.
U is for Urselle Hork
Urselle Clementine Hork was my paternal grandfather’s
sister. She was born 23 March 1892 in Portland, Oregon and was the ninth child
of Johan Anton Hork and Julia Ann Sievert.[1]
She grew up in Hamilton and took part in activities at the Catholic church. In
December 1909, she participated in the comic opera “The Mikado” as a member of
the chorus.[2]
Before her marriage, she worked as a telephone operator for
the Montana Independent Telephone Company.[3]
She married Bernard V. Schwalen on 25 June 1913 at St. Francis Catholic Church
in Hamilton.[4]
The Missoulian newspaper gave a wonderful story about the announcement of their
marriage:
"Miss Urselle Hork To Be Married in June" Well-known young
lady of Hamilton to wed Bernard V. Schwalen.
Hamilton, May 20--(special)--At a party
given last evening by Mrs. Julia Hork, at her handsome home on South Fifth
street, announcement was made of the coming marriage of her daughter, Miss
Urselle C. Hork, to Bernard V. Schwalen of this city, the vent to take place in
June The bride-to-be is one of Hamilton's most popular young ladies, and is a
sister to Clerk and Recorder A.J. Hork of this county. She is at present chief
operator for the Montana Telephone company here, being employed at the Bell
Telephone exchange before the coming of the Independent company to the city.
She formerly made her home in Missoula. Mr. Schwalen is employed as draughtsman
in the local engineering offices of the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation company,
and is most popular among the young people of Hamilton. The young people are
receiving the congratulations of their many friends of this community.
The guests at last evening's announcement
party were Misses May Howley, Mabel Smith, Carrie Hork, Sophia Lemm, Elizabeth
Lemm, Theo Swayze, Hattie Helwig, Anne Helwig and Jessie Strong; Mesdames C.H.
Christenson, Homer Benson, TJ Burns, WO Fisk, JO Read, Harvey Fullerton,
Kenneth Romney, OB Finney, CH Donson, CA Smithey, Albert Bauman and Julia Hork.”
Small town newspapers are great. There was another article
about the wedding:[5]
"Pretty Ceremony Unites Valley Couple" Miss Urselle
Clementine Hork becomes Bride of Bernard Victor Schwalen.
Hamilton, June 25--(Special)--The nuptial
ceremony that united Miss Urselle Clementine Hork and Bernard Victor Schwalen
in happy wedlock was performed this evening at 9 o'clock at St. Francis
Catholic church by Rev. Father M. A. Lynch. Miss Elizabeth Lemm played the
processional Lohengrin's wedding march as the bridal party was entering the
church and taking position before the altar, Mendelssohn's wedding march being
played following the ceremony. The bride was attended by Miss Mai Howley, the
groom by Anthony Hork, a brother of the bride. Justin Shannon and A.E. Walsh
acted as ushers.
The bride was beautifully gowned in a
creation of cream marquisette over crepe messaline and wore a dainty chiffon
hat, with white gloves and slippers. She carried a lovely bridal bouquet of
orange blossoms, a gift from her sister, Mrs. M.J. Coleman of Los Angeles, Cal.
The bridesmaid wore a gown of blue marquisette over blue messaline and a blue
hat trimmed with pink rosebuds. She carried a bouquet of pink carnations.
The church was decorated in pink, white and
green, roses, peonies and ferns and green foliage being tastily used in the
color scheme.
Following the ceremony there was a wedding
lunch served to the relatives and a few intimate friends of the bride and groom
at the home of the brides' mother, Mrs. Julia Hork. Wedding cake was served in
neat white boxes tied with ribbon. Floral decorations made the rooms especially
beautiful for the occasion. The bride and groom left this evening by automobile
for Missoula, where the 7:30 train will be taken tomorrow for Helena. A week's
honeymoon trip will be made to several cities of eastern Montana, following
which the couple will be at home in this city in the Holroyd house on South
Third street.
The bride is the youngest daughter of Mrs.
Julia Hork and a sister to Clerk and Recorder A.J. Hork and some of Hamilton's
most estimable young ladies, having many friends in that city and at Missoula,
where she formerly resided. She recently resigned her position as chief
operator at the local exchange of the Montana Independent Telephone company, in
which position she established a record for courtesy and efficiency. The groom
is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Schwalen of Stevensville and is employed in
the local engineering office of the Bitter Root Valley Irrigation company. He
has traits of character which bespeaks a splendid future.
Out-of-town guests at the wedding were Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph Schwalen, the Misses Agnes and Margaret Schwalen of
Stevensville, parents and sister of the groom, and Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Hart of
Missoula, the latter being the bride's sister.
Many beautiful and useful gifts were
received by the bride, silverware and cut glass articles predominating.
There was even a photo of Urselle in the newspaper as well.[6]
The best part of these wedding stories was the description of the wedding
attire and the flowers.
Bernard and Urselle moved to Tacoma, Washington. They
had four daughters.
[1] Oregon
State Archives, Oregon Historical Records Index Detail Information, http://genealogy.state.or.us/start.lasso?location=detail&id=381053,
Case#6096, Hork, Ursula Clementine, 03/23/1892, delayed birth, Multnomah Co,
Health.
[2] “Actors
Are Ready For Play,” The Missoulian, 15
Dec 1909, p. 8, col. 1, Ursulla Hork; Chronicling
America (http://chroniclingamerica.gov
: accessed 9 Nov 2014).
[3] Missoula and Hamilton City Directory,
R.L. Polk & Co, 1911, p 377, Urselle Hork, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com).
[4] Ravalli
County, Montana, Marriages, , v. 3-4 1912-1929, p 114, 1913, Schwalen &
Hork, FHL film 1905837.
[5] “Pretty
Ceremony Unites Valley Couple,” The
Missoulian, 26 Jun 1913, p 3, Chronicling
America (http://chroniclingamerica.gov
: accessed 9 Nov 2014).
[6] “Mrs.
Bernard V. Schwalen,” The Missoulian, 29 Jun 1913, p.7, Chronicling America (http://chroniclingamerica.gov
: accessed 9 Nov 2014).
Copyright © 2016 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.
I agree with you that small town newspapers can often give wonderful accounts of weddings. I have a report of the weddingg of my great aunt Jennie Danson in 1929 and it is fascinating not least for the "over the top" descriptions of the dresses of the bride and bridesmaids, and also of her going away outfit. She came from a very ordinary family, with her father a joiner. With bigger society weddings I have found detailed lists of the guests and of the presents in a report from 1913 - sadly a year later the groom was killed in the early days of the First World War.
ReplyDeleteFamily History Fun