My Trails into the Past

W illiam Joseph Hork and Lela Nell Johnston were married at Queen of All Saints Church in Concord, California, on 19 April 1953.[1] Lea’s friend, Barbara Boyenger, was her maid of honor and Bill’s brother-in-law, Gene Soares, was his best man. Before the ceremony, Ken Harvey, Barbara’s future husband, took photos of the preparation at Lea’s house. Barbara must have spent the night as we see the two of them having breakfast still in their night clothes.  The marriage news was written about in the Contra Costa Times and the Concord Transcript . The article in the Times is very detailed about the clothing the participants wore during the wedding and afterward for their wedding trip. They married on a Sunday afternoon at Queen of All Saints Church in Concord. Father Adrian McKenna presided over the ceremony attended by immediate family members and close friends. Because Lea was not Catholic, the ceremony was likely not a full Mass. The photo below shows the couple just at the alt...

This is my third year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. In documenting the wedding of one’s parents, when one couldn’t have been present because it occurred before their birth, it is wonderful that newspapers documented them. One must remember that the article was written or at least dictated by someone in the family. There seems to be a format for the woman’s page in the newspaper, as most of the articles are similar in style and content. Even so, I have an idea of how the wedding of my parents occurred from the newspaper article. I also have a few photos of pre- and post-wedding activities at the home of my mother. William Joseph Hork, son of William Cyril Hork and Anna Marie Sullivan, married Lela Nell Johnston, daughter of Tom J. Johnston, Jr. and Pansy Loui...

Today would have been the 65th anniversary of my parents. They were married 19 April 1953 at Queen of All Saints Catholic Church in Concord, California. The Walnut Creek Sun has a very nice story about the wedding. Lela wore an antique taffeta dress, an ice blue picture frame hat with open crown, blue gloves, and white shantung silk shoes. Her bridesmaid was Barbara Boyenger. The best man was Bill's brother-in-law, Eugene Soares. Family Photo on the Wedding Day - Queen of All Saints Church steps A party with cake and punch was held at her parents' home, Tom J. and Pansy L. Johnston at 307 Nancy Lane, Pleasant Hill. On their way for a honeymoon, Lela wore navy blue linen dress with white trim. She carried a navy blue bag and wore a white linen jacket, white gloves and navy and white spectator shoes. Off on their honeymoon Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad! Copyright © 2018 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.