An 1899 Wedding

A while back I became aware of a blog entitled

 Shiloh to Canaan / The Families of Union Parish

This is the parish in Louisiana where my father was from and where I spent some of my first four years.

One of the features of the blog, is posting newspaper articles from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Now, this was a very small town newspaper and every thing from breaking a good dish, to a new calf being born, to someone being shot on the street makes the paper.

I even found an article from 1943 where my father conducted the funeral of a young woman killed in an automobile accident.

I recently read this write-up of a wedding and found it so interesting and southern that I had to share.

A wedding picture from 1899 Source

Below is the article as it appeared in the Gazette:

Dean – Trimble

The Gazette September 27, 1899

"Last Wednesday morning a large company of friends assembled at the Trimble residence to witness the marriage of Miss Anna Laura Trimble to Mr. William Evans Dean. At the appointed hour the inspiring strains of Meudelssohn’s wedding march, pealed forth from the skillful touch of Miss Naunie Dean, of Portland Arkansas, sister of the groom and the bridal party appeared.

Little Gladys Baughman and Pearl Covington, in dainty gowns of white organdie over green, with green sashes, led the way carrying white satin ribbons which formed an aisle across the double parlors. Following these fairy-like leaders came Rev. H. B. Thomason, the officiating minister. Then came the groom, Mr. William Evans Dean, attended by Mr. J. W. Pugh, of Portland, Arkansas. Next came the attendants, Mr. W. L. Timble of Hillsboro, Texas, brother of the bride, and Miss Margaret Dean of Portland, Arkansas, sister of the groom. Lastly appeared the bride, Miss Anna Laura Trimble, accompanied by her sister, Miss Belle Trimble, as maid of honor.

The bridal party took their places in the bay window, beneath a beautiful floral decoration of white roses and ivy, the bride and groom standing in the center where two wreaths of white roses entwined together above their heads, suggesting purity and innocence and infinity. As the strains of music died away, Mr. Thomason pronounced, in an impressive manner, the beautiful words of the Episcopal marriage ceremony and the fond lovers plighted their broth “for better, for worse.” After the benediction the happy couple led the way to the dining room, followed by the guests, and there partook of the wedding breakfast.

The bride, Miss Anna Trimble, is a daughter of the late Judge J. E. Trimble and Belle Munger Trimble, and has been, since her girlhood, one of the most popular members of the Farmerville’s social circle. As she stood at the hymeneal alter, robed in the purest white organdie over silk, enveloped in the graceful folds of the wedding veil, she looked, in truth, the type of purity and sweetness and loveliness her family and associates have always known her. Fortunate, indeed, the man who wrestles with life’s problems with such a woman at his side.

The groom, Mr. W. E. Dean, is a son of the well known merchant, Mr. J. D. Dean, and Margaret Kittrell Dean of Portland, Arkansas. He himself, though a young man is already known in commercial circles, and his fine business qualifications, affable manner, and sterling qualities of integrity, industry and manliness bespeak for him a most successful career in the business and social world.

Mr. and Mrs. Dean left Wednesday at noon for St. Louis, where they will spend their honeymoon before returning to their future home in Portland, Arkansas. They were the recipients of many beautiful gifts, and the wish of their hosts of friends is that love and joy and contentment, and health and peace and prosperity, may be their portion in life."


They just don't do wedding write-ups like this anymore, do they?

Sadly, the beautiful marriage ceremony did not guarantee that it would last and at some point, Anna and William were divorced.

Pictured above, on the right, is a picture of Mrs. Anna Dean, in approximately 1930.   She died in 1945 and William in 1954.