A Wedding on Grandma’s Birthday
Sue & Ken were married on August 28, 1977 – which was Grandma’s 74th birthday. The day was not chosen because it was her birthday; it was chosen in spite of the fact that it was her birthday. Sue went to her and asked permission. Celebrating her birthday on the actual day was important to Grandma, so permission was given reluctantly (according to Sue).
The location of this wedding was First Friends Church in Whittier. The building was nearly new – the old church had been torn down and this new one (which I’ve never liked, I’ll admit) was built a year or two before this event. The pews and the steps look old-fashioned because they’d been polished up and re-used from the old building. The organ pipes, of course, are brand new.
Even though Sue and Ken had met at George Fox College in Oregon, and most of their friends (and his family) were in that state, the wedding was held in Whittier, California. I am pretty sure that it would have been difficult or impossible for Sue’s older relatives to make the trip to Oregon.
I (Dave) officiated at this wedding; at that time I was a student at Fuller Seminary, preparing to be a pastor, and so I was an obvious choice since there was no strong pastoral connection for Sue and Ken in Whittier. I took my role pretty seriously, even going so far as to try and provide pre-marital counseling.
In the picture at the top of the page, Aunt (87 years old) is standing in the front. She could barely stand for the photo, as I recall, but managed to step up 1 level for the photo at left.
Left to right in this same photo we have Walter (Jessup), Grandma (Mildred Jessup), Dad (Dick Votaw), Aunt (Tirzah Jessup), Sue Votaw Pruitt, Ken Pruitt, Mom (Doree Votaw), Annie (Mary Martin), and Grandpa (Herbert Martin). Grandma and Annie wore blue and pink, just as they did for Mom & Dad’s wedding.
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