Our Wedding Reception - June 17, 1961 - Gooding, Idaho

(Moving right along....we're to the wedding reception.

How blessed we are to have these photos...wish they were in color...but 50 years ago colored photos were still rare.
Here Walt and I are with my Mom and Dad--Verna & Arnold Albertson--by me, and Walt's Mom and Dad--Jane & Ray Petersen by him.

Walt's father passed away at age 62 on Feb. 17, 1970 of a heart attack. His mother passed away at age 90 on Feb. 5, 2001. My father passed away at age 69 on Feb. 6, 1982 of colon cancer. (We all need to get colonoscopies!)
My Mom also lost her parents in 1982...my Grampa Huffaker in June at age 90; my Grama Huffaker in November at age 91.
I tell about my mother by her photo a little further down.

I am going to quote from my Mom's life story again this week:


"Verna - An Idaho Girl"


-- the life story of Verna Beth Huffaker Albertson


"Eileen and Walt’s wedding reception at the LDS Gooding Ward cultural hall was nice and well attended three days later on Saturday, June 17. They received many wonderful wedding gifts.
"Here’s some from the newspaper clipping I saved from the Times News, with the headline as follows:
Couple Married in LDS Temple Rites
“Eileen Albertson, Provo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold G. Albertson, Gooding, formerly of Wendell, and Walter Ray Petersen, St. Louis, Missouri, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond O. Petersen, Wendell, were united in marriage June 14, 1961 at the Salt Lake LDS temple with President Henry D. Moyle, officiating.



Photo: Eileen, age 22 1/2, with her sister, Janice, age 12.
“The bride selected a floor length gown of luxurious delustered satin for her wedding. The gown was designed by the bride and Cheri Hansen, a college roommate from Tempe, Arizona. It was fashioned with long pointed sleeves, a high rounded neckline and fitted bodice; the full skirt swept into a modified train. Her bridal veil was caught to a tiara of seed pearls. She carried a lavender orchid on a small white Bible.

“Mrs. Alden (Ramona Jensen) Farr, Ogden, Utah, was matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Mrs. James (Lucile Hunsaker) Campbell, Bellevue; Miss Sonya Gibbs, Wendell; Miss Izabel Peixoto, a college roommate from Porte Alegre, Brazil, and Miss Janice Albertson, sister of the bride. The bride’s attendants were gowned alike in lavender and white cotton frocks, and each carried a white basket filled with carnations.

“Telford (Ted) Gillett, Declo, Idaho was best man. Serving as ushers were Jim Prescott, Boise, and Gene Prescott, Jerome, Idaho—cousins.

2011 note: My Sweetheart Mother--then age 41--is now 91, can hardly see or hear. She has said for a long time: "Getting old is not for wimps."

“The mother of the bride wore a pink linen sheath with matching shoes and white accessories. Her corsage was of white carnations. The mother of the bridegroom wore a beige lace sheath with lavender accessories and a pink carnation corsage.

“Mrs. S.D. Huffaker, Wendell, and Mrs. Blanche Albertson, Hagerman, grandmothers of the bride, and Mrs. Maria Prescott, Wendell, and Mrs. Mary Petersen, Tremonton, grandmothers of the bridegroom, were all present for the reception, and each wore a corsage of white carnations.

“More than 300 guests from throughout Idaho and Utah attended the wedding reception for the young couple Saturday evening at the Gooding LDS recreation hall.

“Mrs. Alan (Lucy Huffaker) Nieffenegger, Wendell, was in charge of the guest book. Mrs. John (Pearl) Robertson, Mrs. Everett (Nadine) Conrad, Mrs. Clarence ( ) Wells, and Myrna Myer, Gooding [R.S. friends of Verna] were in charge of arranging the gift table. Carrying gifts were Donald, Matthew, and Mitchell Bunn of Wendell, nephews of the groom. Carol Lee Huffaker, Mtn. Home, and Barbara, Marjorie, and Bonnie Harmon, Hammett, cousins of the bride, also carried the gifts. (Lucy is gone now, age 36 to cancer.)

“The refreshment table was covered with a white lace cloth over lavender. The five tiered wedding cake was baked and decorated by Mrs. Dan (Evelyn) Nieffenegger. (Alan's mother is gone now.) The white cake, trimmed with lavender and the sweetheart cakes were decorated with the names of the couple, and were flanked by lavender candles in crystal holders.

“Mrs. Dale (Phyllis) Bunn, Wendell, and Mrs. Charles (Bonnie) Degler, Boise, sisters of the groom, cut and served the cake. Mrs. Warren (Vida) Albertson, Pocatello, and Mrs. David (Enid) Huffaker, Mtn. Home, aunts of the bride, served the punch.

(We're sad we didn't get photos of any of these aunts...we lost Bonnie, at age 60 to colon cancer; and Enid at age __, are gone now.)

“Heber Prescott, Jerome, uncle of the groom, was master of ceremonies. David Huffaker, Mtn. Home, uncle of the bride, gave the invocation; Mr. & Mrs. Earl (Eleanor) Harmon, Hammett, uncle and aunt of the bride, gave readings, ‘What is a Wife,’ and ‘What is a Husband.’ (Just Eleanor is left. Uncle Hebe at age 60 of a heart attack; Uncle Earl at age 75 of cancer.)

“Janice Albertson, Gooding, sister of the bride, played a piano solo “Till the End of Time”; ArDell Shockley, Jerome, soloist, sang “Walk Hand in Hand With Me,” and “Always,” accompanied by Verna Lee Lott, Hagerman. After remarks and thank yous by the bride and groom, the benediction was given by Thomas Prescott, Jerome, uncle of the groom. Dancing followed with the bride and groom waltzing to ‘O How We Danced on the Night We Were Wed’,” as the first dance. (We lost Uncle Tom in 2003 at age 85, who had been in poor health for several years after a debilitating stroke.)

[If you can believe it, there is still more to the newspaper article...so it will be continued in next week's blog.

I added the ladies' first names in parentheses--which now they always put the woman's first name, which is a great improvement!]