Hello Cousins, I have been in touch with our dear cousin, Carolyn, and she has encouraged me to share a true story about a "Sweet Wedding." In August, my father visited me here in the Pacific Northwest. After he arrived back at his home in Florida he met a nice southern lady from Tenn. It seemed that my father had met Alma a year ago when she was visiting her daughter in Florida. When Dad went to play cards with his friends after his long trip, low and behold, Alma was visiting again. After Alma went back to her hometown of Byrdstown, Tenn. Dad called her. Alma asked him to visit her in Byrdstown. I think he was packed in record time. It took him 12 hours to make the drive from his home town to hers. After being with her for a week visiting her brother and sister-in-law, then a sister and brother-in-law being shown around this small town. The town is so small it doesn't even have a blinker light let alone a stop light, only stop signs. Dad called me and his words were, "Georgia, Alma and I would like your blessings, we want to get married." Now I must tell you that my father is 84 and Alma is 83. I was overjoyed for my father. He had buried two wives and he was finding love again. I, of course said, "Yes, by all means, you have my blessings." I then talked to Alma and during the conversation I asked her when she had fallen in love with my father. In a sweet southern voice she told me how she was visiting her daughter, in Florida, and Nelson was also visiting. Their eyes met across the room and the rest is history. The wedding was set for 13 Oct. 2001 for several reasons. Her son was going to be visiting for two weeks and would be there for the wedding. I would be able to make it because later in October I planned on visiting my son in Las Vegas, Nevada. So plans were made, airline prices checked, tickets bought and delivered via FedEx. I found out that my brother, who lives in Florida, would also be driving up for the wedding. On October 11, 2001 I found myself sitting on an airplane when the thought of Sept. 11 hit me. Well, I was in the Lord's hands so off we went. I was met at the Nashville airport by my father and Alma and Alma's son. We then drove two hours to Byrdstown. After I checked into a motel we went over to Alma's house to get acquainted. A lovely evening. I took my father's car and drove about 3/4 of a mile back to the motel. The 12th of October was spent in a tour of the town, making arrangements for a corsage for the bride and a boutonniere for the groom. There was only one florist in the town and all they had were old, worn out roses. So I settled on silk roses and since Alma had not decided on what she would wear to the wedding, I got white roses with an iridescent ribbon. The rest of the day was spent in visiting and helping Alma fix dinner. I begged off from a card game to be able to get back to the motel. A surprise was waiting there. The surprise was that Alma thought that her two daughter would not be able to make the wedding. Little did she know but they were driving in on Friday night. One daughter was driving up from Florida and the other daughter was coming down from Ohio. The daughters, plus their husbands and one grand daughter. I met the oldest daughter and her husband at the motel. By now my brother had arrived and was settled at the motel. The morning of the wedding my father insisted on treating us to breakfast. As Dad, Alma, Chuck, my brother Bud, and I sat in the restaurant, we were being watched from across the street by Alma's two daughters. What fun! We all then went to get ready for the wedding which was set at 12:30 pm at the local cafe. My brother and I arrived at the cafe at 11:45 am and the two daughters, Margaret and Holly and their husbands and the grand daughter, Maria were already there. Chuck was to drive the bride and groom in at 12:20 pm. The owner of the cafe knew Alma and this lady had gone the extra mile. She had brought from home lace table cloths, flowers, candles and more. The banquet room was all set and we were also to have a buffet meal after the wedding. Margaret had also brought things to decorate the room to make it look more like a wedding chapel. All was ready, only the bride and groom were absent. At precisely 12:20 pm the bride and groom were driven up to the restaurant. My brother and I went outside to try to distract Alma so she would not look in the large window and see her daughters. My father knew about the daughters and their families being there. We had to tell him because he kept guessing that they would be coming. As Alma walked into the banquet room her attention was on the table, the flowers and the place where she and Dad would stand. Then all of a sudden she spotted her oldest daughter. She let out a soft cry and almost ran to Margaret. Then she saw Holly and Maria and Margaret's husband and then Holly's husband. By now she is in shock but a few tears began to flow. I was able to get some good pictures and I think all the laughter helped Alma. Now the wedding was to begin, but wait, were is the Clerk of the County Court who was to perform the wedding. Oh, here he comes. Now do you have the rings. No, oh, they are back at the house on Alma's dresser. Chuck jumps in the van, heads for the house, gets the rings, and is back in record time. The house is only about 1 mile from the cafe. Now we can begin. The bride had chosen a beautiful powder blue suit and the groom wore a sport coat of gray with tan trousers. I was able to pin the corsage on Alma and pin the boutonniere on my father. Just before they started I gave Alma a lace handkerchief that I had brought from the Pacific Northwest. Then Margaret asked if her Mother could hold my Bible since it was the only Bible in the room. I had wanted to share some scripture with them when we toasted the bride and groom. So Alma held a new hankie and my Bible. (This really was my husbands Bible, a small one, and my husband died 4 years ago) We proceeded, as the vows were said I noticed that both Alma and my father had hold of that small Bible. The rings were given and my 84 year old father and his 83 year old bride were pronounced husband and wife. A sweet kiss followed. We all had a nice buffet meal. During the meal there were stories about the newlyweds and with much laughter and rejoicing we then toasted the bride and groom with Sparkling Apple Cider. I shared about Ruth following Naomi but I changed the words a bit. Alma would say to Nelson, even if you go to Florida, I will go, and even if you live at Orange Blossom Circle, there I will live also. Many laughs! Then I shared on I Corinthians 13, the love chapter. It all was well received. Now the fun begins! The Clerk of the County Court, Cletus by name, had stayed for the buffet and now picked up his guitar and began to pluck it's strings. Alma's brother got up with his violin (fiddle) and then a niece got up and picked up her banjo. Now we had us a band. Wow! They took requests and played several songs, all of which I had never heard before. Then my father asked them to play "The Tennessee Waltz." As the song began, my father asked his new bride if she would dance with him. I watched as Nelson and Alma danced to the strains of The Tennessee Waltz. Needless to say I got good pictures even though there were tears in my eyes. Yes, tears, to see the look of happiness on the faces of these two sweet people. Your never too old! My father is Nelson Alexander Pennington and his new bride is Alma Walters Pennington wed on 13 October 2001. Hope you enjoyed my father's Sweet Wedding. Georgia Ann Pennington Sligar

It was beautiful, thank you for sharing! Have a Merry Christmas everyone! Shawn Woodard ----- Original Message ----- From: <georgias413@attbi.com> To: <AMXROADS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:24 AM Subject: [AMXROADS] A Sweet Wedding > Hello Cousins, > I have been in touch with our dear cousin, Carolyn, and she has encouraged me to share a true story about a "Sweet Wedding." > > In August, my father visited me here in the Pacific Northwest. After he arrived back at his home in Florida he met a nice southern lady from Tenn. It seemed that my father had met Alma a year ago when she was visiting her daughter in Florida. When Dad went to play cards with his friends after his long trip, low and behold, Alma was visiting again. > > After Alma went back to her hometown of Byrdstown, Tenn. Dad called her. Alma asked him to visit her in Byrdstown. I think he was packed in record time. It took him 12 hours to make the drive from his home town to hers. After being with her for a week visiting her brother and sister-in-law, then a sister and brother-in-law being shown around this small town. The town is so small it doesn't even have a blinker light let alone a stop light, only stop signs. > > Dad called me and his words were, "Georgia, Alma and I would like your blessings, we want to get married." Now I must tell you that my father is 84 and Alma is 83. I was overjoyed for my father. He had buried two wives and he was finding love again. I, of course said, "Yes, by all means, you have my blessings." > > I then talked to Alma and during the conversation I asked her when she had fallen in love with my father. In a sweet southern voice she told me how she was visiting her daughter, in Florida, and Nelson was also visiting. Their eyes met across the room and the rest is history. > > The wedding was set for 13 Oct. 2001 for several reasons. Her son was going to be visiting for two weeks and would be there for the wedding. I would be able to make it because later in October I planned on visiting my son in Las Vegas, Nevada. So plans were made, airline prices checked, tickets bought and delivered via FedEx. I found out that my brother, who lives in Florida, would also be driving up for the wedding. > > On October 11, 2001 I found myself sitting on an airplane when the thought of Sept. 11 hit me. Well, I was in the Lord's hands so off we went. I was met at the Nashville airport by my father and Alma and Alma's son. We then drove two hours to Byrdstown. After I checked into a motel we went over to Alma's house to get acquainted. A lovely evening. I took my father's car and drove about 3/4 of a mile back to the motel. > > The 12th of October was spent in a tour of the town, making arrangements for a corsage for the bride and a boutonniere for the groom. There was only one florist in the town and all they had were old, worn out roses. So I settled on silk roses and since Alma had not decided on what she would wear to the wedding, I got white roses with an iridescent ribbon. The rest of the day was spent in visiting and helping Alma fix dinner. I begged off from a card game to be able to get back to the motel. A surprise was waiting there. > > The surprise was that Alma thought that her two daughter would not be able to make the wedding. Little did she know but they were driving in on Friday night. One daughter was driving up from Florida and the other daughter was coming down from Ohio. The daughters, plus their husbands and one grand daughter. I met the oldest daughter and her husband at the motel. By now my brother had arrived and was settled at the motel. > > The morning of the wedding my father insisted on treating us to breakfast. As Dad, Alma, Chuck, my brother Bud, and I sat in the restaurant, we were being watched from across the street by Alma's two daughters. What fun! We all then went to get ready for the wedding which was set at 12:30 pm at the local cafe. > > My brother and I arrived at the cafe at 11:45 am and the two daughters, Margaret and Holly and their husbands and the grand daughter, Maria were already there. Chuck was to drive the bride and groom in at 12:20 pm. The owner of the cafe knew Alma and this lady had gone the extra mile. She had brought from home lace table cloths, flowers, candles and more. The banquet room was all set and we were also to have a buffet meal after the wedding. Margaret had also brought things to decorate the room to make it look more like a wedding chapel. All was ready, only the bride and groom were absent. > > At precisely 12:20 pm the bride and groom were driven up to the restaurant. My brother and I went outside to try to distract Alma so she would not look in the large window and see her daughters. My father knew about the daughters and their families being there. We had to tell him because he kept guessing that they would be coming. As Alma walked into the banquet room her attention was on the table, the flowers and the place where she and Dad would stand. Then all of a sudden she spotted her oldest daughter. She let out a soft cry and almost ran to Margaret. Then she saw Holly and Maria and Margaret's husband and then Holly's husband. By now she is in shock but a few tears began to flow. I was able to get some good pictures and I think all the laughter helped Alma. > > Now the wedding was to begin, but wait, were is the Clerk of the County Court who was to perform the wedding. Oh, here he comes. Now do you have the rings. No, oh, they are back at the house on Alma's dresser. Chuck jumps in the van, heads for the house, gets the rings, and is back in record time. The house is only about 1 mile from the cafe. Now we can begin. > > The bride had chosen a beautiful powder blue suit and the groom wore a sport coat of gray with tan trousers. I was able to pin the corsage on Alma and pin the boutonniere on my father. Just before they started I gave Alma a lace handkerchief that I had brought from the Pacific Northwest. Then Margaret asked if her Mother could hold my Bible since it was the only Bible in the room. I had wanted to share some scripture with them when we toasted the bride and groom. So Alma held a new hankie and my Bible. (This really was my husbands Bible, a small one, and my husband died 4 years ago) We proceeded, as the vows were said I noticed that both Alma and my father had hold of that small Bible. The rings were given and my 84 year old father and his 83 year old bride were pronounced husband and wife. A sweet kiss followed. > > We all had a nice buffet meal. During the meal there were stories about the newlyweds and with much laughter and rejoicing we then toasted the bride and groom with Sparkling Apple Cider. I shared about Ruth following Naomi but I changed the words a bit. Alma would say to Nelson, even if you go to Florida, I will go, and even if you live at Orange Blossom Circle, there I will live also. Many laughs! Then I shared on I Corinthians 13, the love chapter. It all was well received. > > Now the fun begins! The Clerk of the County Court, Cletus by name, had stayed for the buffet and now picked up his guitar and began to pluck it's strings. Alma's brother got up with his violin (fiddle) and then a niece got up and picked up her banjo. Now we had us a band. Wow! They took requests and played several songs, all of which I had never heard before. Then my father asked them to play "The Tennessee Waltz." As the song began, my father asked his new bride if she would dance with him. I watched as Nelson and Alma danced to the strains of The Tennessee Waltz. Needless to say I got good pictures even though there were tears in my eyes. Yes, tears, to see the look of happiness on the faces of these two sweet people. > > Your never too old! > > My father is Nelson Alexander Pennington and his new bride is Alma Walters Pennington wed on 13 October 2001. > > Hope you enjoyed my father's Sweet Wedding. > Georgia Ann Pennington Sligar > > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >