Marriage of William Parker Kennedy and Mamie Whiddon, Randolph, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/newspapers/kenwhiwed.txt ============================================= USGENWEB PROJECT NOTICE: In keeping with the USGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file is copyrighted and contributed by: William Fischer, Jr. ============================================= August 2002 A CATHOLIC WEDDING ------------------------------ Doubtless the first Catholic marriage ceremony ever performed in Roanoke was witnessed at the Commercial Hotel yesterday afternoon at 1 o’clock. Mr. Wm Parker KENNEDY was the groom and Miss Mamie WHIDDON the bride. The Rev Father DOYLE, a Catholic priest of Birmingham, was the officiating minister. Under the direction of Mrs DURR, the proprietor, and her daughter, Miss SHARP, the long hallway of the hotel had been prettily decorated with smilax, with a bank of palms and ferns behind the arch, and a liberal shower of violets. Under an arch in the rear of the hall the ceremony was performed, and it was witnessed by the guests of the hotel, representatives of the Roanoke railroad citizenship, including both ladies and gentlemen, and a few invited guests from the city. Miss ANDREWS at the organ rendered the wedding march, to the strains of which the bride emerged from her room upon the arm of her father, Mr E B WHIDDON, and preceded by her maid of honor, Miss Mamie Joe WATTS, of Gainesville, Fla. At the proper moment the groom appeared with the officiating clergyman, Rev F C DOYLE, and with the bride faced the priest. The organ softly sent forth the strains of “Hearts and Flowers,” while the priest repeated the ceremony, the greater part of which was oral. The vows were repeated after the minister by the contracting parties, the ceremony being concluded with a Latin prayer, after which the ring was placed upon the finger of the bride, and congratulations were offered by friends. The bride wore a beautiful gray tailor suit of voil over a white lingre waist, with long gray gloves to match, also gray hat trimmed with pastel shades of blue. The bride carried a large boquet [sic] of violets. She is the daughter of a well known contractor with the A and B, and during her short stay here has drawn about her quite a circle of friends by her bright, friendly disposition. The groom is a civil and mining engineer located at Birmingham. Mr and Mrs KENNEDY left on the afternoon train for a bridal tour to New Orleans, followed by the good wishes of all their friends. [From The Roanoke Leader (Randolph County, Alabama), 28 Feb 1906, p.3] ---------- The A and B was the Atlanta and Birmingham Railroad, later known as the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad.