Purdy-Smith Wedding, Coldwater, Branch County, Michigan

Copyright © 1999 by Mary Kane. 
This copy contributed for the use in the USGenWeb Archives.  

 

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A newspaper clipping I found from Coldwater, Michigan c.1934.

SOCIETY NEWS
Mrs. Wm. Westendarp - Society Editor

A great, great, great granddaughter of the founder of the family became
a bride Sunday when the descendants of Joseph Purdy gathered for the
thirty-second annual reunion at the Ransom Purdy cottage at Coldwater
lake.  

The marriage was in the nature of a surprise and there was an air of
expectancy throughout the serving of the dinner on the spacious porch
which, it seemed, contained more than the usual amount of good things
provided on these occasions.  So when at three o'clock Miss Lucy Jand
Goff and Dale Lower attended by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Steinbarger,
nonchalantly assumed their places before a bower of ferns and garden
flowers previously arranged on the porch, the company of sixty-eight
realized the mystery was solved.  

Rev. Ford Lower, father of the groom, read the service using the ring
ceremony.  The bride, who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Goff of
Niles, Mich. is the great, great, granddaughter of Joseph Purdy and was
named for her great grandmother, Lucy
Jane Purdy.  What more fitting occasion could she have chosen to speak
her marriage vows than the reunion of the descendants of these sturdy
ancestors?  The rug on which the bridal pair stood was woven by the
bride's great, great aunt Phoebe Bickford.

The bride was prettily gowned in pale blue crepe with pink accesories
and carried pink roses while the bridesmaid wore a gown of lemon colored
crepe.  The ensembles were complete with matching hats.  After
congratulations the company repaired to the lawn where vocal and
instrumental music formed a part of the festivity.  The bride and groom
were then seated at a table and each was presented with a cake decorated
with a miniature bride and groom.  The bride was assisted in serving her
cake by her grandmother, Mrs. O. H. Goff, and ice cream was the
delightful accompaniment.  

Then adieus were said and the happy couple departed for Battle Creek
amidst a shower of rice.  For the present they will be at home to their
friends at the home of the groom's parents, Number One, Chapel street,
Battle Creek.  Guests were present from Chicago, Cincinnati, Michigan
City, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson and Niles.

NOTE:  Joseph Purdy b 1767 in New York m Sally Smith b 1769.  Their son
Horace Purdy b 1791 m Sally Thompson b 1792.  Horace & Sally's daughter
is the Phoebe (Purdy) Bickford mentioned as making the rug. She was born
1813 and died 1905. Phoebe was married to Jonathan Knapp Bickford.

Joseph and Sally Purdy are my GGGG grandparents.