The formal lounge in Charles McKenny hall on the campus at Michigan State Normal college in Ypsilanti was the scene of the marriage Saturday afternoon, December 4, of Miss Elizabeth Ann (sic) Leach, daughter of Mrs. Florence Stoddard Leach of Ypsilanti, and Walter Elliott (sic) Tubbs of Detroit, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Tubbs of Ann Arbor. Seven-branched candelabra with lighted white tapers on either side of the window in the south bay separated by palms and abundant ferns showing red for the approaching holiday season were included in the attractive decorations of the lounge. Theophilus Fenker of Ypsilanti sang “At Dawning” by Cadman, accompanied by Miss Eleanor Hutson before the entrance of the bridal party. To the strains of the Lohengrin wedding march the bridal procession came from the room to the north and walked down the long room led by the ushers, Harlow Tubbs of Detroit, brother of the groom and John Judson of Ann Arbor, brother-in-law of the groom. The bridesmaids, Mrs. Robert Knight of Ann Arbor and Mrs. Henry Lewis of Dearborn followed. Miss Marie George, maid of honor, was followed by two little flower girls, Lois Tubbs of Detroit and Sally Judson of Ann Arbor, nieces of the groom. The two girls scattered flowers along the path of the bride who was accompanied by her brother, Clay Leach of Detroit. At the south bay they were met by the groom and best man, Frank Shuda, and the clergyman, Dr. Harvey C. Colburn, who read the marriage ceremony. During the ceremony Miss Hutson played “O Promise Me” by DeKoven and “I Love You Truly” by Carrie Jacobs Bond. The bride was lovely in a gown of white satin made on princess lines with full oval train. A row of white satin buttons reached from the next of the gown in the back to the waist. Pearl trimming edged the high collar and the long tight sleeves. She wore her mother’s long bridal veil of white tulle which was attached to the white satin Juliet cap trimmed with beads. The bride wore white satin, toeless sandals and carried white roses, sweet peas and little lilies of the valley confined with white satin ribbon. The gowns of her attendants were distinguished by high necks and long sleeves and were floor length. Miss George wore dubonnet velvet with a hale of the same color and a chin-length veil. Her flowers were yellow and brown chrysanthemums tied with brown ribbon streamers. She wore matching slippers. Mrs. Knight and Mrs. Lewis were gowned alike in royal blue velvet with matching halos and chin-length veils and wore matching slippers. Their arm bouquets were composed of yellow chrysanthemums tied with streamers of yellow ribbon. The flower girls were dainty in blue silk. Mrs. Leach, the birde’s (sic) mother, wore a long dress of royal blue velvet. The groom’s mother was dressed in black lace. Both wore corsages of white roses and pink sweetpeas. The bridal party and the bride’s mother and the groom’s parents were in the receiving line at the reception which followed the ceremony. The table from which the buffet luncheon was served was very lovely with silver candlesticks holding white tapers at each end and white chrysanthemums laid ion the snowy damask between the candlesticks and the four-tiered wedding cake surrounded by two white doves. Ice cream moulded in wedding bells was also served. For going away on the honeymoon Mrs. Tubbs wore a gray wool tweed suit collared in wolf. Her hat and blouse were of varsity blue, while shoes, gloves, and purse were gray. Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs will reside in Detroit where the groom is employed by General Motors corporation. He and his bride both attended Normal college and later Mr. Tubbs took a business course at Cleary college in Ypsilanti. Mrs. Tubbs studied in the University of Michigan. Out of town guests of interest to residents of this vicinity included: Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Cowan and Mrs. T. R. Welsh of Grand Rapids; Mr. and Mrs. John Bielby of Dearborn; the Misses Mae and Alice Arnold of Toledo, Ohio. | McKenny Hall was built in 1931 as the first student union. It still exists at 878 W. Cross Street in Ypsilanti on (now) Eastern Michigan University’s campus. My parents met at EMU and this was still the union in the late 50’s & 60’s when they were there. 
-Not sure the relationship of Theophilus but he was a young man of 22. The song can be listened to at: At Dawning (1906)
-Mrs. Robert Knight was Virginia Bell Slep of Saginaw (Robert died serving in WW2) –Mrs. Henry Lewis was Jane Washburn (Henry was a teacher at Ypsi high and later Dearborn) –Marie George went to Michigan Normal College and was a freshman in 1933 with Betty -Lois was Harlow’s daughter who died three years later after being hit by a truck crossing a road, Sally was Aunt Helen’s daughter
-Listen to Reginald de Koven : Oh, Promise Me! (arr. James H. Rogers) and “I love you truly”
-At the time when my daughter tried on the veil, we had no idea that it was actually my great-grandmother's veil from her 1905 wedding!
-Since her father was deceased her brother Clay ushered her down the aisle.
These were all people who had a connection to Reed City. The Arnold sisters were both teachers and originally born in Reed City, likely friends of Florence. |
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In my search for my great-grandmother (Florence Stoddard) through the Osceola County Herald (See The Amazing Power of Newspaper: Part 1), I found an article about my grandparents wedding in 1937. And boy is it a find! The descriptions are so vivid that one can almost imagine being there. Because I know the print is so small on the Blog, I am transcribing it here for your appreciation, with a little commentary in the right hand column:
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