"I can't believe you walked all the way here...in this weather!" Helen exclaimed. It was snowing outside on a day in early January. She and Eddie were sitting together in the front room, on the little pink couch with the little lace doily on it.

"Well..." Eddie said, wrapping his arm around her. "No harm, no foul." He chuckled. Helen layed her head on his chest. "My goodness, you're like ice!" Eddie's face and hands were rosy from the cold.

"Well, you'll warm me up, won't you?" He grinned, holding her closer to him.

Helen smiled up at him. "I'll go grab a blanket...You, take off your coat!"

"Yes Ma'am." Eddie grinned. He laughed a little at her spunky temperment and watched her go into the little bedroom nearest the front door. She came back and covered the two of them with the blanket.

"This is better..." Eddie grinned at her as she layed her head on his chest again. She sighed a little and then turned her head up to meet his so she could kiss him.

"How you doin', hm?" He asked, brushing the tips of his fingers up and down her arm and shoulder.

"I feel fine..." Helen smiled a little.

"Good...that's good." Eddie smiled at her. "Have I told you..." He paused. "Have I told you how good you look today?"

"You are now, I'd say." Helen smiled.

"Have I told you how incredibly beautiful you are?" He leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"You may have mentioned something like that..." She grinned and chuckled at him.

"Did I mention..." He began to say, but kissed her forehead softly.

"Did you mention what?" Helen smiled at him.

"Did I mention...that I found us a place?"

"What?!" She exclaimed. Her wide smile lit up her whole face.

"Yeah." He grinned and pressed his forehead against hers. Her lips soon found his and she placed her hand on his face as they shared a long, loving kiss.

"It's small..." He said quietly. "Not what I want us to have...but it's something, at least."

"I'm sure it will work." Helen smiled.

"I want us to go over there so you can see it." Eddie said, and held her hand.

"When?" She smiled.

"I'd like to take you today...if I can. Your parents too...I'd like them to see the place too."

"Well..." Helen sighed happily. "We'll just have to wait till they get back..."

"Until then?" Eddie smiled, and Helen wrapped her arms around him under the blanket and laid her head on his chest and closed her brown eyes. "Let's just stay like this..." She said. Helen felt his chest rise and fall with his own breathing. Eddie discovered that she fell asleep.

"Hm..." Eddie chuckled. "She's so cute when she's asleep..." He kissed her head and ran his hand softly over her hair, a moment. Then from the warmth of the wood and coal furnace downstairs in the little basement, and from the warmth of the blanket and the two of them, Eddie fell asleep too.

...

"Well, "Pa"...thanks for helping with the groceries." Frances said to her husband, using a little nickname for him. They had pulled up by the back of the house in Fred's Model T Ford.

"Let's get them inside before we freeze our tails off...,"Maw." Fred laughed. He carried the paper grocery bags stocked with groceries up in one arm and put his other arm around his wife while they walked up the little sidewalk to the back porch.

"You've got them both?" Frances asked, holding onto the other two paper grocery bags.

"Sure thing..." He said and they walked through the back door and into their little kitchen and set the groceries down for a moment. "I'll be right back..." Fred said and went downstairs to the basement with the limestone walls and floor, where on the floor, near the middle of the room there was the little coal furnace. He fed more wood into it, set it afire and then put the coal on top of that. He trudged back up the basement stairs. "Need any help putting that stuff away?"

"No." She smiled, patting his cheek. "You go ahead."

"I feel like some coffee..." Fred said, walking over to the little coffee pot on the stove, but it was empty.

"I'll make some...You go..." Frances chuckled, shooing him away, teasingly.

He laughed and laid a hand on her shoulder, and kissed her temple. Fred went into the front room and sat down in his chair. "Well...look what we have here." He whispered, chuckling at the two 'lovebirds' sleeping on the little pink couch. Frances soon came into the room with his coffee and sat on the chair's armrest. "Look at them..." She sighed.

"What?" He crooned, resting his hand on top of hers.

Frances sighed again but smiled. "Does it make you feel old?" She chuckled a little.

"Not necessarily...You?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Frances smiled. "In a few more weeks they'll be married..."

"Soon enough, they'll be making us grandparents...again...I can see how you think we're getting old..." Fred laughed, and gave her a little squeeze. She chuckled and looked at him, patting him on the knee. " We're 41 and 49. I hardly think that's old." Fred whispered in her ear...Eddie woke up slowly, and he had heard their talking.

"Oh...We're sorry if we've wakened you.." She whispered softly. Frances was sitting on her husband's lap now.

"No...No, it's fine..." Eddie replied, sitting up slightly, but remembered that Helen was still asleep, now cuddled against him. He grinned down at her and then looked at his future in-laws. "Did I tell you about our new place?"

"No, you didn't, boy!" Fred laughed. "Do tell."

"You know where Burkart's is?"

"Burkart's Point Antique Store?" Frances asked. It was the big brick building on Rhomberg Street.

"Yeah, that's the place...I've got it so we'll rent out the little brick house behind the store."

"Oh, that's very nice..." Frances smiled.

"Want you two to come out and see it with us."

"We'd be happy to." Fred said.

"You know...it's small...and not what I wanted...but I think it'll do well for our first place..."

"That will do." Frances said encouragingly. "It's not like you'll live there for the rest of your lives..."

"Right..." Eddie said. "Don't tell Helen this, but in a few years I'd like to buy the old Gruber place up there." He said motioning with a nod of his head. "I think Helen would like it...to live near here." The old Gruber farm was up the road and back into the woods a little ways. It also was a brick house...and had several other buildings on the property. One of which was where Big George Gruber had his blacksmith shop, when the Gruber's first bought the 140 acre farm in 1903. It took Big George, and Frances' older brothers 3 years to clear the forest well enough to build the buildings and to plant the first corn crop.

"We hope that works out for you, Eddie." Frances told him.

"Thanks.." He smiled a little. "I'm excited...Got the first few months rent paid already...now I just have to pay for the wedding."

"It'll work out, boy." Fred told him.

"Hope so..." Eddie said.


"Oh, Eddie...it's a cute little place!" Frances said. It was a little brick house, with shutters. Just shutters. There were no storm windows. But, Eddie said he would fix that soon enough. Fred, Frances, Eddie and Helen all went inside the little house. It was cold as there was no fire going in the little coal furnace in the middle of the big room. It was two rooms in one. A little kitchen off to the side, and a little sitting place on the other side of the room, and the little black coal furnace standing large and wide in the middle of the room. There was a little bedroom in the back for them.

"Like I said...it's small..." Eddie said, turning towards Helen.

"It's fine..." Helen smiled. "In times like these, I'm thankful that we will have a place to live in." She went over and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It'll be fine..." Helen smiled up a him.

"It's just...we'll need more room, I think...Gosh, it's still hard to grasp that we've got a kid on the way." Eddie ran a hand through his dark hair and tried to chuckle.

"We'll manage, Eddie." She said, and started to laugh a little. "And I'll bet in a few more months it won't be hard for either of us to grasp..." Helen said, concerning Eddie's last comment. "Sometimes...it's hard for me too..." She whispered. Helen buried her face in the coat he was wearing as he held her a moment.

"Oh, you kids...you'll do fine!" Fred told them.

"We're proud of you two..." Frances smiled and hugged both of them. "We're happy for you!"


January 30th, 1935. The date of the wedding was inching closer, but Eddie was fretting. The banks in Dubuque were all closing, because of the Depression, except for one or two. Eddie's bank had closed, and he couldn't get at the money he had worked so hard for! That made him angry and upset. He was glad though that he had the first few months rent paid off for their new place, but he had the wedding to think about!... He feared he might not have enough to pay for it...or a honeymoon. Heck, right now, he wasn't even able to buy Helen a wedding ring! He felt really bad about it. Helen assured him it would be fine, without those things.

Eddie was dressed in his old, brown suit, the day of the wedding. He and his family, minus his sister Bert had arrived at the Holy Ghost Church in Dubuque, IA, where he and Helen would be married by the priest, the Reverend George Hauck. What he had left to pay for the wedding, Eddie paid for it in nickels, dimes and quarters, and so he made sure to pay the officiant at once. Eddie was cool as a cucumber on the outside, per usual…but on the inside? He felt a hundred knots tied together in the pit of his stomach.

"You nervous, mein Sohn?" Eddie's mother, Rose Walbrun asked. Her real name was Rosina, but people referred to her as Rose. She stood there, fixing his reddish brown paisley tie for him. Eddie looked down at his mother and tried to smile, but said nothing.

"Oh...I don't feel good..." Helen said quickly, with a rush of her breath. "I don't know if it's just because of the baby...or my nerves!" Helen, Gilbertha, Fred, Frances and Fred Jr. were still at the Lay's home with Eddie's older sister Gilbertha, who was serving as the bridesmaid/matron of honor, was helping her get ready. Along with her mother.

"Just calm down..." Frances told her and had her sit down on the bed. "Deep breaths!...You're alright." She said soothingly. Helen sat with her head down, her arms around her middle.

"Just take your time...take your time."

"Oh Ma..." Helen burst out, nearly crying. "Am I really ready?!" All she could do was hug her mother then, so Helen did.

"Oh...Helen..." Frances said softly, patting her daughter's back. "I think so..." She held her daughter, those few moments to comfort her... "Only you know that for yourself though...but I'd say you've grown up so much..."

"I can't back out..." Helen mumbled.

"What?"

"I can't back out of this...Not now. I won't back out." Helen said determinedly. "I won't..."

"Well then...there's the spirit!" Frances said cheerily.

"I know I love Eddie...I'm just.." She said...and she sighed. Tears welled up in her brown eyes again.

"Scared..." Frances finished for her. "You're scared...I know, honey." She hugged her daughter again. "I know...It's okay."

"My brother loves you too, Helen. " Gilbertha said softly and smiled at her soon to be sister in law. "When he sees you, he looks at you like you've hung the moon! Like you're one those gorgeous heroines in a movie…..and I'll say! You'll take his breath away once he sees you in this dress! He won't be able to keep his eyes off you! Or his hands!" Bert grinned slyly and saw her blush. "I mean it, lovely! You are quite a beauty! We're might have to throw a bucket of ice water on that little brother of mine!" Bert chuckled and talked with Helen a mile a minute, such as her extroverted personality.

"That says something….coming from you, Bertha….." Helen told her a few moments later. "You're gorgeous! You've had tons of men after you! Even now that you're married too! Your smile lights up your whole face! A party isn't a party till you walk in the room!...Oh Gilbertha, you look so lovely today too." Bert was donned in a long tunic dress of beige color with fudge brown taffeta trim, complete with a matching hat.

"Honey, today's your day." Bert smiled softly. "I cant even hold a candle to ya, today…..I'm so happy to be getting another little sister." Bert smiled at the young woman dressed in a beautiful floor length formfitting gown of soft, snow white transparent velvet, with a very long tulle veil. The white gown had a slightly plunging cowl neckline and the dress sleeves were slightly puffed above the elbow and fitting like a glove on the lower part of her arm. Bert smiled and gave the bride her gorgeous bouquet of white carnations, white snap dragons, baby's breath and green fern, tied with a lovely large bow of tulle. "I must say…I love your all white bouquet, Helen! Blows my bronze chrysanthemum one I had for my own wedding out of the water! And I just love the light pink carnations with the fern I get to hold today….." Bert smiled at the young lady that would join her family in just a few hours. "I'm so happy my brother's marrying you!" Bert smiled but teared up a little bit as she hugged the young lady. "You're beautiful…." She told her again.

"Oh…." Helen worried and let out a breath. "You…you don't think it shows that I'm pregnant in this dress?! Oh dear….I knew I put on a couple pounds since my last dress fitting!" she worried and was nearly driven to tears. A few escaped her eyes in her worry.

"Oh, don't cry, lovely!" Bert said. "You're beautiful! You can't hardly tell….they won't notice! And it don't matter as far as I'm concerned…."

"Are you ready, dear?" Frances asked.

"Yes…I can do this..." She breathed, and got up off the bed and went to the little mirror and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, Bert helped her fix her hair and Helen smoothed her lovely, simple yet elegant wedding gown, gazing at herself in the vanity mirror. She touched up her makeup, with Bert's help,...The ivory face powder with a pink-ish tone, a light rose colored rouge, a light colored eyeshadow, and a deep raspberry red lipstick. Her eyebrows were plucked thin, as was the style back then. Helen hurried out of the bedroom and into the front room.

"Everything alright?" Her father whispered when she joined his side.

"Yes..." Helen whispered, about to cry again.

"Should we practice?" Fred grinned a bit and flipped her veil up. "Oh wait…..that rascal's supposed to do that…I forgot…I have to do something that I don't want to do today…." He breathed, feeling the tears well up. "Oh Sweetheart….you look so very beautiful." Fred whispered, kissing his only daughter on her forehead. "I dreamed this day would come….I just didn't know how much it would hurt…."

"Oh, don't cry, Papa! You'll get me crying and we just finished my makeup!" she laughed softly and so did her father, his stern look ever softening and tears hung in his gray blue eyes. "I'll never forget the day you came to me and told me, "Look Pop…I've gotten an engagement ring….and it's from Eddie…do you care?!"

Helen chuckled and her chest heaved with tears and laughter and she dabbed at her soft lovely brown eyes with a handchercheif.

"And I said, "Why no!" Fred laughed, straightening up. "He's a good man and I have nothing against him…..just don't make the mistake of getting married…" he was interrupted by his wife, Frances who gasped slightly and wanted to throw a pillow at the man. "Frederick John Lay!"

"Excuse me…." Fred laughed. "...as I was saying,….I had said, Just don't make the mistake of getting married unless Eddie has a steady job….I'm so glad he has a good job now, dear….and what I say about Eddie still rings true…..Otherwise, I'll take my gun and…."

"Oh Papa!" Helen laughed.

"I'm kidding….well partly. I do believe he is a good man though, Sweetheart."

"Let's get a move on,..." Fred Jr. the brother of the bride said, grinning slyly at something funny he had said. He always had a joke or something funny to say. He was serving as the best man. "I've gotta see how that kid's holding up! We all gotta get to Holy Ghost…..show can't start without you, sis."

"One…last…thing…." Fred said softly, spinning his daughter around, her back to him. She felt something cool around her neck.

"Mama's gold pendant…." Helen looked down at the simple gold cross pendant on a golden chain. Tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Same one your beautiful mother wore on our wedding day, July 16th, 1912…." Fred smiled sweetly at his wife and her eyes shined back at him. Frances smiled at her daughter. "You may borrow it to wear on your special day, my dear…."

"Oh now I'm really going to cry!" Helen exclaimed and unleashed the tears. "Oh, thank you so much, Mama! You wore it better, I'm sure…." She sniffled, touching the small gold cross pendant carefully like it was a million dollars and she let it fall softly on her skin.

"Any more crying and I'll have to bring an umbrella…." Fred Jr. grinned. "And in this January weather, it might just freeze. Anybody got any ice skates?!" Freddie laughed. "…Now are we all ready to go?"

"You'll have to drag me…." Fred muttered, smiling a little at his daughter. Fred Jr. took his mother and the bridesmaid in his automobile and the father of the bride took the job of transporting his precious cargo to the Holy Ghost Church, a short drive from their humble home on Peru Road. Fred wished he could stall some more. Have more time with her. He almost felt he was losing his sweet daughter. No more would she live with them in their home and brighten their home and each passing day. She would soon have her own home to be that light and that calmness (well…sometimes…) and sweetness. Her own husband. Soon, her first baby. Her own little family. "Where did the time go?" Fred thought, sighing. He still sometimes saw the cute little chubby girl she used to be, who he'd have to console after a nightmare. Or how he'd see the joy and love in her soft brown eyes whenever she'd look at him. From that very first moment she looked up at him as a newborn babe….till this very day, he saw it. Her loveliness. She smiled at him in all her beauty as a young bride, to which he smiled and remained silent, looking back at the road and soon they made it in front of the Holy Ghost Church in little old Dubuque, Iowa.

"This is it…where your life changes today. You'll go in with me on your arm, as Helen Lay….and you'll come out those double doors as…Helen Walbrun…..with…him…." Fred blinked back tears. He was getting emotional, he couldn't help it. He coughed and cleared his throat, letting the tears run down his cheeks.

"Oh Papa!" she cried and hugged her daddy's neck.

"This is hard for me…." Fred said quietly, "…Well…Beautiful girl….I'm sure your thoughts right now are "the sooner we get this done, the better'…" he laughed softly and brushed away more tears with his thumbs. "And …I want to get out of this monkey suit, myself!" He teased. Fred was all dressed up on this special day in a nice beige suit, on this chilly day on January 30th, 1935.

"Are you ready, Papa?" she whispered. He had helped her out of the car, in her lovely white dress. She took his arm on the front steps of the Holy Ghost Church, and they were standing there.

"No…." he said softly. "But I know you are…." He said quietly and listened as the church organ music had begun to play, sweet and strong and proud. Eddie had walked confidently down the center aisle, escorting his mother, Rosina Walbrun. His father walked behind them. Eddie escorted them to their seat where his younger siblings, Rosa and Johnnie were sitting on the front row on the groom's side. Soon Eddie joined the priest's side at the wedding altar. Fred Lay Jr. escorted his mother and grandmother down the aisle and after seating them on the front row, joined his spot by the groom. "Doing ok, kid?" Freddie whispered and slapped Eddie slightly on the arm, roughing him up a bit. There was no diamond ring for the bride, only her simple gold engagement ring that shone like the sun on her slender finger. She was already wearing it, and Eddie had no ring, so Freddie's hands were empty. Gilbertha made her way down the aisle alone, in her lovely beige and fudge brown ensemble, complete with the matching hat. Carrying her lovely simple bouquet of light pink carnations and green fern. She joined her place at the front of the church and the music played on as the church doors opened to reveal the bride and her father. Eddie gazed right at his bride with her long veil covering her face, and he swore his jaw dropped, but it hadn't. Tears welled up in his eyes and he took a breath and his hand curled up into a loose fist and went to his full lips. She looked absolutely enchanting. Lovely. Beautiful. He was at a loss for the proper wording to describe what he saw coming towards him. She looked like a dream.

Solemnly and slowly, father and daughter made their way to the wedding altar.

"Papa….you can pick up speed a bit, you know!" Helen chuckled, moving her head closer to him as she whispered to him. Fred slowly walked on and soon he stood there with his daughter at the front of the church, solemn and with tears welling up in his gray-blue eyes.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Mr. Joseph Edward Walbrun and Miss Helen Frances Lay in matrimony commended to be honorable among all; and therefore is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly and solemnly. Into this - these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace….."

No one,…not even Eddie Graff, who was in love with Helen,….made a noise or stood up. Ed Graff couldn't. He was embarrassed and he knew he couldn't come between the couple. And so the priest had greeted the congregation gathered there in that Catholic auditorium. And then Father Hauck led them all in a Catholic hymn called, "Gloria"

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,

we bless you,

we adore you,

we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,

O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

Son of the Father,

you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

"Who gives this lovely, gracious young woman to be married?" The priest asked. "I must say, Helen….you've never looked more beautiful. There is just something about seeing a bride before her bridegroom on their wedding day….."

"Like her mother….a charming, gracious young woman." Franziska whispered and smiled at her daughter Frances, remembering that was how they had described her too on her wedding day.

There they were, standing in the very same church Fred and Frances had gotten married in on July 16th, 1912….with a different priest….and on this day, Fred had a completely different role. "Too tight, Papa…." Helen leaned and whispered to him. "You're holding my arm too tight!" she whispered and breathed a little chuckle. "Papa…" she whispered.

"Her mother and I…." he said, softly snapping into reality, he closed his gray-blue eyes that he knew had tears in them.

"Papa….you can let go now…." She whispered.

"No…I cant…" Fred whispered and choked back tears. But even so, he shakily kissed her forehead, hugged her one last time and passed his only daughter's dainty hands into the strong rough hands of another man. "Ich liebe dich…." He whispered "I love you" in German to his daughter and gave one stern look at his soon to be son in law. That was just his way. A stern look and a nod, and Fred took his seat next to his dear wife as they watched their little girl get married.

"She's beautiful…." Frances whispered and dabbed at her eyes with her hanky. "I don't think I've ever seen her more beautiful." Frances looked over at her husband who had his serious look on his face, yet she saw tears come to his eyes again, as he watched the traditional Catholic ceremony. "Oh honey…" Frances felt tears come to her brown eyes too and she dabbed at her husband's tears. "I know…." She whispered. And her gentle hand found his thick one, and she held it and later patted his knee.

"She's about as beautiful as you were on your wedding day, dear…." Franziska Gruber whispered to her daughter.

"Oh Ma…." Frances' eyes smiled. They gazed on at the young couple on this day of love.

The couple soon kneeled down at the little kneeling space at the altar and were blessed with Holy water and olive oil, along with other Catholic blessings and prayers during a typical Catholic wedding ceremony. The two were given Communion.

"The Body of Christ" the priest had said after his very long spiel and gave them each a wafer into their mouths and the two young people shared the cup of wine together, all while the priest solemnly sung the Catholic hymn, "One Bread, One Body."

"One bread, one body

One Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many

Throughout the earth

We are one body in this one Lord

Many the gifts

Many the works

One in the Lord of all"

Catholics believe their parts of the Communion to be the literal Blood and literal Body of our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Helen did not consume a mouthful of wine, she only let "the Precious Blood" as they called it, touch her lips. She thought that was enough. The two both gestured the Sign of the Cross as they were finished.

There came the time of the Exchangement of Rings. "There are no rings…..'cept her engagement ring. She's wearing that…..I ain't even got a ring for myself yet…" Eddie whispered, embarrassed and looked at Helen as he held her hand in both of his own. "I promise….I'll get you a diamond ring someday…."

"You'll need a wedding band too…" she whispered, gazing those soft eyes up at him. "We'll buy a matching set…" Helen felt a smile light up her face, as she stared lovingly into the eyes of her Sweetheart. Her Love. The man that would become, in just a few short moments, her husband.

Father George Hauck stood straight and tall and he spoke, as he looked at Eddie., "Do you take, Helen Frances Lay as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do" Eddie seriously replied. "The fact that I am here today is a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

"…and do you Helen, take Mr. Joseph Edward Walbrun as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I most certainly do…." Helen smiled softly up at Eddie…. "I take this ring I am wearing as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

"By the power vested in me, by the State of Iowa, on this 30th day in January, in the year nineteen hundred and thirty five, it is my great pleasure to now pronounce you, husband and wife…..You may now kiss your bride…."

"Wow..." Eddie whispered and smiled at her a moment.

"Here, I'll take that…." Gilbertha whispered, smiling and took Helen's elegant all white bouquet from her and smoothed the train of her dress.

Then Eddie softly lifted her wedding veil, and he leaned down a little and their lips finally met. They were now husband and wife.

"What GOD hath joined together….let no man put asunder…."

"It is my great pleasure to now present to this congregation, Mr. And Mrs. Joseph Edward Walbrun….." the priest announced. The bride and her groom walked off happily down the center aisle, with Helen stopping just a moment by her father and softly gripped his hand and kissed him on the forehead. "Ich liebe dich, Papa…" Helen smiled, with tears in her eyes. Fred saw her trail off down the aisle, with that Walbrun boy on her arm. He was solemn still, and his eyes were dry. Fred Jr. escorted Gilbertha down the center aisle till they got to those double doors of the Holy Ghost Catholic church.

"Might I take things from here?" Paul Bardrick grinned, and lent his arm to his wife.

"Well…" Fred Jr. chuckled. "She's your wife!" and so he let the man take the beautiful young woman from his arm.

"Oh Paul!" Bert laughed at him.

Fred gathered all the immediate family on both sides up together. "Come…everyone! Breakfast at Eiseneggars' restaurant! It's celebrating time!" and so they had their breakfast meal at the Eiseneggars restaurant on 11th and Iowa Streets, talking and laughing. Indeed a wonderful time for a wondrous occasion.

"My gosh, Eddie! You looked so nervous…I thought you were going to throw up!" Fred Jr. exclaimed. "I might expect that with my baby sister, over there next to you!" he laughed.

"Why yes….I have an excuse!" Helen's eyes gleamed up at her new husband, teasing him. "Oh Sweetheart, I love you…"

Eddie smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "I love you….my Amado…..that's Portuguese for Beloved." Eddie whispered, smiling at her and his fingers danced and played with her own till he covered them with his and lovingly held her hand. "You're so beautiful….Soft eyes that seem as though they see my most inner thoughts. Lovely cheeks just as soft as velvet. Lips as soft as the petals of a Rose & Teeth even & strong..."

And later that day, they went to the home of the bride's parents. Frances opened up the French doors and they went into her little sewing room where all the wedding presents were put. Their wedding presents were simple, but it was things that they needed. The most expensive wedding gift Eddie and Helen were given was a half ton of coal that cost $8.00 per ton in those days. The couple was also given jars of homemade canned goods, such as canned vegetable and fruit preserves.

Rose Walbrun went and hugged Helen. "Willkommen to our family!...You look most beautiful bride…" She said happily, in her broken English. "Now...you two come und have supper with us before you go home to your new place...wir take pictures too...Ja?"

After having a nice supper there, Eddie's father drove them to their new residence behind the Burkart's Point Antique store. Father and son carried in the wedding presents and set them in the little sitting room area. Eddie's father told them goodnight and then left for his own home.

"Well..." Eddie grunted, kneeling down and loading coal into the coal burning furnace. "...I'm beat...what about you?"

"Exhausted..." She breathed and sat down at their little bare kitchen table.

"It's been a good day..." Eddie smiled at her. "...We'll wait awhile for the place to warm up and we can hit the sack!"

"I'm so tired I could fall asleep right now..." Helen chuckled.

"I'd carry you to bed then." Eddie smiled and walked over and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"You need to help me out of my wedding dress first…" Helen grinned at the love of her life.

Author's Note: I rewrote this chapter after I found Eddie and Helen wedding announcement on Newspaper Archives. Hope you enjoyed it! Please review.

Parts of this chapter are inspired by Eddie and Helen's love letters….newspaper articles I've found….and also the song, "You Can Let Go Now Daddy"