Hasn’t lost her marbles yet

Editor’s note — Was it 1960s humor or just an irresistible classic? Two couples reported falling victim to the same prank in the following two submissions.

Barbara and John Meyer walk back down the aisle after marrying in 1967. Joke relieved their wedding jitters

We were married at St. Gall Catholic Church in Colton on Oct. 21, 1967. After exchanging our vows and kneeling at the altar we could hear giggling and talking going on behind us.

Unbeknownst to us, the groomsmen had written on the soles of John’s shoes in large letters, “HELP ME.” Of course this was visible to the whole congregation.

This bit of humor helped take the edge off our nervousness. Lots of laughs later, we celebrated our 53rd anniversary. — John and Barbara Meyer, of Uniontown, married in 1967

Grooms, always check your shoes

Courtesy of Deanna Hasenoehrl At a very solemn time during the wedding ceremony there were hushed and not-so-hushed snickers from those attending. The message on the groom’s shoes explains why. The two are Deanna and Phillip Hasenoehrl, who wed in 1965 and were married 52 years before his death in 2017. It was the first wedding at the then-new Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lapwai. Deanna still lives on the family farm in Culdesac.

So, I proposed, and she said yes. “We have a wedding to plan,” she said. “We could go to Reno,” I suggested. “You don’t even have to get out of the car. And for an extra five bucks you can have flowers. For a little more you can get an Elvis to attend. Quick and simple, and I won’t miss much work.”

Not what she had in mind.

So she planned, and I agreed. We bought rings, set a date and started building a house together. She planned some more and the date got closer. We bought wedding clothes, sent invitations and arranged for the chapel at Camp Alacca, and the date got closer.

Then the fun began. The night before wedding eve, her 5-year-old brother got the flu and was sick all over the floor and yelled for his mother. She ran to his room, slipped in the floor mess and fell, breaking her arm. Along with that, the bride had come down with a terrible cold and bronchitis. The date had arrived.

The actual wedding went quite well, with the bride on meds and her mother in an arm cast. The reception went well, and we stayed visiting until too late. Then it was off on our honeymoon trip to Disneyland.

But my silly bride had left the trip-planning to me, so there was no plan. We left Harpster and headed south with no idea how far we would drive and no reservations anywhere. Sometime after midnight we arrived in Jordan Valley, Ore. The only motel with a room available was made up of several mobile homes remodeled into motel rooms next to a bar. It was Saturday night, and everyone in town was at the bar that night and having a good time. We got checked in, and I was tired out. My bride, however, with her cold, was all stuffed up and had aching ears from the ups and downs of our drive. While I slept, she lay awake, listening to the drunks peeling around outside in their cars and throwing beer bottles against our “motel.” Everyone’s dream of a wedding night.

That was more than 47 years ago, and she is still putting up with me. We have always worked together over those years and have built several houses and rebuilt several more, raised three kids, and now have five grandkids and a great-granddaughter.

We do now make reservations ahead when we travel. We have learned a few things. — Lucky and Nancy Brandt, of Kooskia, married in 1974

Courtesy Nancy and Lucky Brandt pose for a wedding portrait with their parents. Notice the cast peeking out of the mother of the bride’s sleeve.