Fearless Females: Going To The Chapel

Day #4 of Fearless Females, thanks to Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist blog, asks the following: Do you have marriage records for your grandparents or great-grandparents? Write a post about where they were married and when. Any family stories about the wedding day? Post a photo too if you have one.



I wonder what our ancestors would think if, once they had gotten over the astonishment of television, they watched an episode of Bridezilla not to mention the power of advertising behind DeBeer's campaign to create the diamond engagement ring.  What has become of the wedding of the new millennium? And having a third party plan your wedding? As we said in the 60s and 70s ... we've come a long way, baby!


I've shared my maternal grandparent's wedding photo on an previous post and for today's prompt I couldn't decide which of my great-grandparent's to feature but a coin toss made the decision for me.


The last entry in the above photo is the entry from St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Anoka, MN, recording the marriage of Francis Xavier Bergeron and Mary Elizabeth Reinwand, my father's paternal grandparents. Translated from French to English the document reads: A.D. 1886 die. Oct 26 joined in matrimony S.R.E. Francis Bergeron and Mary Reinwand, witnesses Gulidimus Stack and Julia Reinwand. Officiating Wm. Brennan


Francis and Mary remained in the Ham Lake/Anoka area for their entire lives raising a family of eight children; my grandfather Charles Edward Bergeron was their first born. They buried four of their children as a result of the flu pandemic of the early 1900s and would raise several grandchildren either as a result of death or divorce. I can't imagine they ever spent any part of their life without children to raise and support.


While I don't have a wedding photograph, I do have a photograph commemorating Francis and Mary's 65th wedding anniversary, thanks to the generosity of a distant cousin who is the Keeper Of Everything in her family.


From the November 4, 1948, issue of the Anoka Herald is the following article, found on Page 1:

F.X. Bergerons Feted on 65th Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. F. X. Bergeron were guests of honor at an open house at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Myrtle Spohn, Sunday afternoon in celebration of their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary. Their anniversary fell on October 26, but the celebration was held on Sunday so that more would be able to attend.

The refreshment table was centered with a lovely bouquet of rose and white chrysanthemums, a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Swanson of Burns and an attractive cake with sixty-five tiny colored candles on it was also a feature of the table appointments. The cake was made by Mrs. Armand Faubert of Minneapolis. The Fauberts were former neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Bergeron near Crooked Lake and were among those present for the celebration. A delicious lunch was served and the remainder of the time was spent in visiting.

Mr. Bergeron was born in East Dayton June 10, 1863, and Mrs. Bergeron in Michigan on September 15, 1864. Both were brought to Anoka township by their parents when very young. Mrs. Bergeron was the former Mary Reinwand and she was two years old when she came to Crooked Lake. Mr. Bergeron was three years old when his parents moved to what is now the Crain Home near WCCO.

Mr. and Mrs. Bergeron were married in St. Stephens church, Anoka, October 26, 1883, and have lived in Anoka and Anoka township ever since. Eight children were born to this union of which four, Marie, Ethel, Henry and Frank, died some years ago. The other four, with their families, were all present. They were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bergeron and Carol of Antigo, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Campbell and sons of Minneapolis; Mr. and Mrs. Earl Bergeron and Gregory of Crooked Lake. Grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many friends also called during the afternoon.

The honored couple receive many gifts along with the best wishes of all. Mr. and Mrs. Bergeron are loved and respected by all who know them and they have a host of friends who wish them well.

Copyright (c) 2010 Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski

Parlez-vous Family-Speak?

Jeff Scherwinski, circa 1980. Photo in possession of Cindy Scherwinski; Bergeron Family Papers

Somewhere in my library of treasured research books, buried within the chapters and paragraphs is a sentence that forever changed my approach to family history research. While I cannot recall the exact quote, or give credit to the author, in essence it said that every family needs someone designated as the Keeper of Everything. Up until that moment, I viewed myself as someone who's hobby was genealogy. Now I came to the realization that I was more than just the person that everyone tried to avoid at family reunions - the cousin/sister/aunt ("don't ask her how we are related!") chasing people down asking for family event places and wanting to know who has the personal effects of great Aunt Ruby. I was now The Keeper of Everything in my family. This designation includes recording for posterity, the 'isms of our family. My father's contributions will fill an entire chapter all by itself.


But without a doubt, one of my favorite family phrases was uttered one summer evening by my son, Jeff.

Four generations circa August 1975

Left to right: Alma Polar Space, Cindy Bergeron Scherwinski holding Christopher John Scherwinski, Phyllis Space Bergeron. Photo in possession Cindy Scherwinski; Space Family Papers

It was apparent from a very early age that Jeff had inherited his Grandmother Bergeron and his father's artistic talents. There was no detail too small that would escape Jeff's attention, eventually making its way onto his drawing paper. I have always wished I could see the world through his eyes; I'm convinced that the colors are brighter and the miniscule loom large. To this day, I treasure time spent with Jeff. We share a love of music and all things celtic and he shows me the delights of this world that I might otherwise miss. During the summer of Jeff's tenth birthday, he found a Blue-spotted Salamander and kept the discovery to himself until he shared his secret with me but only after I promised not to tell anyone else (aka his brothers). Jeff wanted to keep the intrusion on the salamander to a minimum to insure that he (and I) could observe it whenever we wanted - which we did until the first frost appeared in early autumn.


If memory serves me correct, one of my favorite Jeff-ism's, appeared to have come out of the blue one evening at the dinner table, all though I'm sure he had been mulling this particular thought over for quite some time.

"Too bad Grandma Space never had any kids of her own."

What followed was a painfully detailed explaination that I viewed as the perfect opportunity to share my love of genealogy with my family. More than likely it was at this moment my children came to the realization that they should never ask the line of descent from any name, living or dead, that does not found familiar to them without expecting a long dissertation.


My delight in enlightening my family to the wonders of genealogy was met with a lot of blank stares, that deer in the headlights look I find oh so often at those family reunions. What seemed obvious to me - Grandma Bergeron is Grandma Space's daughter - just wasn't registering with Jeff. In the middle of yet one more way to explain why Grandma Bergeron was Grandma Space's child, Jeff interrupted me with the plea ...

"Mom. Just cut that in half."

Is it any wonder Art Linkletter made a bundle on "Kids Say The Darnest Things."

Copyright © 2008 by Cindy Scherwinski