On September 2nd, 1967, John Albin and I were married at 11:00 AM, at Saint Stephens Church in Middleport NY, (Wedding Photo?) which was one town over from Gasport. Our pretty little Church had burned down.
0ur reception was a luncheon at the Apple Grove Inn in Medina. At that time there were two places to have a reception, or at the fire hall where the lady’s auxiliary would fix a cold spread of meats and salads (in back of the firetrucks). The price was the same, so my parents opted for the Apple Grove which had s delicious smorgasbord, topped off with their famous Cinnamon rolls! Someone had already booked the big rooms we had the smaller one in the front. No room for dancing, so we had an Organ player. Don’t ask.
My mother had helped me with everything, picking out the gown, pictures and the very important going away outfit. It was September, so of course it was a wool blend. After the reception, we came back to the the house to change and pick up our bags, I found my younger brother. David, already installed in my bedroom! After I kicked him out. I got ready, to say goodbye to my folks and aunts and uncles and was ready to. But there was a problem, no keys to the car- John thought my brothers had taken them to be funny, they hadn’t. I had a set, so we left. Tourns out the keys were in the tuxedo jacket pocket on the way back to Long Island.
We made it to some town in Massachusetts. The next day we dressed up for mass (had promised my Mom) so there we were, all dresses up and ready to go. Mass was full, so we skipped and decided to go see Plymouth Rock before our final stop of Hyannis. The Rock was a rock, and we went back to the car to leave, but it wouldn’t start. John had the hood up and couldn’t figure out what to do. Suddenly, a good samaritan, came along and asked if he could take a look ? Then asked if I had a bobby pin. He did something and car started. Then he told us to follow Then he told us to follow him to his garage. A few detours around the annual Portuguese Loyally Day parade, we arrived at a Gulf gas Station.)
He had his mechanic keys who put the car up on the lift and worked on it for a while. We were wondering how we are going how we were going to able to pay him and we started opening our wedding cards hoping to find some cash. When the car came down off the lift the very nice man, who had only been in town because he needed batteries for his drink stirrer, told us it was a bad solenoid, and now it was okay. We asked him how much we owed him. He said, “you’re on your honeymoon, aren’t you?” We told him we were. He gave us a map of the Cape, told us where to visit, gave us a Gulf litter bag and the Gulf lucky horseshoes that stuck on the back of the car and told us we owed him nothing but to have a good life. So, we did!
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