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2024 52 Ancestors: Cultural Tradition - The Foltz Wedding Anniversary

My paternal grandparents were married on the 9th of April in 1939. It was a Sunday in San Bernardino, California.

Harry and Alta (Eggenberger) Foltz, 9 Apr 1939, San Bernardino, California.

But it wasn't just any Sunday in April, it happened to be Easter Sunday. They were accompanied by two of their friends from the Pasadena area, where they were living at the time, Jesse E. Chamberlain and A. E. Myers Jr.

Jesse was a laundry mangler residing nearby Alta, so I assume they met by chance within their community. Myers and his family ran the restaurant that Harry bartended at on the corner of Orange Grove and Fair Oaks avenues in Pasadena. It appeared to be a very small affair, indeed, as I know Harry's out-of-state mom was not able to be in attendance and I assume the same went for Alta's out-of-state mom, as well, their fathers both having passed away when they were younger.

Harry and Alta (Eggenberger) Foltz with marriage witnesses Jesse Chamberlain and A. E. Myers, Jr., 9 Apr 1939, San Bernardino, California.

Minister of the Gospel, Floyd W. Rollins, united them in marriage. Rollins was a Methodist minister for St. Paul's Methodist Church South at 450 5th Street in San Bernardino. While very likely their ceremony was held in that church, there's no clear reason as to why they chose that city or location to be married. Unfortunately, a structure no longer stands on that property, so I'm also unsure what the venue looked like.


Harry and Alta (Eggenberger) Foltz marriage certificate, 9 Apr 1939, San Bernardino, California.


While American tradition now entails donning a white gown on your wedding day, Alta wore nothing of the sort back in 1939. And although the black and white photos will forever mask the color she chose on her big day, the contrast in the film makes clear it was anything but white. She did, however, sport a simple veil hanging from her hat that looks to have been the modicum of fashion for the day.

The tradition they did keep up was celebrating their wedding anniversary each year. However, even this deserved a bit of a twist for the couple. Rather than a yearly toast on their wedding date of April 9th, they chose to raise a glass to their blissful marriage every Easter Sunday! It didn't matter that Easter would land on a different week each year. It was their day. Their holiday.





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  1. StephenNovember 16, 2024 at 3:02 AM

    My parents were married in post-war England when the rationing was still on so Mum said she wouldn't feel right spending money on something that she would only wear once (hopefully). I have a photo of their wedding and she wore a suit.

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    1. KiraNovember 16, 2024 at 11:34 AM

      Thank you for sharing (and commenting), Stephen! I think your mum's rationale was spot on! I love that she wore a suit.

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