This will wrap up this series of posts concerning photos from the wedding of Florence McClain and Lloyd Wright. I can’t promise there aren’t more wedding photos lurking in the archives somewhere, but I believe this series has covered most of them. If I do come across more, I will post them, of course.
Bernard McClain at the reed organ, which he painted to resemble a theater organ of the day (white with glitter, with some darker trim). It is a pity the finish of the organ is not more clearly visible. There was a photo of him at the organ in the first post in this series, but the bottom half of the organ was not visible in that one. Also the clarinet on a stand on the left was only barely visible. (Did Bernard playapparently played the clarinet for the wedding in addition to the organ.) I believe what looks almost like a smudge on the photo in the middle of the keyboard is a rear-view mirror.This photo reflects a curious fact about the wedding guests. Even though it was not a large wedding, the guests included three sets of identical twins, shown in this photo. Ray and Roy Warren (sons of Nellie McClain Warren, Arthur McClain’s sister) are on the left. The twins in the middle I know only as the “McClain” twinsare Geneva and Jeannette McClain (daughters of Deo McClain, Arthur McClain’s cousin). See the comment to this post for more about them.I don’t have names beyond that. Since the twin on the left seems to be wearing a wedding ring, I suspect these ladies are twins that married into the McClain family. But I don’t have enough information to identify them. (If you can help, please do!) The twins on the right are Merle and Mertice Buchner, friends from Tallman.
4 thoughts on ““The” Wedding, July 9, 1933 (Part 5)”
Yes, my dad played the clarinet – and I played it too for a couple of years – about 6th or 7th grade, I think. He wrote, ” The musical program at Lebanon High School was small and in bits and pieces. Most of the instrumentalists had received little instruction beforehand. This included me. Grandpa Hammell had bought a second hand clarinet for me, together with a self-help instruction book. Much individual tutoring was necessary, along with uninvited “kibitzing” from other members. We never played in a concert, but for the commencement of ’28, our class, we played a very simplified version of a few bars from the “Surprise ” Symphony of Haydn. It was a surprise that we got through it, because it was plenty ragged!”
Good for you, Lloyd, for noticing the rear-view mirror! Very clever of them! Good “twins” picture! Can’t help on the identification of the “girls.” Good to see Ray and Roy, and Merle and Mertice again, if only in a photo!
I’m not sure why this didn’t turn up yesterday when I was looking, but anyway… The “McClain” twins (I’m reasonably sure) are Geneva and Jeannette McClain, twin daughters of Deo McClain (Arthur McClain’s cousin and long-time resident of Albany). They were sixteen years old at the time of the wedding. Geneva is the one with the ring (and I now suspect she had her hand over her sister’s shoulder specifically to show off the ring).
I was initially skeptical that she would have been engaged at age sixteen, but her marriage to Harold Nemchick three years later is reported in the June 20, 1936 Albany Democrat-Herald. Harold was also from Oregon and lived in Albany at some point. (The 1930 census shows him living with his parents in Dallas.) Geneva turned eighteen in 1935, and graduated from high school—which wasn’t necessarily typical at that time; her husband completed only grade eight. The 1940 census shows Harold and Geneva living in San Francisco. They were back in the Albany area by 1945 because (sadly) their infant son Gary died there that year. Harold passed away in Albany in 1975. Geneva passed away in the area in 1990, and is buried in Albany.
Jeannette (to be fair to both twins) married Roy Olson (who was Harold’s best man when he married Geneva) in 1942, and they apparently remained in the Albany area. He passed away in 1971. Jeannette survived him by 28 years, passing away in 1999. Both are buried in Albany.
Yes, my dad played the clarinet – and I played it too for a couple of years – about 6th or 7th grade, I think. He wrote, ” The musical program at Lebanon High School was small and in bits and pieces. Most of the instrumentalists had received little instruction beforehand. This included me. Grandpa Hammell had bought a second hand clarinet for me, together with a self-help instruction book. Much individual tutoring was necessary, along with uninvited “kibitzing” from other members. We never played in a concert, but for the commencement of ’28, our class, we played a very simplified version of a few bars from the “Surprise ” Symphony of Haydn. It was a surprise that we got through it, because it was plenty ragged!”
How funny! Thanks so much, Judy.
Good for you, Lloyd, for noticing the rear-view mirror! Very clever of them! Good “twins” picture! Can’t help on the identification of the “girls.” Good to see Ray and Roy, and Merle and Mertice again, if only in a photo!
I’m not sure why this didn’t turn up yesterday when I was looking, but anyway… The “McClain” twins (I’m reasonably sure) are Geneva and Jeannette McClain, twin daughters of Deo McClain (Arthur McClain’s cousin and long-time resident of Albany). They were sixteen years old at the time of the wedding. Geneva is the one with the ring (and I now suspect she had her hand over her sister’s shoulder specifically to show off the ring).
I was initially skeptical that she would have been engaged at age sixteen, but her marriage to Harold Nemchick three years later is reported in the June 20, 1936 Albany Democrat-Herald. Harold was also from Oregon and lived in Albany at some point. (The 1930 census shows him living with his parents in Dallas.) Geneva turned eighteen in 1935, and graduated from high school—which wasn’t necessarily typical at that time; her husband completed only grade eight. The 1940 census shows Harold and Geneva living in San Francisco. They were back in the Albany area by 1945 because (sadly) their infant son Gary died there that year. Harold passed away in Albany in 1975. Geneva passed away in the area in 1990, and is buried in Albany.
Jeannette (to be fair to both twins) married Roy Olson (who was Harold’s best man when he married Geneva) in 1942, and they apparently remained in the Albany area. He passed away in 1971. Jeannette survived him by 28 years, passing away in 1999. Both are buried in Albany.