2.22 Wedding Bells

Marian McLellan, age 22, 1956

June 16, 1956, Upland, California ~ Our wedding was at the First Methodist Church in Upland, a lovely brick church my family attended since before I was born. Many supportive family friends from through the years joined us as well as our relatives. The minister, Dr. Lee, said that if I guaranteed the rope, he would guarantee the knot. I was 23 and Gordon (Larry) was 22. We knew we loved, liked, and were best friends with each other and were ready to spend our whole life together. We met and started dating when we were attending college at San Jose State when I was 19. The year before our wedding, Gordon was working on his Masters Degree at Ohio University and I was teaching 2nd grade in Ventura. It was a time when we were budgeting very carefully, so phone calls were few and letters went back and forth almost every day. In 1955, Gordon came to California on the train to spend Christmas vacation with my family and me. On Christmas Eve we became engaged and started planning our future together.

Larry and Dad, his best man

I knew I had picked out a hard working, determined young man, bright, responsible, and sincere. He had managed to put himself through college entirely on his own, often working several jobs at a time. He was in graduate school on a scholarship and was a counselor in a men’s dormitory. He was also fun loving, positive, and spontaneous. I remember him one day suddenly stopping the car to buy me a bunch of roses. Besides his great interest in his studies, he was a musician playing the tuba in various bands and orchestras.

While dressing in my princess style wedding dress of Chantilly lace and tulle, my mind was less than calm. I remembered wondering what we would talk about day after day with the same person for the rest of our lives. I questioned… and then reassured myself. I was nervous, scared, and happy. I gave my hair a last-minute brush and a quick hair spray, which turned out to be the bathroom Lysol spray can. I hoped my clean disinfectant smell would dissipate before I got to the church. When I slipped the pearl tiara with the fingertip veil on my head and stood at the back of the church with my father’s arm linked into mine, I concentrated on looking carefully at everything so the day wouldn’t be a blur. Light came through the windows with colorful stained-glass symbols in them, windows I had studied and gazed at since I was a child. Large bouquets of white flowers were up front. My teaching buddies and roommates from Ventura, Barbara Lind and Janice Copeland, were my bridesmaids, one dressed in soft yellow and the other in light aqua; they carried yellow and white marguerites as I loved daisies. I treasured my orchid bouquet. Up front, the preacher, Gordon, his Dad as best man, and his brother-in-law Chuck Albertson were ready and waiting.

Mendelssohn’s Wedding March sounded out on the organ and Dad and I proceeded down the aisle. I knew Dad was wishing Gordon and me the very best and I was wishing for a marriage as splendid as his and Mom’s as he placed my hand in Gordon’s and the marriage ceremony began.

In 1956 most receptions were unpretentious occasions in the social hall at the church. That is where our guests joined us and the traditional wedding cake was served. It was simple. It was beautiful. It was joyous.

That evening we began our trip back to Ohio getting only as far as Cucamonga on the first lap. On arrival at the University, we became dorm parents for 300 young women for a summer session, a large family for newlyweds. Before we returned to California we had a real honeymoon trip to Washington D.C., New York City, and some special days at Niagra Falls.

by Marian (McLellan) Clemens

Marian McLellan, SJS 1954 age 21

Making Music, by Marian (McLellan) Clemens ~ In 1952 Gordon Lawrence Clemens was a music major at San Jose State College where I was studying to be an elementary teacher. I went to a college basketball game with my friend, June, who played in the band and I sat next to the tuba player. At that time he was known as Larry and one of my dates with him was very different from any other date I have had. I sat by myself in the huge San Jose Civic Auditorium listening to the strains of the San Jose Symphony being conducted by Sandor Salgo. On stage Larry was playing, his large brass tuba sounding out the low harmony notes. When they played “Der Meistersinger” by Wagner, Larry had the tuba solo, and I was duly impressed. It was a clear, pure tone with rapid perfect fingering and it sounded like he had fun with his part.

Larry first played tuba in high school. He also ran the mile in track, so in choosing an instrument the track coach suggested he learn the tuba because it takes more breath to play and might be great for his lung capacity. When he graduated, he received the award for the outstanding music student at Sonora High School.

By the time Larry was a senior in college, he changed his major to psychology/philosophy with a music minor. He continued through graduate school at Ohio University playing in the Brass Choir and becoming a school counselor. With that, his days of marching band and symphony orchestra came to an end.

to be continued…

© 2018. Catherine Sevenau.
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