Surnames: Mertens, Catura, Riley, Doonan, Knaack, Stewart

----Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 09/05/1946

Mertens, *Phyllis Lorraine #2 (31 AUG 1946)

Saturday afternoon at two-thirty o’clock, Miss Phyliss Mertens became the bride of William Catura, Jr., in a lovely double ring church ceremony. The ceremony took place at St. Katherine’s Church, Owen, Wis. (Clark Co., Wis.), with Dr. K. O. Crosby officiating and assisted by Father R. E. Ortmayer, former vicar of St. Katherine’s parish and now in Chippewa Falls.

Miss Mertens made a very attractive bride as she marched down the aisle of the church on the arm of her father, who gave her in marriage, to the strain of Lohengrin’s Wedding March, played by her cousin Joyce Stewart. Previous to the ceremony two vocal selections by another cousins, Mary Loris Stewart, "Oh Promise Me" and "I Love You Truly" were sung.

Her bridal gown was a white formal with a net train. It had a bouffant net skirt flared from a snug fitting bodice and long sleeves of lace. Her only jewelry, a double strand pearl choker, was a gift of the groom. She carried a beautiful bridal bouquet with a center of pink roses and bordered with white roses and white streamers and rose buds. The maid of honor, her sister, Inez, and bridesmaid, Kathleen Riley, wore gowns of identical design of pink and blue respectively of net and peplum, three-quarter length sleeves and matching blusher veils caught to a wreath of fresh rose buds, completed their costumes. Each carried a lovely floral bouquet. Their pearl chokers were gifts of the bride. Nona Gail Mertens, a sister of the bride, was flower girl and completed the beautiful bridal procession.

The groom was attended by two close friends, Terry Doonan as best man, and Donald Knaack as groomsman. All wore conventional business suits and boutonnières.

At four-thirty a reception was given at the Woodland Hotel at which more than 100 guests were served. Its main dining hall was specially decorated for the memorable occasion with large baskets of cut flowers, as was the church. The bridal party’s table was centered with a large three-tier wedding cake with an ornament of a bridal couple within a wedding bell adorning its top. That evening a large wedding dance was given in honor of the couple at Merry Ol’ Gardens Dance Hall, which a large number of friends and relatives attended.

Both of the young people are well known in this community. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nick Mertens of Withee, a graduate of the Withee High School, and for the past year has been employed at the Jensen Brothers Drug Store in this city. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Catura, Owen. He graduated from the Owen High School and for four years served with the Army, more than three years of which time was served overseas in Italy. Now he is employed as a lineman with the Commonwealth Telephone Co.

After a week’s honeymoon trip in northern Wisconsin the couple will make their home in Owen, residing in the recently remodeled apartment in the Edward Lehnen building in the Third Ward.

Included among the guests that attended the wedding ceremony were: Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Mertens and Johnny Mertens of Sheboygan; Mr. and Mrs. Orville Matzke and family of Wausau; Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Lang and daughter Eva Jean, and Mrs. Donald Long of Unity; Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Stewart and daughters, Joyce and Mary of Greenwood; Miss Elaine Larson of Thorp; Mr. and Mrs. Glen Good and son, Stanley; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Good, Mrs. Charlie Holscher of Madison; Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ede of Mondovi, and Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Bolman and daughter Helen of Eau Claire.

*Note the first and middle name spellings were taken from a previous entry. This article had the spelling of Phyliss.