BioM: McPherson, Leah #2 (1955)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: McPherson, Sailor, Poulton, Grosch, Graham, Hoffman, Swearingen, Davis, Scott, Rossman

----Source: Loyal Tribune (Loyal, Clark Co., Wis.) 12/8/1955

McPherson, Leah #2 (26 NOV 1955)

A wedding of interest to Loyal (Clark Co., Wis.) residents was solemnized in First Methodist Church, Litchfield, Ill., Saturday evening Nov. 26, 1955.

The bride’s maternal grandparents are O.D. Pouton and the late Mrs. O.D. Poulton, residents of Loyal for many years; her paternal grandmother is Mrs. Stena Rossman, a resident of Loyal; her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Douglas McPherson, both former Loyal residents; and the bride, Miss Leah McPherson, was also a former resident of Loyal.

Vows uniting Miss McPherson and Hobart K. Sailor were received before an altar flanked by large floor vases of white chrysanthemums, potted palms, and cibotium fern, and softly lighted by cathedral candles.  The vows were received by the father of the bridegroom, Rev. D.K. Sailor, pastor of Grace Methodist Church, Urbana, Ill., and Dr. W.N. Grandy, dean of McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill.  The double ring ceremony was used.  Dr. Grandy, a former pastor of the Loyal Methodist Church, officiated at the marriage of the bride’s parents 23 years ago.

A short organ recital preceded the ceremony and the Lohengrin and Mendelsohn wedding marches were used for the processional and recessional.  The bridegroom’s brother, Lt. Harlan Sailor, Texas, sang "I Love The, Dear" and "Because," before the wedding and following the exchange of vows he sang "The Lord’s Prayer."  Miss Alice McPherson, sister of the bride, sang "The Greatest of These is Love" from the rear of the church just prior to the entrance of the bridal party.

The bride, given in marriage by her father, chose her sister, Miss alice McPherson, as her maid of honor, and to serve as her bridesmaids, her cousin, Miss Mary Louise Poulton of Iowa City, Iowa, and Mrs. Wallace Grosch of Evanston, Ill., her due-piano partner while both were students and Kendall College.

Candles were lighted by Miss Sheila Graham and Sandra Hoffman.  The groom chose Delmar Swearingen of McLean, Ill., for best man, and John Davis and Ray Scott, both of Chicago, ushered.

The bride wore imported Chantilly lace combined with nylon tulle over gleaming white satin fashioned with an Elizabethean collar and yoke of illusion, a molded bodice, and long pointed sleeves, held tight at the wrists.  The voluminous skirt over tulle, held wide by hoops, cascaded into a chapel train.  Her veil of frothy illusion, held by a halo hat of lace, was beaded with tiny seed pearls.  She carried a white Bible, the gift of her Grandfather Poulton, on which a white orchid rested, and the white handkerchief she carried for "something old", had belonged to her late grandmother, Mrs. Poulton.

The honor attendant and bridesmaids wore identical waltz length gowns of antique shantung in shades of coral, fashioned on princess lines.  Accenting the low neckline were the draped shoulders of each bodice.  Their headpieces were bandeaux of matching colors in velvet with rhinestone studded motif.  They wore rhinestone necklaces and earrings to match their gowns, and each carried a cascade bouquet of chrysanthemums.  The candlighters wore ballerina gowns of ice blue crystalette, fashioned like the attenants gowns.  Their corsages were of pink carnations.

The bride’s mother wore a lace dress of mellow toast shade over taffeta, mink brown accessories and a yellow carnation corsage.  The groom’s mother chose a turquoise blue lace over taffeta, black accessories, and a corsage of pink carnations.  The bride’s grandmother, Mrs. Stena Rossman, was in navy blue with black accessories and wore a corsage of white carnations.

A reception was held in the Methodist Manor.

The bride is enrolled in the school of music at Northwestern University and plans to continue her studies.  Mr. Sailor is in the sales department of C.M. Hoof Co., Evanston, Ill.  They will reside in Glenview, Ill.