BioM: McIlquham, Mary Ellen (1957)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Wenninger, McIlquham, Stanley, Conrad, Bateman, Ripplinger

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 01/09/1958

McIlquham, Mary Ellen (28 DEC 1957)

A beautiful wedding was solemnized Saturday morning, Dec. 28^th, 1957, at 10:00 o’clock at Notre Dame Church in Chippewa Falls, when Miss Mary Ellen McIlquham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John McIlquham of Chippewa Falls, became the bride of Bernard Wenninger, son of Mr. Henry Wenninger, Sr., of Park Falls.  Rev. William Wenninger of Superior, brother of the groom, was celebrant of the nuptial mass.

The altar of the church was decorated with red and white poinsettias and Christmas tree.  Father Siegfried Eckert, C.S. Sp., as organist, accompanied the Notre Dame Choir and the soloist, Mrs. Dayton Thornton, as she sang "Panis Angelicus" and Shubert’s "Ave Maria."  As the bride place a bouquet of white poinsettias on the altar of the Blessed Virgin, the soloist sang, "Mother, Dear, Oh Pray for Me."

The bride, who was escorted to the altar by her father, John D. McIlquham, wore a gown of taffeta enriched with imported French hand-clipped lace.  The bodice front was detailed with a mandarin neckline, trimmed with sequins and tiny seed pearls.  The bodice back was styled with tiny satin covered buttons, which buttoned snugly down a slightly lowered waistline.  The sleeves were elbow length styled with a French ruffle trimmed at the back with a cascade of flounces culminating in a sweep train.  The bride wore a fingertip length face veil of imported silk illusion attached to a contour crown of matching lace, trimmed with iridescent sequins, and seed pearls.  Her bouquet was of peppermint carnations and holly crowned with red poinsettias.

Mrs. Lee Stanley, sister of the bride, was matron of honor, with Miss Betty Conrad, west Bend, a friend of the bride, as maid of honor.  Miss Janet McIlquham and Mrs. Raymond McIlquham served as bridesmaids.  The matron of honor’s gown was waltz length, red taffeta, with an Italian neckline, princess style and full four-gored skirt.  Tiny bows accented the waistline.  Her hat was of matching taffeta with a circular veil.  Matching shoes completed her costume.

The bridal aids wore identical gowns of red taffeta, fashioned with a hoop skirt.  They carried a spray of white pompons crowned by a red Poinsettia.

The groom was attired in a white dinner jacket and black trousers.  He wore a peppermint boutonniere.  Alois Wenninger, Milwaukee, brother of the groom acted as best man.  John Wenninger, brother of the groom, Raymond McIlquham, brother of the bride, and Lee Stanley, brother-in-law of the bride, attended the groom.  The men in the wedding party were dressed in white dinner jackets, dark trousers, and they wore peppermint carnation boutonnieres.  Junior Bateman, Bob Ripplinger, and Henry Wenninger Jr., were ushers.

The bride’s mother attended her daughter’s wedding in a cotillion blue lace dress, with pink accessories and she wore a corsage of pink and white carnations.  Mrs. Forest Bateman, grandmother of the bride, wore a blue and white floral silk dress.  Her corsage was white carnations with a red ribbon.  Mrs. John McIlquham Jr., who assisted the bride before the ceremony, had a corsage of white carnations with red ribbon pinned to her dress of black bodice and white lace skirt.

Mrs. Alice LaTendre and ladies of the Notre Dame Parish served the wedding breakfast at 12:00 o’clock for 40 guests at Fathers Mac Memorial Gym.  The gym was beautifully decorated in a winter land scene.  The tables were decorated with lovely arrangements of red and white carnations and poinsettias.

In the afternoon from 2:30 to 6:00 o’clock, a reception was held and the young couple greeted guests.  The bride’s table was decorated with a lovely arrangement of red poinsettias, centered with a beautiful three-tier-square all white wedding cake, trimmed with red poinsettias and sugar shells, topped with a miniature bride and groom.  Silver plates, containing the groom’s cake were on each side of the table.

The wedding cake and groom’s cake were served by Mrs. Bob Ripplinger.  Miss Helen McIlquham, cousin of the bride, attended the guest book.  The punch was served by Mrs. William G. McIlquham, cousin of the bride.

Mrs. Perry Frederick and Mrs. Vernon Normand, cousins of the bride, poured at the reception.

During the reception the Thorp Male Chorus, consisting of 30 members, under the direction of Roy Breda, sang several musical selections which created a pleasant atmosphere as friends and relatives greeted the young couple.

Mrs. Max McIlquham, Mrs. James McIlquham, Mrs. Stanley McIlquham, aunts of the bride, and Mrs. George Cannon, Mrs. Byron Aude and Mrs. James Roycraft, all friends of the bride, served the reception.

The rehearsal dinner was given at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robert McIlquham, city.

When the young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Wenninger left on a wedding trip to Havana, Cuba, Bahama Islands and Miami, Florida, the bride was wearing a blue green knit suit with black accessories.

On their return trip they will reside at Germantown, Wis.

The bride was a graduate form the Chippewa Falls Senior High School and Stout State College.  She is teaching home economics at Germantown.

The groom is a graduate of Lincoln High School, Park Falls, studied one year at the University of Vienna, Austria, and is a graduate of St. John’s University Collegeville, Minn.  Since that he has taught English 5 years at Thorp (Clark Co., Wis.) High School and at present is teaching German and History at Germantown.  Both have attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado during the summer sessions.

Pre-nuptial events included a shower at Germantown, Wis., at the William Pohland home, with Mrs. Aldon Larson assisting as hostess.

Out of town guests present at the wedding were from Park Falls, Milwaukee, Superior, Cadott, Holcombe, Thorp, Germantown, St. Paul, Minn., Washington, D.C., Chicago, Ill. and Anconda, Mont., West Bend, Prt Washington, Eau Claire, Menomonie, Hillsdale, Colfax and Minneapolis.