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Allen County Edition Ed E Reaching Fort Wayne And Surrounding Counties
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It’s June and
is in the air %\ &$7+< 6+286( )HDWXUH :ULWHU June is known as the wedding month, so it’s likely there’s a wedding to attend soon or there are anniversaries to celebrate. In these times, especially when attending a wedding and the soon-to-be newlyweds are saying their vows — or maybe the flower girl is lingering a bit — images of a couple’s own wedding may flit through their minds. Senior Life caught up with three local couples who shared what their wedding nuptials were like. After all, who doesn’t like to get a sneak peek into other people’s lives, especially their love lives? Mr. And Mrs. Frank And Laurie Gray Frank is a former federal prosecutor; Laurie, a former Allen County deputy prosecutor. Theirs was a second marriage for both; he was 59, she was 37. “Before we got married, Frank asked me if I wanted a big wedding
k for f a wedding ddi ring, i or a bi big rock and I said no — I’d rather spend that money on sand (a place on the ocean). So we had a very small, private ceremony,” Laurie said. They chose Valentine’s Day, 2001, in honor of her grandparents, Nelson and Barbara Suter, who were married on Valentine’s Day, 1940. Her grandfather, who always told her she should marry Frank, passed before they married. “We wrote our own vows and were married in our home by Allen County Magistrate Robert Schmoll, before whom we had both appeared as lawyers on many occasions,” she said. “We did have a big party catered by Steve Gard of The Oyster Bar in our home the following weekend to celebrate with friends and family.” Mr. And Mrs. Brian And Sheila Gillett Brian is a photographer for Indiana News Center and a firefighter; Sheila serves as secretary for Queen of Angels Catholic School. They were both in their mid- to
llate t 20 h th l b t d the th 20s when they celebrated “beautiful sacrament of marriage” in St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bowling Green, Ky., near Sheila’s hometown of Franklin. Their guest list was 350 people. “St. Joseph is one of the historic landmarks of Bowling Green with its long aisle, marble pillars and beautiful paintings — a bride’s dream!” Sheila said. She had planned for more than a year getting several musicians, instrumentalists and vocalists, to make sure all the music was perfect. On her special day, the balcony door where the musicians were to play was locked. “As visitors, no one had a key,” she said. “When someone came to tell me, I said, ‘This is my special day, you figure it out!’” She learned afterward that a small crew of men found tools in their trucks and took the door off its hinges. Mr. And Mrs. Steve And Michelle Ditton Steve drives for Fed Ex Freight,
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and d Michelle Mi h is the chief nursing officer, executive director, and co-founder of the Sexual Assault Treatment Center. The Dittons were married in their early 20s, divorced and then married again. “Steve and I were married in 1978,” said Michellle. “We had dated since 1972. It was a small wedding. The only funny thing that happened was the groomsmen and Steve didn’t have the socks delivered with their tuxes.” They divorced in 1980 and remarried in 1987. For the second wedding, it was Steve’s twin brother, his wife, Steve and Michelle. “We were married by a justice of the peace. During our vows his phone rang and he left the room for like three minutes. The four of us stood there laughing so hard,” she said. “It’s not exciting, but he’s the love of my life. I’m blessed we were given a second chance. I wouldn’t change one thing.”
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