Happy Anniversary Nana & Papa

Nana & Papa's anniversary was September 28th. Maria Meurs of Grace & Simon Meurs and Giles Davis Clark, Jr. of Helen & Giles Davis Clark, Sr. Today would have been their 70th anniversary. They were married in 1940. Their wedding took place at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Albany, New York. Papa's family was Episcopal and Nana's family was Lutheran but they agreed to be married in the Episcopal church.

I have seen one photo in a newspaper clipping of Nana's bridesmaid and flower girl. There were four bridesmaids and one flower girl. They all wore floor length gowns with long sleeves and even the bridesmaids are wearing small veils with large "poofs" on the top! Their flowers were gardenias, lilies of the valley, and white roses. I love their names...so classic. Velina Ingalls, bridesmaid; Grace Sandleitner, maid of honor; Harriet Gade, bridesmaid; Evelyn Dyke, bridesmaid; and Barbara Burke, flower girl.

Nana & Papa went to New York City for their honeymoon. Then came back to live with Nana's parents on Van Buren Street in Albany, NY until they could save money to buy a house of their own. However, the attack on Pearl Harbor happened on December 7th, 1941 and Papa decided to join the Navy. He had training as a lab tech so the Navy put him in a position titled HA1 or Hospital Apprentice First Class. When he got out of the Navy his title was PHM1C or Pharmacist First Class. Papa joined in December of 1941 and was sent to boot camp near the Great Lakes in January 1942. After that he was sent to Mare Island and the Oakland Airbase in Oakland, CA. He received his orders to go oversees in August 1942 and was sent to New York where he waited until December 1942 to be shipped out.

On December 10, 1942 the set sail for Casablanca, Morocco. He was among a set of three destroyers from the Navy. His ship was called the Argentina. While they were in route to Casablanca they were attacked by German submarines. Papa remembers his ship dropping "dep charges" on the submarines and all three of their ships were left alone. They landed in Casablanca on December 24, 1942.

Once Papa arrived in Casablanca he remembers that the German's bombed near his base on New Years Eve 1942. A large group of the wounded were brought in by the Navy's sailors to the medical area. Papa remembers helping to care for the wounded including German Nazi prisoners that were brought to his hospital. He said that the German prisoners were the friendliest and spoke the best English.

Papa spent one and half years in Casablanca. December 24, 1942 through May 1944. While Papa was away, Nana worked for the Army near her home. She made a salary of $38 a week. She worked in some kind of artillery warehouse for the Army. She still lived with her parents and saved every penny she made and saved all of Papa's paychecks that were sent home from the Navy. Papa said Nana wrote to him every day. He received it and it was called "V mail." The letters were photographs on huge reels to be shipped overseas to the soldiers. Then when they arrived they were re-printed and delivered to the soldiers. Papa says he does not know what happened to all of these letters.

One of Papa's memories from Casablanca is of an old Jewish man. Papa still has the photograph that he took of this man sitting by the side of a brick building in Casablanca. He said he took the photograph in January 1944. Papa was walking through Casablanca one day and saw this man. He started a conversation with him. Apparently, the man was a Jew who had escaped Hitler and the Nazis and was hiding in Casablanca.

Once Papa came back to the United States he was stationed in a Navy Training Base called the Solomon Islands south of Washington DC. He was then sent to the Marine Corp in Quantica, VA to work in the field artillery. He was discharged from the Navy and Marine Corp on May 25, 1945 between VE day and VJ day. He left with the title Petty Officer First Class and was eligible for a chief position.

While Papa was still in the service, Nana purchased a piece of land with the money she had saved up. Papa did not know she bought it until he came home and she took him there to surprise him. He was proud of her for saving up the money and doing this. They built a brand new home, fully furnished it, and bought a new car all for $12,000 and paid cash for everything. This occurred between 1945 and 1946.

Nana & Papa's first home was at 19 Lauden Parkway, Laudenville, New York. It was about 4 miles from Albany. The house had two bedrooms with a loft upstairs. The car was a 1946 Plymouth four door. Papa said he paid $960 for it and sold it for $1200. Judith Anne Clark, their first daughter, was born at this house.

Nana & Papa sold this house and bought a larger home on the same street. Barbara Anne Clark and Nancy Anne Clark were born at this home. Papa told me they chose the middle name "Anne" for all three daughters because they did not want to "offend" any relatives by choosing or not choosing their name for a middle name. Papa said all of the babies were baptized in the same 100 year old gown.

Papa told me about Aunt Louise, as well. She was Papa's Aunt. She was not married and had no children. She stayed with them in the Spring time and helped take care of the three girls. The girls loved Aunt Louise.

During this time Papa worked for Sterling Drug Company making and testing medications. After this Papa went to work for Fasson, an adhesive label and stamp company. They moved from Laudenville to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida when Fasson relocated Papa. After this they lived in Norwalk, Connecticut for one and a half years. Then they were transferred to Chicago and Papa was made a district manager of Fasson. They lived in Wheaton, Illinois on Ranch Rd. and Frazier Ct. After living here for a time they were transferred to Los Angeles, California and Papa was the manager for Fasson in the western states. Nancy was in high school by this time.

Last June my mom and I visited the homes in Illinois. It was fun to see where Nana & Papa lived, where Nana cooked, where my mom's bedroom was, where her school was, etc. This May we visited the house in Upland and saw my mom's high school and where they lived there.

Happy Anniversary Nana & Papa!

This picture was taken when Nana & Papa lived at Forrest Place in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Hope you all enjoyed the story!

Papa told me all of this in January. I write down anything he tells me now.

Here is a picture of me with Nana & Papa!

This picture was taken at my wedding last July 18th. Papa with all of his grandchildren, one great grandchild, and the second great grandchild "in the oven!"

As I was writing this story, Papa called me. He remembered their anniversary was yesterday and said he can remember their wedding day clearly. It was the happiest day of his life. He vividly remembers Nana walking down the isle in her beautiful gown with her father. He said, "70 years is a LONG time!"