My wedding officiant

Another new meaning from events from the past.

When I was planning to marry my husband in 1976, back in the day, 38 years ago, I pondered who should marry us. Religious affiliation tensions flowed in from both sides.  Not serious, not dealbreakers but still there.  My parents, wanted a rabbi and that was fine with Dennis, and me, but a lot of rabbis won't marry when one is not a Jew plus there was nobody in Sacramento that came to mind.  We did do a blessing thing at the Friday night service.  Dennis' parents, though not churchgoeers, started making Christian noises. 

The whole wedding-industrial complex did not exist at that time.  Thank goodness.  You could not go onto the internet, like Ilana did, to find a compatible wedding officiant.

I pondered and thought, what to do, himmm.  The, one day at the work, it came to me in a flash.  Grandfather Beittel!  Yes!  That was it!  He was an eminent minister, Congregational or something.  The families were so close; I continue to be close to that whole family.  He was like a member of the family.  My parents wouldn't object; Dennis' parents would think it was ok.  I really liked him.  Perfect!  I vaguely knew that he had been the president of some small colleges.  In the south or something.  That was about it.

I asked him and he did agree to marry us.  Now I find out that he was very involved with the civil rights movement and spoke out freely.  Which sometimes caused him to lose his job.

I happened upon a PhD dissertation "A Beacon of Light:Tougaloo during the Presidency of Adam Daniel Beittel (1960-1964).  I admit I have not read it all yet.  But I sent it out to members of the Beittel family who sent some interesting feedback.  I contact the author and passed on their comments.

Interesting times.

We were married in Dennis parents' living room and then had a larger reception.  Though we had most all of the trappings, nothing like what's generally done now.  And I know as two of my children have had conventional weddings in the last year or so.