This June marks my 5^th wedding anniversary and it makes me appreciate the ancestors throughout history who have engaged in the rite of marriage—some with a church wedding, some with a civil service, and some without a formal ceremony but living under “common law”.  Occasionally, an ancestor might have been born out of wedlock and his/her parents separated, such as in my case with my great grandmother, but most of my known ancestors took the plunge and made a vow to be bound in marriage.  Many were fortunate to celebrate numerous years together—hopefully, happy ones. While I have information about when the marriage took place and perhaps a few statistics surrounding the event, for the most part, information about how they met or their courtship is absent. Continue reading →