EB & Lura's Wedding Story

E.B. Gray & Lura Adaline Garner
July 19, 1943

We met in Monticello, Kentucky on my birthday January 8. We were introduced by my schoolteacher and her husband who was a jeweler. Six months later we decided to marry. We started to get married at 6:00AM in the morning. I had a new permanent in Illinois that had burned my hair and I had to have it fixed. We had borrowed a car that had set in the barn since the beginning of the war. We left Monticello, Kentucky at 7:00AM with Bronnie and Lena Corder. We went to Jamestown, Kentucky for our blood test. On the way to Jamestown we had two flat tires and then had to wait all day to see the doctor. It was 3:00PM before we could get back to Monticello and the bus had already left for Tennessee. My dad gave us his "T" stamp for gas and Bronnie took his car. We got to Tennessee and the Court House was closed. E.B. said we will have to wait until tomorrow and I said my Dad would kill me if I stayed here not married. Mr. Charlie Verble had lost his keys so we "broke in" to the courthouse. E.B. went in through the window. He came out of the courthouse to let us in and the door closed behind him and locked again! We had to "break in" again. That time we got the license. By now the preacher had gone to the movie. We waited until the movie was over and at 11:00PM at E.B.'s home we were married. Several people were present even at the very late hour. Lucy and Erma Garner, (my sisters) Bronnie and Lena Corder, Mrs. Era Gray and Juanita were our guest. Clarice Brown and Sadie Stephens were our witnesses.