The Courtship of Frances Taylor

In 1941 my Dad was a recent widower with a newborn daughter. His first wife Annette had passed away from complications during childbirth. As one of life's little miracles he met my Mom by accident. They happened to be at the same celebration at the same time.


It was love at first site. But there was a problem, Dad was Catholic and would not be welcomed with open arms in the Taylor household after all her parents were Protestant missionaries who's ancestors spent decades bringing Catholics to the true word of Jesus Christ.



But worse than that Dad was a widower with a young baby and he was 12 years her senior. As love struck fools they decided to elope. Frances was of age and did not require her parents permission. They engaged the help of his brother Pat and his new wife Violet in their clandestine plan. They found a minister at the United church on Atwater that agreed to marry them. On February the Fourteenth 1942, with Pat and Vi in tow as witnesses, they married. It was a wonderful private ceremony just the four of them and a few people in the church for morning prayers. 


However, that evening Mom went home to her parents and Dad, of course, went home to his. They continued to meet in secret for a few weeks until Mom got up the courage to tell her mother and father that she was in love. Yes.... he was a Catholic and Yes.... he was a widower.... but HE WAS THE ONE.

The only problem was that now she couldn't tell them she went behind their back and got married.... without their consent. So, another wedding was planned, with family included this time. Plans were made and the big day arrived. As the family sat in their respective pews the minister performed the ceremony and, as he came to the part where he says "if anyone knows why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony" ..... a parishioner in the back stood up and said "I do". Everyone was stunned. She then said "they are already married". Apparently she was saying morning prayers on the day Mom and Dad eloped.