Here is where it all began!! Arthur William Harley and Kathryn Whitmore were married on 23 June 1934 by Bishop Howell at the Chapel for the Wilshire ward in Los Angeles, CA. In reading through Grandma's personal history she says of meeting and being with Grandpa:
I felt it was fate that I had a job as page in the library before going to Redlands because I met Arthur there.This was the start of a wonderful relationship between Grandma and Grandpa. Anyone reading this blog is either a descendant or in-law to this fine couple and each month I will highlight a part of Grandma and Grandpa's lives together and share more excerpts from there personal histories. Here is Grandpa's side of the story of meeting Grandma:
I left the library and started my teaching position in Redlands on the first day of 1931. The library staff planned a party to go to Olvera street and my friend Mrs. Light invited Arthur to go. I was happy to come home from Redlands to go with them. We went there for dinner and, much to my surprise, Arthur was very friendly which made me very happy. After dinner we went to a puppet show and enjoyed the show. However, I dropped my earring down in the dark orchestra pit and Arthur was very sweet to help me find it. I was embarrassed at all the attention. Then as we left Olvera Street he bought me a little cactus plant, real little, which I took to Redlands and watched it grow. I had it for years.
A few weeks after this the library group came up to Redlands and we went to Forest Home. The girls had a cabin and the boys had a cabin and we went to the dance Saturday night. I had a great time dancing with Arthur and another young man. The next day we were about ready to go home and Arthur and I walked into a builiding where the cars were parked and I got my first kiss from Arthur. Very romantic! He promised me that on Easter vacation, a whole week, we would have a very good time. So Tante let him borrow the car one night during this vacation. We were all dressed up, driving up Bronson and as we got very near 9th Street I had this beautiful, peaceful feeling that everything was going to work out great, that this was "it", that Arthur was the one.
Later, while I was teaching in Redlands, Arthur would come over and stay in the hotel over the week-end. One time we went to Palm Springs for the day and went to see Palm Canyon. That's when Arthur first mentioned the word "love". The next day was Monday and as I was driving to school thinking of this, the Model "A" Ford just seemed to float along on the air all the way to school.
I taught three and a half years in Redlands and married Arthur on 23 June 1934. We were married by Bishop Howells in the lounge of the Wilshire Ward and went north on a honeymoon.
I liked to read so I would go to the Public Library nearly every other day. Kathryn Whitmore worked at the library. She was looking for a job teaching while working as a page at the birary. In December 1930 she got a job treaching in Redlands, California, startin gin January 1931. She lived there during the week, coming hom on weekends or, if not, I would go down there to see her. I would always have to leave Sunday night by 10pm so that I could get back to Los Angeles to get to work by 12 o'clock. One time I fell asleep and drove off the road, hitting a tree. The car suffered a bent axle but I only had a cracked collar bone. We decided to get married and were married in the Chapel in Wilshire Ward in Los Angeles on 23 June 1934 by Bishop Howell.
Here is Grandma and Grandpa Christmas 1968. Don't they look cute!
And here is a lovely picture of Grandma and Grandpa sitting in their living room. Notice the big smile on Grandpa's face which was the way he always looked when he was his beloved Kathryn. Notice also how Grandma's glasses are in her hand. She never liked her picture to be taken with them on even as she got to be much older.
