52 Ancestors in 52 weeks - Week 2 (Favourite photo)

52 Ancestors in 52 weeks - Week 2

Suggested Prompt: "Favourite photo"

Although I have choosen to highlight my direct ancestors, one couple at a time, instead of relying on Amy's weekly prompts, I thought I would follow this week's prompt in addition to posting a blog on my grandparents on my father's side.  The photo is related to that side of the family.

The Allen family at the wedding of son Jack to Eveleen "Sis" Schell

This photograph was taken at the time of the wedding of my parents (William John "Jack" Allen & Pearl Mary Eveleen "Sis" Schell) on June 11, 1949 in Brentwood, Simcoe Co., Ontario.  The wedding took place at the Brentwood United Church, followed by the reception on the lawn of my mother's parents (George & Irene (nee Bates) Schell). 

During my lifetime, I grew up seeing many family photographs, including photographer portraits and other photographs taken at the time of my parents' wedding.  However, I had never seen this particular photo until the funeral of my Aunt Helen (wife of my father's brother Ab). 

I commented to my mother that I had neveer seen this particular photo, she assured me that there was a copy in the drawer at home along with the other photographer photos.  I pulled out the supply of those photos, still in the cardboard covers but there was not a copy of this particular photo.  There were the usual shots: bride and groom, bride with parents, bride & groom with both sets of parents, wedding party, etc but not this one.

The marriage of my parents was the merging of two local families in Brentwood: the Schells and the Allens.  Both had large presence in the area with extended family members as both of the grandfathers were from large farming families in Simcoe County.  When my mother, Sis Schell, married into the Allen family, she had known her in-laws all of her life.  The only thing she had to adjust to was how to address her mother-in-law.  She had always known the woman as "Mrs. Allen" but she herself was now a "Mrs. Allen".  The older Mrs. Allen was already a grandmother, so my mother called her mother-in-law as "Grammie", although in later years she was able to refer to her as Gertie.

The photo includes my father's 9 siblings: Ab, Les (Best Man), Dora, Alice, Garnet, Isobel, Ivan, Joe and Mary (Flower Girl) as well as his parents Harry & Gertie (nee Cooper) and Ab's wife Helen (nee Maloney), Dora's husband Fred McWhinnie and Alice's husband George Scott.