.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Charles and Luella Celebrate their 54th Wedding Anniversary

Luella and Charles. 1956 and 2010
After 54 Years, They're Still Talking to Each Other!
Click to Enlarge


From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Fifty four years ago Charles Williamson married Luella Mattson in Spearfish, South Dakota at the Methodist Church.

They celebrated the event by having a quiet night at home. Luella sat in their living room with her television on in the background to keep her company in between phone calls.

Charles sat in his "study" watching his television. Their opposite taste in television keeps them apart most evenings. Charles is a news, history and documentary fan. Mother watches "Dancing with the Stars...." . Need I say more.

I decided to take a few pictures to help them celebrate the occasion. Mother quickly ended an overlong long phone call, happy I was willing to document the event.
"Get your father. He's in his room," she ordered.
I walked down the hallway and told Charles his presence was required for photographs. I knew his next question would be a request for the reason.
"For your anniversary," I said to answer his question before it was asked. Charles and Luella met each other in the hallway.
"Let's go out to the gazebo," Luella suggested.
"Should we go out the door?" Charles asked. He seemed confused. Their front door was further away than the sliding patio door.
"Well, we could go out the sliding door," Luella said.
"Why should we go out the patio door?" Charles questioned.
"I guess we can go out any door we'd like," Luella said. I stood in the hallway beside them amazed they were having a conversation at all about which door to use to go out to the gazebo.

Luella took the lead and led Charles out through the sliding glass patio door. Charles was still in his WalMart clothes. His name tag proudly introduced him to Walmart's customers as "Charlie".

Ma and Pa Williamson on the Homestead in Pleasant Grove

Luella Insisted, They Puckered Up and Went for it.
Easy, Considering Neither of them had their teeth in.

Disturbing - yet Romantic, in an Antiques Roadshow Way

I took several pictures of the loving couple in the gazebo. Luella suggested I take a few more on their deck.

"The Donner Party is on TV," Charles protested. A special on the Donner party is like watching a special on the Titanic. We all know what happened. The ship sank and the Donners ate each other. Time to get over it and move on.

Ma and Pa Williamson on the Patio in their Wicker Chairs.
I'm tempted to sell the chairs. They're never used because of the lack
of an accessible
television!

It was their anniversary and Charles humored his wife of 54 years by giving her a few more pictures sitting in their wicker chairs.

And that was that. I got my pictures and walked back to the school to get them posted. I'm in the thick of another Summer Space Camp. I left Charles and Luella in their separate rooms. Luella was dialing another number on her cell phone and Charles was safely tucked away in his room engrossed in a winter storm a long time ago.

Luella said they would be driving to Wendover tomorrow for a couple hours to celebrate.

Happy Anniversary Charles and Luella. May your steps never falter. May your teeth never slip. May you remember to turn off the stove so you don't burn down the house!

Simply,
Victor