This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Information on the Topic
Week 23's theme is "Wedding." June is a traditional month for weddings, so what better time to highlight the story of an ancestor's wedding? Maybe you've found something surprising in a marriage record or you have an ancestral wedding photo.
For this topic, I'm going to do something different. I don't usually use these topics to post about myself, but here we are. This one I'm going to tell you the story of 3 fires and a wedding. Yep, it was an interesting but frustrating time in our history. However, if nothing else, it made us stronger - especially as we had to contend with Australian immigration to get me moved - legally - from the US to Australia which we did by ourselves.
Background
My husband and I met online in February 1995. I was at SUNY Technology at Utica/Rome in New York and Brett was living in Melbourne Australia. We were both looking for email pen pals. I already had about 5 or so and it gave me something to do while away at school. Normally I'm a very busy person, but when I was away, I had so much time on my hands that I figured I'd meet people online instead of around campus as many people were acting like idiots more than anything so I stayed away from them.
Anyhow, I found my now husband and we exchanged emails, then talked on chat programs, and finally over the phone. This lasted about 6 months before he started to talk about coming over to visit me in NY.
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at Howe Caverns in NY
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at Howard Johnson in Middletown NY
September 1995 he finally came over to visit me and my family. He stayed for about 8 weeks where we visited places like Howe Caverns, Sam's Point, and went to a few weddings as well.
Then he came back to Australia. After a few months we were engaged and we started the process of trying to figure out the immigration side of things as we didn't know if who was moving where. We finally decided that I would move to Australia and then the research really started. Then couple that with the wedding as well. Yep, it was crazy.
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at Melbourne Airport before Jo flew back to NY
We decided I would visit in November 1996 for a few weeks, which we did. Then I went back to the US to file the paperwork to permanently move to Australia and the wedding. We did some preparation work for the wedding while I was here, but it was basically just putting a few bits and pieces away after that.
I filed the migration documents to move in January and we married in May 1997.
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at Melbourne Airport in Melbourne Australia.
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at Melbourne Airport in Melbourne Australia.
Where does the 3 fires come into it?
The 3 fires comes into it when we married.
Fire 1
I arrived in May 1997 only to find the house we were to live in had a house fire. This was fire number 1. While everyone was at work, it looked like the fire started in my husband's bedroom. It was only later we found out that someone my husband knew went into the room and smashed a TV into the floor of the bedroom which started the fire due to it being plugged in.
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at his home in Melbourne Australia (Brett's Room)
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at his home in Melbourne Australia (hallway to kitchen)
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at his home in Melbourne Australia (kitchen)
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at his home in Melbourne Australia (living room)
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at his home in Melbourne Australia (Jo picking up what she could from inside the house. Window is Brett's bedroom)
My husband's great aunt called the local newspaper to get it in there for some reason. If nothing else it was well marked for an event.
Credit: Leader Newspaper taken in Brett's room for local newspaper.
Credit: Leader newspaper. Taken outside in backyard with Brett's bedroom window in background.
The next 2 fires happened on the same night and the night before we got married.
Fire 2
The first one was at the place we had booked in for our reception. Someone showed up the night before our wedding, poured gas along one of the walls, and lit it. Thankfully, there was still people there who noticed the smell and found the wall and its surroundings on fire. Thankfully, they were able to put it out before it got out of control. The semi-funny part was that night had a function where everyone who attended was associated with the police, so if the person showed up earlier they would have caught them.
Fire 3
The third, and last fire, was at the place I was to get dressed at the morning of the wedding. After catching up on some normal everyday stuff, Brett brought me to a friend's house where I was to get ready the next day. The friend really wanted to be a part of our day, and she had a great garden for pictures, we decided it would be a good place for me to get ready. However, at 4am our friend heard something outside and came out to see what it was. I woke up and we found her car was on fire. The car was parked right next to the house and a window. I told her to call the fire department and we got the rest of the people in the house up. I packed up my stuff and called around to get my soon to be father in law around to help figure out what to do. It was only after the fire department came that we were told the fire was due to someone screwing around with the electronics in the windshield wipers and that started the fire.
The wedding
Due to this, we figured out we had to move everything from where I was to where one of the attendants houses. We had to redirect the makeup person, the hairdresser, the limo and the photographer. Meanwhile, the guys had to be redirected to where my father in law was staying because I was at where they were supposed to be.
Hubby and his groomsmen had their pictures taken by the photographer, then were all picked up and taken to the wedding/reception place. We were married at the same place we were going to have a reception at. We figured that would be easier than anything else. Anyhow, they were dropped off and were told about the second fire I outlined above about the gas on the wall. Then they waited. Meanwhile, I took a shower, dressed, had my makeup and hair done, and the photographer showed up. Everyone was here - with the exception of my father in law showing up just before we were to leave - to go to the reception after pictures. Then we got inside the reception place and were finally married.
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at our wedding & reception business
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at our wedding & reception business
Credit: B. Fitzgerald taken at our wedding & reception business
We had a great time that night even though I didn't know many people who were there. I was ok with that.
If nothing else, we will never forget these events!
Follow up note
Years later, we had a friend call up and apparently she made a statement to the cops about the above events. The person who we suspected, but could never prove, was the person behind it all. Last we heard she had a warrant out for her arrest. We never heard about an outcome after this.
