3 Fires and a Wedding - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

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. 

Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Love

This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.

The topic:

Valentine's Day is this week, but that doesn't mean you have to focus on romantic love. Besides the ancestral love stories, you could share an ancestor who you love to research. Are there any "love" names in the family tree, like Lovie or Valentine? (Come to think of it, "Amy" is based in Latin meaning "beloved"... )

How did some of my ancestors/family meet and marry?

My Parents
This is interesting time for the topic to come up as about a month ago, I was talking to my father and asked the one question I had wondered.

"How did you and mom meet?" I asked sitting on the couch behind his recliner.

My stepmother sounded shocked at the question and then made a comment about this being good and sat down interested. This wasn't expected and I didn't even realize she was in the room as I later thought it could have went pretty badly if she took offense to the question. However, the reaction was different - she was interested enough to sit down in another chair and turned to my father interested.

My mother and father in January 1956 just after they married. My uncle (boy), Grandpa Charlie and Grandmother are in the picture. Taken in Newburgh, NY. Copyright J. Fitzgerald

I was told he saw my mother when she came into the movie theater he was working at as an usher. I know they got married in October 1955, so it had to be prior to this.

The Groom Marriage index for 1955. The entry is the last one. Credit

I did go looking to see what theaters were around Newburgh, NY around that time and two of the bigger ones was the Broadway Theatre and the Ritz Theatre. It could have been either of these.

Credit

Credit

A few days later, my Uncle Jimmy, told me my mother used to take him to the movie theater and pay. They would go in and sit down. Without him knowing, she would get up and leave. He would turn to say something to her and she wouldn't be there. He would look around and see them in the back of the theater together.

Later, he filled it in a bit more and said they started to see each other when he started serving with the US Navy. Once he had gone back for his second lot of training, they had broken up. However, when he came back on leave, one of their friends, who was dating a friend of Mom's, went and picked her up and my father, who they knew was interested in her, was in the car. They had started to date again and it resulted in marriage, 5 kids, and a divorce.

My mother's paternal grandparents - Jules and Annie Gauquie

This one requires a bit more of imagination.

Jules arrives in the US in the mid 1890s with his father and siblings. After a bit of time, he decides to go to Minnesota to visit his father's cousin (or it could have been another relative but due to age and where the ancestor Camille Gauquie was born (Elverdinge in 1881 below) I would say he went to visit him and his family.

Credit Belgium archives. This shows Camille's birth information in Belgium.

Anyway, along the way he met up with Annie. They applied for a marriage on April 25, 1896. They married on April 28, 1896 by a Justice of the Peace in Ramsey, Minnesota.

Credit: FamilySearch, Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949, image 005193152
Jules and Annie's wedding certificate

They traveled all the way back to New York and settled into Blooming Grove where they had a huge family and farm. They both died in the area as well.

My father's parents - Jean and Mattias 'Matthew' Schmitz

My grandparents both lived in NYC. I know from my grandmother she was a cigarette girl in the speakeasy's. She was very popular because she was so small so when the cops did the raids, she would hide in the bottom of the telephone booth. When they disappeared, she was back in business.

1930s cigarette girl in a speakeasy

I do know my grandfather liked his alcohol, so I'm once again using my imagination on this one. I believe my grandmother was working and my grandfather was in having a drink and they met. I do have to say that it must have been really quick because the middle of 1940 when the US Census was done, she lived at home. By the time January 1934 happened, she was getting married at the courthouse and living in NYC. March 1934 was the second wedding in a church in NYC.

Copyright: FamilySearch. This shows the January marriage.

Copyright: FamilySearch. This shows the March marriage.

My father arrived in August 1934. I'm doing the math and finding it must have been a really quick 9 months.

Credit. You can see the Schmitz ... male entry. This is my father. 

They ended up having 2 sons, owning a few houses and businesses, and then going their own ways around the late 1940s to early 1950s.

My brother's marriage - Charles and Kathy Schmitz
My brother's friend, Glenn, introduced them. However, my brother was dating someone else at that time. Soon after, my brother went over to Kathy's house. He asked her out to a Christmas party, which she accepted.

They married in 1985, had a child, and bought a house.

Their marriage photo in 1985. Credit Kathy Schmitz.

They were married 33 1/2 years before his death in January 2019.

My marriage - Jo Ann and Brett Fitzgerald
This is one for the updated ages.

I was attending State University at New York campus' and had many different email pen pals. It was cheap and easy way to make friends and meet others. One of these people was Brett.

He set up a newsgroup looking for someone to email with. I found it and emailed him using the information he provided. We emailed, called, and talked on the phone in 1995. He visited the states in September that same year and we met and spent a lot of time together. He went to do some business stuff but ended up back in New York before he flew home.

Brett and I in October 1995. Credit J. Fitzgerald

We got engaged in November 1995.

Thirteen months later, I came to Australia to visit as we were talking about where we wanted to live. I needed to meet everyone and see if I could live here. I went back in January 1997.

Brett and I before I head back to the US in 1997. Copyright J. Fitzgerald

I flew out in early May 1997 to live in Australia. We married on May 24, 1997 in Croydon, Victoria after having 3 fires and a wedding.

Brett and I at our wedding with Celebrant Beverly Prosser in May 1997. Credit J. Fizgerald

Yes, its a long story...

Jo Ann and Brett make the Leader newspaper weeks until the wedding. Copyright Leader Newspaper.

We currently live in Narre Warren, Victoria with one dog, Buddy. We built our house, but found difficulty in having children.

Currently we've been married 22 years but been together 24 years.

February 2, 2019 Brett and I at Sam's Point in New York. Copyright J. Fitzgerald

Everyone can have a marriage but it depends on how much effort you put into it.

Credit