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They got married where?

When Ruby Morton and Robert Williams got married in 1937 at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, it must have been big news in the Summerfield area.

My oldest sister, Lucille Angel Pope, included in her diary, "Iver (Angel), Lib (Winfree), Earlene (Parrish), Lee (Scarlette) and me went to see Robert Williams & Ruby Morton get married at the Carolina Theater (sic) ."
The entry was dated Nov. 19, 1937, and when I read it recently it aroused my curiosity.

I contacted Ruby's nephew Robert Morton and his wife Billie Lou to get information about the wedding. They remembered seeing a picture and hearing about the wedding. With their help, I got in touch with other family members.

The newspaper announcement stated that the Rev. B. C. Reavis of College Place Methodist Church officiated. Gladys Morton, sister of the bride, was the maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Margaret Morton, sister of the bride, Marie Rayle; Mrs. William Scott; and Mrs. Lorraine Daniels. Peggy Miles was the flower girl.

Pat Kasey was the best man and ushers were Roscoe Tuttle, Lloyd Pugh, Bill Williams and J. C. Davis. Ruby's father, Geter B. Morton, wore a tux for the first time and walked his daughter down the aisle - over his objections. Ruby told him he had to do it. A men's clothing store in Greensboro loaned the tuxedos for the men in the wedding party, remembers Otilla Morton Cummings, another sister of the bride.

Cummings thinks Lerner's Dress Shop might have loaned the dresses for the bride, the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. Cummings made the dress for the flower girl.

She also remembers that a Greensboro florist furnished the flowers for the wedding, free of charge, but doesn't remember which florist. Ruby's wedding ring was donated by Schiffman's Jewelers.

Robert Williams and Hugh Morton, who was the manager of the theater at the time, had been in the Navy together and that's how it came about that the wedding took place at the theater, Cummings remembers. She doesn't remember the music but does remember that the theater was filled. No announcements were sent out - everybody who knew the couple was welcome to attend.

Their brief honeymoon of one night was spent in the bridal suite of the O. Henry Hotel, compliments of the hotel. Cummings remembers that their immediate family went with the couple to the hotel room and stayed a short time. She remembers the flowers in the room, which she thinks were furnished by the hotel. She also thinks the hotel furnished breakfast for the couple the next morning.

Woodley Williams, the couple's son, remembers his mother mentioning a fur jacket or stole and Cummings said that it was donated to the bride by Jones Furrier's. A furniture company, maybe Burtner's, gave the couple a stove and refrigerator. Morrison-Neese Furniture Co. gave them a bedroom suite and another store gave them a set of dishes.

Shortly after the wedding, Ruby was honored with a kitchen shower by family and friends. So the couple was well-prepared to set up housekeeping near Summerfield.

Unfortunately, after their storybook wedding, the couple's happy marriage was cut short when Robert died in 1954. Ruby lived until 2006. Family members still like to reminisce about the unusual wedding. Thanks to all who shared their memories.

Gladys Scarlette is a local historian, lifelong Summerfield resident and author of two books about Summerfield.