OT - Blizzard of 1978 - Ohio/Midwest
 

Our wedding day was Sat. January 28, 1978...


Mom told me to call Murray (my DH) in Michigan and tell him a storm was coming - he better come to Cleveland, (Ohio) earlier than planned. Good thing..because after the 26th - the roads were closed for four days. He hadn't picked up his wedding band - but, he came. The snow started and the worst winter storm in Ohio's history began. Soon all the roads and airport were closed. My sister got in on the last flight that came into the airport for three days.

Murray and I had to get our marriage liscence in downtown Cleveland. It was the only thing open in the city and only till noon. What should have taken 45 minutes - took four hours. We got there at 11:55 and got the liscense. On the ride down, nerves were beginning to get frazzled. Murray and I seemed like an unlikely couple to be wed - as we screamed at each. Murray said he wouldn't get married without his mother getting to Ohio. I screamed back sarcastically - that of course, I had planned all this. The arguing continued and I cried.

The rehearsal dinner was cancelled - who ever was around - we did go to the restauarant in my mom's apartment. I swear she tried to keep us plied with alchol. My sister - who didn't smoke - was smoking! I cried.

The day of the wedding, my dad's nerves got to him. While shaving he sliced his face open. After an hour he got it to stop - but, wore two large bandaids on his face for the next day. Mom was in charage of my wedding band - she couldn't find it that day - we never ever found it. I cried.

Finally, one lane of the interstate opened from Columbus, Oh. Murray's mom, dad, brother, SIL, siter got to the hotel with 40 minutes to spare.

Now on to the wedding - wrong flowers (couldn't get what I wanted in), only a handful of people attended, wrong food (had to use what they had on stock), dad picked up a bowling banquet cake from the grocery (bakery never opened), the clergyman did the wrong service (he had two weddings to do that night & he did the other's service) , and I was a wreck and afterwards I cried.

The next day all the roads except one were closed. Murray and I were to go to a lovely cabin in upper Michigan - but, the roads were closed except one. So we went to Columbus. I was crying. That morning a liquor saleman said we all derserved something for getting married during a blizzard and he passed out fifth's of wiskey and bourbon to who ever wanted them.

Murray and I went to a B&B for one night outside of Columbus as our honeymoon. I cried - Murray drank scotch in the claw footed bathtub.

So wrong everything, no one came, no rings, no honeymoon and lots of tears...we headed back to Michigan with 20 foot drifts off snow plowed on each side of the road.

It's thirty years now since one of the very worst times in my life. Terrible wedding - we celebrate 30 years this weekend.

For many years I couldn't even talk about it. I am telling this story because sometimes it's all the way we look at things - perspective. Time heals so much. Now it's a funny story.

http://www.ohiohistory.org/etcetera/...8_blizzard.htm

Omgosh! I'm glad I read through this. It must have been horribly stressful then, but the fact that your marriage is so much more than that wedding day definitely shows.

I'm also glad you can laugh at it now!

I'm glad you can laugh at it now, too! It sounds like it must have been horrible though. 30 years later and you are still together. It sounds to me like it was meant to be. Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!

I just mailed my brother a birthday card, he was born in Columbus on Jan 24th 1978!
Of course i was only 2 1/2 at the time, and any snow above one inch seemed deep to me, and when your world doesn't exist very far outside of your own home, the fact that the city is shut down doesn't mean much to you!

I think my mom and new brother got home before the roads closed and the hospital staff was snowed into the hospital, now you have me curious, i will have to ask her if she was stuck at the hospital.
I know back in those days, mom and new baby spent several days in the hospital anyway, but i don't remember her being gone that long...

so you are celebrating your 30th anniversary...that means my little brother is 30 years old! (and i am 32 1/2)

I am glad you can look back and laugh, we both definitely have different perspectives of that day!:smug::D;):)

You know.....something that may help you heal is to renew your vows with family and friends....ever thought about it? You can laugh about what happened 30 years ago and then commit to each other all over again. sounds romantic!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary! What a great story! NOT great at that time but that is a great story NOW to share. Most couples can just talk about what a nice time their wedding was :blah::blah: but you have an adventure to recall. Thanks for sharing it! :cheers:

I remember the blizzard of '78...what a great time! Was working in downtown Boston. Storm was not predicted so I had a short skirt & leather dress boots on. Hitched a ride home w/my boss but the highway exit ramps were not plowed so I had to walk from the highway in waist-high snow about a mile to get home. Wasn't dressed for that! :rofl: Everything was shutdown for over a week. No work & I had a blast! 30 years later...that storm would NOT be fun! :D

Thanks for the memory! :)

Beverly ~ I'm glad you can look back on that day now and laugh. Congratulations on your 30th anniversary.

My mom who lives in NE Ohio has been talking about that day here the last couple days ~ remembering it too. My sister was up in Maine visiting me (Ohio was having worse weather than we were way up north) and the day she came back was the day the turnpike opened back up and they were able to go get her at the airport. Mom and Dad were without power for a few days. They had a fireplace and ended up with several neighbors staying with them to keep warm ~ in sleeping bags on the living room floor, baked beans in the fireplace. They made the best of it and had a fun time despite everything.

Beverly, 30 years is awesome! Congratulations!

What a story! Congratulations on celebrating 30 years together. That's a great achievement in itself.

Happy Anniversay! So sorry you went through that- nice to hear both you and the hubby are still together after such a rough start. :hug:

Brings back memories
 

I feel so sorry for all of the heartache you went through on what should have been one of the happiest days of your life. I know if you are like me you have an image of how you wanted your wedding day to go.

I lived and grew up in Minnesota where these kinds of winter storms are commonplace---at least, one or two of them every year. I linked on that link and it brought back a lot of memories of the times that I was stuck, sometimes on foot, in blizzards and trying to get home. Now, that I live in the south I know that when we recently had 1.5 " of snow parts of the city came to a halt for a day. The "locals" don't know down here of what we Northerners have gone through in a normal course of a winter. They just have no idea although there are a lot of Northern transplants in this city "that is too busy to hate" and I am sure if we had a sit-down we could all regale some of the wintery memories we all had in years past.

Having said that, I hope that I won't have to return to that kind of winter for the rest of my life.

I hope you had and have a happy marriage and you now only cry with joy.

thanks for the great story. Maybe, you can renew your vows and have a wedding anniverary party that will be as memorable. Let's just hope there is no snow predicted for a week on either side of that date though.;)

Sue is right! I know at the time it was terrible and horrible, but you've got a great story to tell people! No one wants to hear about how beautiful the flowers were at someone's wedding and how everything went perfectly because that's boring. Thanks a lot for sharing and congrats on 30 years!!

I second the others on vow renewal, although perhaps have it in Hawaii or the Carribean... it rarely snows there. :flow2:

Thanks everyone for your good wishes! You're all right...it certainly wasn't funny back then. But, now it's a funny story that I tell and folks can hardly believe so many things went wrong.

DH and I have talked about renewing our vows....but, we don't make any major plans for during the winter monthes any more! ;)

congrats! I remember that blizzard well!
 

Congrats on your 30 years!! woohoo! Only 1 1/2 years till we get there. :carrot: I remember that blizzard well. We lived in a mobile home in Marion, Ohio at the time. We had been out and while driving home we got stuck in a drift. A car stopped and took us home but when we woke up the next morning, the snow had drifted to the top of the mobile home and blocked us in. I had never seen so much snow in my life and haven't since. :-)

It's funny how something so awful can turn into something so wonderful.

blessings to you and your next 30 years!
Samantha