The Proposal

         In the fall of 1938, Barnard Strong Fero and Evelyn Harriet Newman were part of a group of young working singles who shared a large apartment in the Washington Street Apartments in Lansing, Michigan.   He worked at the Atlas Drop Forge and she at the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC).

         There were five of them:  three women and two men.   Each shared a portion of the rent and it was critical that all five contribute and continue to contribute to the rental agreement.

         One evening after dinner, the five were sitting around the kitchen table chatting and it was announced that two of them – a couple – were going to get married and move out.   Although that was good news, it did present a problem regarding the welfare of the three remaining people.   With little forethought, Barnard turned to Evelyn and asked, “Why don’t we get married and rent the one-bedroom apartment that’s open here in the building?”   After a moment of thought, Evelyn replied, “Well, why not?”.

         Three months later, on January 21, 1939, they were married.

                                             The Marriage

         Evelyn – and her mother Helen N. Moore Newman – wanted a large church wedding.  This would have taken place at the first Baptist Church in Owosso, Michigan, Evelyn’s hometown.

         Barnard’s father – the Reverend A. D. Fero – was a Weslyan Methodist minister and Barnard knew he didn’t care very much for the Baptists.

         Since his father was going to do the marrying, the couple compromised on the location.   The wedding was held on Saturday afternoon, January 21, 1939, in the living room of Evelyn’s parents (Herman and Helen Newman).   She wore a flower print dress with a large corsage and he a dark three-piece suit and tie.  They were married in front of the fireplace, which was decorated with a large floral arrangement that had six long white tapir candles lighted – three on each end of the arrangement.

         In attendance at the ceremony were Evelyn’s immediate family; father Herman, mother Helen, and brother Robert Eugene; Barnard’s father Albert David, mother Pearl Winifred, and sister Gracia Lillian.

         After the ceremony, a sit-down dinner was offered to several dozen close friends and family members.   This was prepared in the kitchen and served in the dining/living room of the Newman home at 1432 Young Street.

         No honeymoon took place.   The couple went back to Lansing that evening.  Upon arrival back at their apartment, they discovered other friends in the building were having a party so they attended and celebrated.   Later that evening, Barnard slept in the bathtub, rather than risk falling out of the bed on his wedding night.

                                 (As told to their second son, Michael Barnard Fero, December 2002)