2000
But the Happening of the Year was
the Surprise Wedding
of
on 20 July, 2000
in Santa Rosa Beach Florida
Susanna had organized the first reunion of the Gross family in the little town of Rosemary Beach, near Seaside, west of Panama City, Florida. A modern, air-conditioned house for eight 2 minutes from a white, wild beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Susanna, John, Jenny, and Kelly had driven there from Augusta, Georgia. Peter Grohs, our nephew (Gerhard's and Anneliese's son) had arrived first. Barbara and I flew in a day later. Finally Eckart Lattmann - Barbara's nephew (Klaus'and Lilo's son) - with his wife Monika and Alena and Marisa - a year older than Jenny and Kelly - arrived on the following day from Hamburg. They stayed in a rented condominium nearby. Can you imagine the turbulent scene?
After lunch on that day, Cornelius rose and announced that he had proposed to Anne-Cecile on their flight to Panama City and that she had accepted. They wanted to get married right away. At first there was stunned silence. Then everybody began talking at the same time. Susanna telephoned the marriage registrar's office at the nearest courthouse to find out when they would close and what was needed. Yes, they could get married after showing some identification and filling out a set of papers. But tonight it was too late, the office would open at 8:00 am next day.
A note to the photos: The pictures were taken in color, but were so garish as to be irreparable. The skin tones were either too reddish or green. I eventually decided to reduce them to black-and white. Anyone who would like to see the originals should send me an e-mail and ask for them.
Next morning we all rushed there. The courthouse turned out to be housed in a drab office trailer. You see that we had barely woken up to this happening, Kelly is still yawning, Jenny was very quiet, and Suschen protectively sidled up to her brother!
Barbara and Susanne, composed as ever, had found a bunch of roses for the bride as the only surprise, which she and Jenny presented to Anne-Cecile just before we entered the trailer.
Here is another picture of the two tall siblings and Jenny surrounding the bride who explains to the charming, graying city clerk that she was born in Tunis, Africa. The wall clock shows 8:30 am!
The clerk gave Cornelius a book which he had to read
to the assembled congregation. They were asked to consider the
gravity of their decision once more, were admonished to be
faithful to each other and consider the sad consequences of a
divorce - which alas could be executed by the very same
office.
The gray clerk listened in calm composure to our
sarcastic comments and laughter.
Eventually we all moved to an outdoors porch on the
back of the trailer, where the clerk enacted a kind of ceremony.
The pair had to promise to support each other and after that came
the Ring Ceremony.
Peter had been commissioned to make the
rings for them and Cornelius had asked Jenny the night before to
make two makramé string-rings, which Cornelius now tried
desperately to push onto Anne-Cecile's finger.
After
the cool office trailer the humid Florida heat hit us full force.
. . .
And now close your eyes and click with your mouse on the link
Their old address:
Cornelius and Anne-Cecile Gross
119 Payson Avenue
Apt 5b
New York, NY 10034
Tel.: 212-942-0940
E-mail:
cg264@columbia.edu