On their 77th anniversary, Iowa couple finally gets to take their wedding photos
On Royce and Frankie King's wedding day, there wasn't any time for a fancy gown or formal photographs — it was Sept. 16, 1944, and Royce was on a two-day leave from the Air Force, preparing to fly overseas to fight in World War II.
The high school sweethearts had been engaged for 20 months, and after being separated for nearly two years — he was stationed in Illinois and she was at university in Iowa — they were ready to get married, even if it meant they had to go the simple route. This September, to mark the couple's 77th wedding anniversary, the staff at St. Croix Hospice decided it was time they had a do-over, and planned a ceremony that involved a vintage wedding dress and a dedicated photographer.
Over the last year, Royce, 98, and Frankie, 97, have been under the care of the hospice staff. They've grown close, and the Kings' daughter, Sue Bilodeau, told The Washington Post that when her mother mentioned she didn't have time to plan a big wedding, "the St. Croix staff members worked together to make sure they could get their special day."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The event was held in the Kings' backyard in Olwein, Iowa. Frankie carried a bouquet and donned a vintage wedding dress from the 1940s, while Royce, who beamed when he saw his wife in her gown, wore his Air Force uniform. The Kings' music therapist played the saxophone and guitar, while another staffer snapped pictures. Bilodeau told the Post that the celebration was "definitely one of the most special things ever," and together, her parents "demonstrate that a great love takes kindness and perseverance."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 highly hypocritical cartoons about the Second AmendmentCartoons Artists take on Kyle Rittenhouse, the blame game, and more
-
‘Ghost students’ are stealing millions in student aidIn the Spotlight AI has enabled the scam to spread into community colleges around the country
-
A running list of everything Donald Trump’s administration, including the president, has said about his healthIn Depth Some in the White House have claimed Trump has near-superhuman abilities
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
