Here is my grandparent's courting story as told by my grandmother, Elizabeth to her daughter.
"Mother & Dad met at a party held by the "Arnold Girls". One October or November, the Arnold girls were planning a party. When one of the girls asked, "Whom shall we invite?". Anna said, "Well, ask Floyd Heacock!" So they did and at this party, Floyd & Elizabeth met. Time passed till March, at which time Floyd asked Elizabeth to a dance - officially their first date! Floyd, at this time, was working in a local drugstore as a soda-jerk. He asked Bernard Arnold in the drug store one day if he thought Elizabeth would go out with him. Bernard, Elizabeth's brother replied, "I don't know. Why don't you ask her!?" So Floyd did so; Elizabeth accepted and they went to a dance in Manns Choice or somewhere. Later they went to a basketball game - "Romance was born". One time Elizabeth & sister Anna stayed at Aunt Cel's on West Pitt St. in Bedford because their brothers & sisters had measles and the family was quarantined. Elizabeth and Anna had already had measles, so they were allowed to go to school, but had to stay at Aunt Cel's. Aunt Cel's house was freezing cold in the parlor and the bedrooms. Floyd was dating Elizabeth while she was staying with Aunt Cel. When asked if the "cold" promoted "cuddling" , Elizabeth replied " Oh, we didn't know each other well enough, then!""
The story doesn't tell the year that they met, but it sounds like they must have met in high school. Elizabeth attended a commercial business school in Harrisburg in 1923 right after graduating from high school. We have Valentine cards and a Christmas card that Floyd sent to her at a Harrisburg address. By 1925, Elizabeth was back home working for the local office of the Pa Transportation department. Floyd Heacock was 23 and Elizabeth Arnold almost 22 when they married at 7AM on Monday, June 4, 1928 in the St. Thomas Catholic Church Rectory. The Best Man was Paul Kund. The Maid of Honor was sister Anna Arnold. They took a wedding trip to Watkins Glen and Niagara Falls.
Floyd's Valentines to Elizabeth
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