Wartime Wedding

“Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it”.
Song of Solomon 8:7

My uncle, David M. Dowdell Jr, grew up on his father’s farm just north of Port Gibson, MS. He was blessed with high intelligence and a warm, engaging personality. Growing up, I heard countless times that, given his advanced intellect and extra-ordinary inter-personal skills, he was destined to become a highly successful politician, perhaps the governor of the State of Mississippi, or the holder of some equally significant political office. His unopposed 1943 election as Student Body President at Mississippi State College confirms this thinking.

David’s fiancé, Frances Grossnickle, grew up on the nearby Mississippi State College for Women campus in Columbus, Mississippi. For decades, Frances’ father, R. L. Grossnickle, taught mathematics and coached tennis at the “W”. Like David, Frances was intelligent and quite capable; she was also an accomplished tennis player.

They met, and their relationship grew, during the months leading to David’s graduation from State College in January 1944. Their wedding was set for Saturday, January 22, immediately following his graduation from State College, at the Grossnickle home in Columbus; the following Monday he was scheduled to report to Fort Benning, Georgia for military service.

On Friday, January 21, the day before the wedding, tragedy struck when the Grossnickles learned that their only son (the bride’s brother) had died in a military training exercise in the Caribbean; somehow their son’s body was delivered to Columbus that same day. So, in a moment, the entire Grossnickle family was forced to make the very sad transition from celebrating the upcoming marriage of their daughter, to mourning the tragic loss of their only son; instead of wedding day, Saturday became funeral day.

Following the funeral, David had no option but to report to his post in Fort Benning; he returned with no bride, and no remaining leave.

David’s family sprung into action. Granddaddy Dowdell called his sister, Katherine Wright, who lived in Auburn, which happens to be close to Fort Benning. “May we have David and Frances’ wedding at your house?” he asked, “Of course”, she replied. A new wedding date and venue were set for two weeks later, on Saturday, February 5, in Auburn. Katherine began to prepare her home for the upcoming big event, new invitations were printed and mailed, my grandmother’s friends offered to make a wedding cake for the couple; on and on the preparations went.

On the Friday before the big day, Granddaddy Dowdell and wife, Cornelia, together with their two daughters, Martha and Jane (my mother), wedding cake in hand, loaded into their 1936 Chevrolet coupe near Port Gibson, and set out for Auburn. The Grossnickles did not own a car so the four of them (Mr. & Mrs. Grossnickle, Frances (the bride), and Frances’ younger sister, Bonnie Jean) traveled by bus to Meridian from their home in Columbus to meet the Dowdells; in Meridian, the four Grossnickles loaded into the Dowdell’s car.

Picture this: eight people packed into the 1936 Chevy, together with the wedding dress and related wedding paraphernalia—the wedding cake sitting in their laps— traveling fully across the State of Alabama, to Auburn. Each bump in the road evoked a cringe from my grandmother, but the cake, as well as the wedding party, made it to Auburn intact.

The wedding went off without a hitch.

David and Frances were happily married for six months, he was then assigned and transported to the European war theatre, where he died in France in November 1944; the war in Europe ended less than a year later. Following a period of mourning Frances re-married several years later.

A deep spiritual truth buried in this story is not to be missed.

Marriage is an earthly picture of the loving relationship between the Lamb, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His bride, the church.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Revelation 19:7-8

I came to understand this truth fully several years ago at my son, David’s, wedding. During the rehearsal dinner he compared his own love and desire to marry his future bride, Taylor, to Christ’s love for the church, and His desire to be united with the church. “Nothing can keep me from marrying that girl tomorrow. Nothing!”

I’m very glad his assertion was not tested.

Even the tragic death of Frances’ brother, one day prior to the wedding, did nothing to quell their desire to be married. In spite of these very difficult circumstances, both families joined together to make sure the couple were married a mere two weeks later, at a different venue. Nothing was going to stop David from marrying Frances, nothing!

And so it is with Christ’s love for us. With a love that is steadfast, inextinguishable, inexhaustible, Christ will indeed one day return to earth to receive His beloved bride, the church. Nothing can stop this from happening. Nothing.

The earthly picture of marriage is a very real reminder of this important spiritual truth.

“Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it”.
Song of Solomon 8:7