Backen Up in time

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A little about Ruby Backen (A wedding story)

A Wedding story

Ruby Backen was the Daughter of Aelenor (known as "Big Mommie") and Robert Church. She was a beautiful wartime bride who married Roy Backen during World War II. He was dressed in his Army Uniform and she in a simple white suit dress which had some dainty embriodery, delicate beads, and tiny ribbons on it. Pinned to her dress was a beautiful corsage. She also wore a dainty black hat with a tiny veil, a watch, and a slender golden bracelet.

They were married by the camp commander. Her mother (Aelenor Church) and Roy's mother (Bertha Backen) drove to the wedding from Palacios,Texas. The wedding was planned and held in Mineral Wells by two friends. The cake was a single layer, topped with a small kissing bride and groom. There were four white candles on the table and a few crystal serving dishes. After the ceremony was over they went to the picture show to celebrate!

At the start of their married life they stayed in a small apartment. It had a room and kitchen priviledges. They stayed in that room until he was moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.

While living in Raleigh, Ruby rented a room while Roy stayed in the barracks. This arrangement didn't last long. Roy was then transferred to Camp Kilmer in New Jersey and Ruby rode back to Palacios, Texas with the wife of one of his buddies. She waited for him there until he returned from the war.

Ruby Backen and the kitchen Band

Grandmother Ruby Backen who will be forever remembered by me as Sweeny Grandmother was a member of a kitchen band. My cousin and I recently came across a pair of Lawrence Welks spoons which belonged to her.

To read a newspaper about her band check out a copy of The Facts from Wednesday, April 12, 1978.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

New Posts Welcome!

Dear Backens,

Feel free to post pictures, stories and background about relatives of the Backen family here. Try to identify the people in your pictures and stories as clearly as possible so that everyone will know which Backen the story is about.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

A story about Ruby Backen and her Best Friend Viola Reader

Grandmother Ruby Church Backen and he friend Viola Hood Reader were almost inseperable. I called Viola "Aunt" and loved her very much.

Karen Spiller shared this story with my father.

When the girls were in their teens. Viola Reader and her friends, Mary, Laura, and Ruby Backen, were sitting together at church one Sunday night. One of them passed a note that read,"Let's go to the cemetery after the service."

A man sitting behind them at the service read the note and beat them to the graveyard. He then hid behind a gravestone. When they came walking by he jumped out from behind the stone and scared them to death. Viola claimed that they ran all of the way home!

"Aunt" Viola passed away on Tuesday May 19th, 2009. So now the two friends are together again. They are both loved and Grandpa Roy Backen is with them too. He passed away while I was writing this note.