Consider the Lilies...

Marriage of Robert Henry Leonard and Lillie Hawes, of Silver City
14 Sep 1905
Portland, Oregon
Calvary Presbyterian Church
Witnesses: Phillipa Hawes & Sherry J Lavery

Located at SW 11th & Clay in downtown Portland and completed in 1883, the building was originally the Calvary Presbyterian Church, now simply referred to as "The Old Church". It is the oldest church in Portland. From the plaque on the building, "In 1969, the threat of demolition led a concerned group of citizens to form the non-profit Old Church Society to save and restore it as a unique community gethering place. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972." The building is now used for concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and weddings.

It must have been quite a trip in 1905 to travel from Silver City to Portland to get married, but that appears to be exactly what they did. I have not yet heard any further details about the wedding trip; i.e. how long they traveled, how long they stayed, why they chose Portland, etc. I also was able to find all of the original marriage records from this time. They are in very large books that are preserved at The Genealogical Forum of Oregon, also in Portland.

The following are pictures I took back in April 2007:

One of the impressive features inside the building is the stain glass window pictured above which is based on Matthew 6:28, Consider the Lilies. This is especially poignant for our family since this window filtered light onto another Lillie back in 1905 as she and Robert spoke vows of commitment to one another as they began their new life together.