A Show Of The Wedding Dresses

The Greeneville-Greene County History Museum offers advertisements throughout the year. For six weeks in September-October, the Museum Board decided to use the Fine Furniture Gallery and offer a display of the wedding dresses over the years.
However, the interest was so sharp for the "Here Comes The Bride" wedding dress exhibition that the museum has expanded it by the end of December.
On Sunday October 9, the board will host a tea reception for the brides, the families of the brides and friends who were involved in the displays.



The serving tables were covered with lace and a large arrangement of colorful zinnias centered one of the tables. The tea deals include cucumber sandwiches, miniature sandwiches, chicken salad croissants, cheese triangles, squirt cookies, butter banana strawberry bread and Russian tea cakes.
The Russian tea was served by Kathy Giles from a silver tea set, and crystal cups and saucers and linen napkins were used.
There were several clothes on display with cards with their interesting stories. Some examples of the stories with notes from the museum are:

From 1908

Joan Preis-Adan donated a bride ensemble - a silk charmeuse, silk satin dress with pearls and pearls from the year 1908.
"Addie Ottinger and Pope Guthrie, natives of Greene County, were married in 1908. It was her granddaughter, Joan Price-Adan, who donated the dress. Addie was also the grandmother of Anthony Bewley of Greene County.
"Addie has been known as a talented designer and seamstress.It is very likely that she made the dress.There are family members who have kept other examples of their work.
"Pope Guthrie died at the age of 29 and Addie lived 96 years old."



From 1910

An Irish linen dress from 1910 is lent out by Rena Myers.
"Rena Milner married Mick Myers in this vintage loose linen dress, which was a gift from her grandmother, Rena is from Dandridge, Tenn. And Mr. Myers is from the Graystone Community of Greene County, who live in the Sunnyside- Community in the country that was owned by his family.
"The dress is beautifully embroidered with floral patterns, the lace and nets are very delicate and complex, it is in remarkable condition."



From 1917

"Helena Lombard Zimmerman married John Martin Jones Jr. on February 25, 1984. The wedding was held at the St. Johns Episcopal Church in Savannah, Ga.
"The dress was first worn by Helena's grandmother, Louise Phinizy Broyles, who married Capt. Thomas Barrett on December 8, 1917 in Atlanta, Ga.
"The dress has been worn in several weddings by Louise's daughters and granddaughters, illustrating the rapid development of formal women's clothing from 1910 to 1920."
The dress is borrowed from Helena Zimmerman Jones.



From 1948

One of the interesting stories included a wedding dress made in 1948 of silk from a parachute of the Second World War.
This particular dress was loaned to the Museum of Barbara Bible, by Greeneville, daughter of Hildegard and James Houston.
After the museum information display "Hildegard Erika, Martha Herd married James Ruble Houston (from limestone, Tenn.) In a religious ceremony November 5, 1948, in Frankfurt, Germany The civil wedding took place the following day, as is customary in this country Is.
"During the Second World War the soldiers often held their silk parachutes for their wedding dresses after returning home. In Hildegard's case, a silk wedding dress to Germany would have been impossible and all of Europe was devastated by the war."
After the family, Jimmy went to a base and "confiscated" a parachute.



From 1950

The late Doris Kilday of Greeneville had provided the museum with her wedding dress.
After the museum: "Doris Blackwelder married Dr. Edsel Kilday, on October 30, 1954 in Kingsport, where Dr. Kilday was born from Greene County.
"The full-bodied ball gown has a sweep train embellished with sequins. The color of the dress is enhanced with different layers of ivory and ecru fabric."


From 1960

There is a sky blue taffeta and lace dress by Edith P. Kirk, and it was donated for use by her niece Anna Sue Smith of Greene.
"Edith P. Kirk, born in Greene County, married" Jimmy "Sato in Japan, where she was a 21-year-old nurse in the US Army Medical Corps, where she worked in Japan, Korea and Alaska.
The latest: from 2005

The latest linen maxi dresses on display is a silk taffeta, charmeuse include Lucy Close Heart, which offered the dress for loans.
"Lucy Elizabeth Close married Ryan Douglas Hertz on May 28, 2005 by Rev. Mike Feely in an outdoor ceremony at her grandmother's house, Billie H. Roberts.
"She is the great-granddaughter of Allie Elizabeth Foree and MU 'Bob' Roberts, whose wedding party photo is shown, her paternal grandparents, Barbara and C. William Close Jr., are shown in an accompanying portrait Lucy grew up in Greeneville Her parents are Debbie and Carl Close. "