With December 1st approaching Barbara’s mother took her to Orlando to shop for a wedding dress where they found a white wool, high collar dress with gold beads on the front and a full skirt.   Barbara’s father wanted them to be married at the Youth for Christ building in Ocala, but Barbara didn’t want that, so they planed it to be at their house in Ocala.   

It was a small wedding, Sue was her matron of honor, their friend Charlie Pardee was the best man.  A friend of her parents from the Youth for Christ played the piano and his wife sang a couple of songs.  Barbara’s school friend, Barbara Duff, her Uncle Bart from Michigan, Morris’s parents and Barbara’s brothers and sisters were all there. Her mother baked a wedding cake and made punch.    

Right before the ceremony, Barbara said she “got cold feet at the last minute. Everyone was there in the living room waiting for me to come out from the bedroom where I was with mom and Sue. All of a sudden my legs wouldn't hold me up. I got so scared I couldn't walk. After a little talk from Mom and Sue I made it out.”, and her father Rev. Fred Junior married them and Barbara and Morris kissed for the first time as newlyweds.  They had short reception, cut the cake and drank punch.  With the wedding over, Barbara got the “real” marriage certificate witnessed by Charles Pardee and her sister Sue who signed it  Mrs. J. D. Mixson. 

After the wedding, her and Morris drove to Gainesville where they stayed the night in one of the little cabins of the Bambi Hotel on south Highway 441.   Barbara said, “It was a very cold night, and I can still remember the wonderful feeling of getting into bed with Morris and snuggling up and getting warm. I have never liked sleeping by myself and after Sue got married and left, I hated sleeping by myself. It was a wonderful wedding night. Morris was a wonderful husband.”, but even with Morris beside her she was glad she had her flannel pajamas.  

The next day they went to Betty and Billy’s house at 1704 NE 8th Street in Gainesville where Morris dropped off Barbara then he went to Sears and bought a bed on credit which he tied to the roof of the car with rope and took it to the house.  While Morris was out shopping for a bed, Barbara went to work with Betty who was working at McCrory’s 5&10¢ store in downtown Gainesville and after talking to the store manager, got a job paying $18 a week. Barbara thought she was rich after working for her dad for $10 a week and when she got her first paycheck, she was so happy that she bought a dress with her own money at Jays Dress Shop.  Barbara and Morris had very little to start with, all of Morris’s clothes fit in a single suite case, with Barbara having three suitcases.  Barbara’s mother had giving them some sheets, blankets, towels and a few household items but it was sufficient with Betty and Billy having everything else needed for the house.  

With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, Morris and Billy went out to the Morris’s parent’s farm and cut down a small cedar for a Christmas tree which the put up in the living room and the four of the decorated it together placing the few gifts they bought for each other under it. It was a simple but wonderful Christmas, with the four of them opening their presents on Christmas day.  Morris and Billy gave Barbara and Betty matching satin robes with satin pajamas. Barbara’s was black with a white robe and Betty's was gold. Later that morning Barbara and Morris went out to Barbara’s parents for Christmas dinner and on the way back to Gainesville they stopped and visited Morris’s parents.

Updated: 01-07-2022

1951