Photo: Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society
As Vera Anna Katherine Koch prepared to marry her sweetheart, Harold E. Schaefer, on October 20, 1935, the day was clear and sunny. Her soft velvet dress had been chosen specifically to keep her warm during what is usually a chilly time of year. Instead, the temperature soared to 90 F. Soon, southwest winds blew in dark, thundering clouds and unleashed a deluge so intense that workhorses were needed to pull the guests’ vehicles out of the deep, sludgy mud.
Vera and Harold, life-long Maple Grove residents, weathered the storms of life together. They were married for 62 years. View Vera’s dried bridal bouquet, treasured dress and veil at the Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society Museum, lovingly donated by her daughter, Caroline, and the extended Schaefer family.
Kate Wodtke is a research and inventory specialist with the Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society and a Minnesota Author Project judge. Discover more at maplegrovemnhistory.org.
