George Albert Vadnais and Frances Catherine McHugh (Part 2 of 3)
A number of pictures exist from when George and Fran were dating in the early 1930s.
(What a handsome young man!)
On Thursday June 14, 1934, George and Fran were married at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the time of their marriage, George was 24 years old and Fran was 21 years old. Eight days later Fran would turn 22 years old.
Edward, Mary and Fran are siblings and Charles Wagner is their cousin. Charles and Anna Mae Vadnais are George’s siblings; George was the first born and Anna Mae the last born in the family with their being a 20 year age difference between them. Virginia went to St. Joseph’s Academy with Fran and Lou worked at The Emporium in St. Paul with Fran.
Their wedding announcement appeared the next day in the White Bear Press.
The 1935 St. Paul Directory shows the young couple rooming at 1032 Grand Avenue in St. Paul. George is working as a driver for Sanitary Farm Dairies.9
(I wish the picture had better focus)
By 1936 the couple was living at 824 Margaret Street in St. Paul.10 It is while they are living there that Fran, on January 28, 1936, gave birth to their first child, George Michael.11 Tragically, the trauma George Michael suffered from the difficulties of his birth could not be overcome; he passed away the following day and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul. Fran and George must have been inconsolable.
On June 6, 1938 Fran gave birth to the couples’ second child, Jerome (Jerry) Thomas.13
George is wearing his work uniform for Sanitary Farm Dairies
In September of 1938 George, Fran and Jerry moved back to White Bear Lake where George and Fran opened Vadnais Cash and Carry. The business was run out of their home at 919 Stewart Avenue where according to licenses they held, they sold milk, cream, cigarettes, soft drinks and gasoline. From what George wrote on the back of the following picture, in general they sold groceries. George continued to deliver milk for Sanitary Farm Dairies and Fran, besides taking care of Jerry, worked in the store and pumped gasoline.14
The house was remodeled over the past few years, but it still looks very much the same. It sits on the southwest corner of Stewart Avenue and 10th Street.
George is only 28 years old
Notice the Mobil Oil Freezone sign on the side of the house.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Thanks for visiting, come back soon,
Cynthia
© 2024 Copyright by Cynthia Vadnais, All Rights Reserved
Footnotes for George Albert Vadnais and Frances Catherine McHugh post (part 2 of 3)
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