Bio: Kersten, Genevieve Marie (1939)

Contact: History Buffs

Surnames: Kersten, Farley, Lang, Spence, Kraus, Willms, Sheeley

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 08/17/1939

Kersten, Genevieve Marie (Marriage - 26 Aug. 1939)

On Saturday morning, Aug. 26th, in St. Mary’s Catholic church in Colby, Miss Genevieve Marie Kersten, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Kersten of Colby, will become the bride of James E. Farley, son of Mrs. Phillip S. Farley, N. Oakland Av., Milwaukee, Wis.

Miss Mildred Farley, sister of the bridegroom, will be maid of honor, and Mrs. Paul Kersten will be the bridesmaid. Thomas Farley, a nephew of the bridegroom, will be best man for Mr. Farley, and Paul Kersten will usher.

A wedding breakfast will be served at the home of the bride’s parents after the ceremony.

Miss Kersten is a graduate of St. Mary’s school of nursing of Milwaukee and Mr. Farley attended the Marquette university.

Milwaukee Sentinel

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 08/31/1939

Miss Genevieve Marie Kersten, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Kersten of Colby, and James Edward Farley, son of Mrs. Phillip Farley of Milwaukee, were married at St. Mary’s Catholic church in Colby on Saturday morning at nine o’clock, Rev. L. J. Lang performing the ceremony. In the bridal party were Miss Mildred Farley, sister of the bridegroom, Mrs. Paul Kersten, the bride’s sister in law, Tom Farley, nephew of the bridegroom, and James Spence of Shorewood. Paul Kersten ushered. Miss Bernadette Kraus presided at the organ. The Holy Angels was sung. "Ave Maria" was sung by the Misses Catherine, Bernadette, Beatrice and Dorothy Kraus, cousins of the bride. "O Sponse Mi" was sung at the close of the service.

The bride was presented in marriage by her father and approached the altar wearing a gown her mother wore at her marriage. It was of white wash chiffon over taffeta fashioned with a full skirt ornamented with many yards of lace, insertion and medallions of baby Irish lace. Orange blossoms nestled in the bonnet of her tulle veil which fell over her gown in a long train of deep lace. She wore a string of pearls, a gift of the bridegroom. Her bridal bouquet was of white roses encircled with baby asters. During the service she used a white leather prayer book which she had used at her solemn communion and also had been used by her mother at her wedding. Miss Farley, in peach marquisette over taffeta, and Mrs. Kersten, in aqua marquisette over taffeta, carried bouquets of sweet peas in various shades. Sprays of the same flowers were worn in their hair.

The bridal party and immediate relatives were entertained at dinner at the home of the bride’s parents after the service.

The bride is a graduate of Colby, Wis. High School and of St. Mary’s School of Nursing of Milwaukee. Mr. Farley attended Marquette University and is warehouse superintendent of the Milwaukee Asbestos Company.

After a wedding trip to the New England States and New York City, the young couple will reside in Milwaukee.

Out of town guests were Mrs. Phillip Farley, Miss Mildred Farley, Mr. and Mrs. John Farley and son, Jackie, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Kersten and children, Lynne, Dick and Jerry, all of Milwaukee, Mr. and Mrs. James Spence and daughters, Marion, Joan, Estelle, Nancy and Catherine and Tom Farley of Shorewood, Mr. and Mrs. John Willms and Miss Bernette Willms of South Milwaukee, Mrs. William Sheeley of Chippewa Falls and Miss Catherine Kraus of Chicago.