The Wedding Day
Wanda Mathis and Gary Carlile were married in Princeton, Missouri, on December 1, 1940. It is not clear why the couple chooses to travel from Macomb to Missouri to be married, but her daughter, Peggy, speculates the reason had to do with the waiting period. Illinois required a blood test as part of the licensing process which did not allow couples to marry the same day as filing. Missouri did not have this requirement.
A Macomb Daily Journal article announcing the Carlile wedding states they were accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Lester Daye. The Daye’s were also married that day and the couples acted as witnesses for each other’s marriage.
What the Bride Wore
This crepe ashes-of-rose dress was worn by Wanda Mathis when she married Gary Carlile on December 1, 1940. Her choice is an indication she was well aware of the fashion trends of the day.
With Katherine Hepburn on the big screen, her “make no excuses style” appealed to women. They followed her style especially the shirt-waist dress, that fell just at the knee. Women entering the workforce were drawn to the style for its mix of comfort and tailored appearance. Gloves and purse completed the look. Trim details at the neckline, like the needlework on Wanda’s dress, and big buttons were inexpensive ways to add style to this simple dress.
The fabric and color choice showed Wanda, who was working at JJ Newberry Store on Macomb’s Courthouse Square at the time of her wedding, was aware of what was fashionable. Her ashes-of-rose dress was made of crepe fabric, a light, flowing fabric that draped nicely. The subtle texture was characteristic of the fabric weave and it could be made of rayon, silk or cotton or more likely a blend of them. Wanda chose the popular ashes-of-rose color first made popular in the Victorian era. To compliment this grayish purplish red fabric, she added a vibrant green trim showing her forward fashion sense.
The Carlile’s Life in Macomb
After their wedding, the couple returned to Macomb and moved into an apartment on the square to begin their life together; she working at JJ Newbury Store and
Wanda graduated from Macomb High School and attended at what is now Western Illinois University. She was a clerk local stores including the JJ Newbury store and later at Scripps-Reno, taking time off to raise two children. She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary of Macomb, a service organization to assist military veterans. Wanda was also a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
The couple eventually moved into Wanda’s parent’s home on East Murray Street where they raised their two children, Peggy and Stan. The house was purchased by Wanda’s parents in 1930. Wanda and Gary’s daughter, Peggy is now the third generation living in the family home.
Gary Carlile died in 1976, and Wanda in 1985; both are buried in Macomb.