Anniversary: Forrest & Vella Alley

My paternal Grandma's older sister was Vella Church, born 17 November 1898 in Calhoun County, West Virginia, to Eli Church and Lenora Summers Church. (Note that their names appear as Ely Church and M. Sumers Church in the birth register entry for Vella.)

Eli and Lenora moved their family to Moundsville in 1913 - and sometime within the next six years Vella met Forrest William Alley, pictured with her in this photo taken in 1919:

Forrest W. Alley and Vella Church

On 28 June 1922, Vella married Forrest, who was the son of Elias Sheridan Alley and Mary H. "Mollie" Young.  Although the marriage license was issued and recorded in Brooke County, West Virginia, the actual marriage apparently took place in Marshall County.  The preprinted location of Wellsburg is crossed out in the Ministers' Return section of the record where W. C. Harold certified that he united Forrest and Vella in marriage at Moundsville.

Forrest and Vella had four children, all born in Moundsville.  Forrest died in 1952 at the young age of 55.  That must have been an extremely rough year for Vella as both of Forrest's parents also died in 1952.  But she continued on, living until 24 June 1989 when she passed away at the age of 90.