Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 16, 1993 TAG: 9311160143
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Kathleen Wilson
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That was on Nov. 6, 1943.
It was a small wedding. The bride wore a blue suit and carried a prayer book covered with white orchids and rosebuds. The groom wore his Army uniform. And at the reception in the Jefferson Ballroom of the Patrick Henry Hotel, the couple cut the cake using his saber.
Emily Dickenson once wrote that her friends were her estate. If that's so, then Jessie Lee and Dan's estate is large and priceless.
Two weeks ago Jessie Lee and Dan celebrated their 50th anniversary in the very room where the reception was held.
Betty Mauck - now 65 - somewhat timidly took the microphone from the band playing big-band music for this affair, and said she'd like to give "Because" a try 50 years later.
"I didn't think I'd be able to remember the words," she said shyly, after not missing a beat.
The anniversary celebration was a considerably larger affair than the couple's intimate wedding. The Shawhans have an amazing social circle.
"They've never stopped making friends," explained their daughter, Kathy Pinkerton. "I practically have to call way in advance to get an appointment to see them. Their dance card is usually full."
Growing up, she remembers the family moving every couple years.
That's not so unusual when your father worked for Esso. It was a fairly typical transient corporate family.
What's remarkable, says Kathy, is that throughout her parents' life, their friends have moved right along with them.
For this special occasion, they flew in from just about everywhere. Their son, Dan, flew in from Florida. Joe Austin, a cousin, flew in from Alaska. And Shirley and Bill Fisher - who've lived just everywhere the Shawhans have lived, including Puerto Rico and Miami - came down from Toronto for the big celebration.
But many of the friends dated back to grammar school days right here in Southwest Roanoke.
Henry Gibson had been an usher 50 years ago at the small wedding. His wife, Virginia, is perhaps Jessie Lee's best friend. She's Lucy to her Ethel. Gidget to her Larue. Thelma to her Louise.
"They've been best friends forever and ever," said Kathy. "In every picture of them, from childhood up to now, their heads are always squeezed together with big, big smiles."
Granddaughter Rose Shawhan, 11, who attends Blacksburg Middle School, was ever so elegant in a gorgeous emerald green velvet and satin dress I wish I were small enough to borrow from her. She agreed with me that 50 years is a very long time to spend with any guy.
Fifty years from now, we figure, we'll be living like the Jetsons. At least that's what we've always thought.
Were there any boys Rose knew that she thought she could live with for 50 years.
No way.
"Maybe ONE year. Tops."
Paul Bennett - who rather apologetically explained his relationship to the Shawhans as "just friends, not family" - and I played a little name-that-big-band-tune and were frustrated as we both hummed and sang along to "Stardust" but couldn't remember the name of the song.
It reminded Paul of something his wife always said: "It's hard to be nostalgic when you can't remember anything."
Living in New York had its ups and downs.
The ups? Great Chinese food. The Haagen Dazs around the corner delivered. The greatest shoe departments in the world. Getting to see Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich in "Death of a Saleman" and Michael Crawford in "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway.
Best of all, though, was seeing "Les Miserables." Just two weeks after it won all those Tony awards.
Never thought I'd be lucky enough to see it twice in one lifetime.
But I'd been a little concerned that people really were coming in so late, right in the midst of the big "I Dreamed a Dream" number, like Seth Williamson mentioned in his review.
So many thanks to those who sat in rows Q, R and S for the final performance Sunday evening. Not a soul stumbled over or around us when the lights went down.
I did get a big kick out of the VMI cadets in row P.
Imagine, if you will, viewing all those military haircuts from behind.
Before the performance began, one cadet instructed the other 20 or so to stand up and move down two seats to make room for the rest.
And move they did. All 20 rose and spontaneously did the wave.
by CNB