Bruce and Beth's Wedding

Elizabeth Anne (Beth) Partridge was born in South Gate, California (near Los Angeles) to Jean and Francis Marion Partridge (named after his grandfather, apostle Francis Marion Lyman).

Beth Partridge, 9 months old. (I think this picture looks like Julie's baby pictures)

Beth, age 3, and her father Frank Partridge.

Her family lived in San Bernardino from 1941-1946, and then moved to Alhambra, California, where Beth attended kindergarten through 10th grade.

Beth in her favorite pink organdy dress.

Beth with her favorite doll.

Beth in 6th grade

Her family got a piano when Beth was 10, and she has blessed people's lives with her playing throughout her life.

Beth at the Piano

The family moved to Salt Lake City when Beth was 15, so her last two years of high school were done there, which was a hard transition. Fortunately, she got to go visit her friends that first summer away.

Beth in High School. (I think this looks a lot like Karen at that age).

Beth's high school graduation from East High.

Beth majored in Elementary Education at the University of Utah. Her dad had taken his courses back in 1939, but had not actually graduated, so he finished things up so that he could graduate with Beth in 1961. How fun!

Beth and her father Frank Partridge, graduating from the University of Utah, 1961.

By that time, Beth's parents had moved to Berkeley, so she got an apartment with some friends in Berkeley as well and began teaching. Her parents moved back to Salt Lake a year later, but she stayed put, and it was at the University Ward in Berkeley that she met Bruce.

Meanwhile, Bruce had graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgery Dental School (now the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry) in San Francisco in June 1959.

Bruce's graduation from dental school, June 1959. 

Here he is torturing his little sister Jean.

Bruce working on Jean's teeth in his dental office, 1962.

Bruce still wasn't married when he finished dental school, but by the time of the last "Peanuts Picnic," Bruce had been on a few dates with Beth. She was teaching third grade at the time.

Beth Partridge and Bruce Merrill, July 1962.

One Sunday, Beth invited Bruce over for dinner, so he went. While there, he asked her to go someplace, and she said she couldn't. Later when he went down to his car, she came running down to clarify, "I want to go with you, but I have another appointment at that time." She wanted to make sure he didn't misunderstand or feel bad.

Soon after that, Bruce drove up to the World's Fair in Seattle, Washington with Bob and Jean Wilson (who were married by that time), and after he told them what Beth had done, he kept slapping Bob's leg and exclaiming, "That impresses me!" (He did this hard enough that I suspect he left an impression on Bob's leg as well!)

Space Needle and Monorail at the World's Fair, Seattle, 1962.

When they got back from the World's Fair, Beth went home to Salt Lake City for a couple of weeks, and Bruce and Beth corresponded often. She invited him to come up and meet her parents, so he flew up there and stayed with them.

Beth at 3993 Mercury Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Her father Frank had a VW bug, which was his pride and joy. He told Bruce, "Why don't you take my daughter and my car and go for a ride?" Bruce thought, "I'm not going to have any trouble with him!"

Bruce and Beth

So they went on a drive on Alpine loop, and came back and saw the movie, "Elephant Walk" (starring Elizabeth Taylor). When they got back to her house, he proposed to her, and he gave her a ring he had previously purchased. Then they woke her parents up to tell them the news, and they were quite pleased.

When they woke up the next morning, Beth's mother Jean Partridge had baked them an engagement cake. She put on an engagement party for them as well.

Engagement party for Beth and Bruce in Salt Lake City, August 1962.

Bruce and Beth on Temple Square, Salt Lake City, August 1962.

They had another engagement party in Berkeley.

Thelma Merrill at Bruce & Beth's engagement party in Berkeley, August 1962.

Bruce and Beth with Gale Bringhurst and Pearl at open house in Berkeley, August 1962.

Bruce and Beth, August 1962. 

Beth at bridal shower at Mary Burton's house, September 1962.

They wanted to get married November 20, 1962, but the Oakland temple wasn’t done, and the L.A. and Salt Lake temples were closed, so the closest one that was available was the Logan temple. Bruce wrote to the president, George Raymond (who had married Bob and Jean there the year before), and he said it would be fine for him to perform the ceremony on that day. (Malcolm and Thelma were also married there, and of course Malcolm’s grandfather, Marriner Wood Merrill, was the first temple president of the Logan Temple.)

The group visited the Salt Lake Temple the Sunday before the wedding (which was the following Tuesday).

Wedding group at Temple Square a few days before the wedding, November 1962.
(Jean and Frank Partridge, Neelje (Nellie) Holdaway (Mark's wife), Thelma Merrill, Mark Holdaway (Thelma's brother), Kay & Don Merrill, Beth Partridge, Bob Partridge, Bruce Merrill.)

Bruce and Beth at Salt Lake Temple, November 1962.

Beth, her mother Jean and her grandmother McIntire all got their hair done in Beth's aunt LaVaun's beauty shop the day before the wedding.

Jean Partridge, Grandma McIntire and Beth, November 1962.

Bruce and Beth getting marriage license, November 19, 1962.

Bruce and Beth getting marriage license, November 19, 1962.

Bruce and Beth were married at the Logan Temple on Tuesday, November 20, 1962.

Beth in her wedding gown, November 1962.

Beth in her wedding gown.

Beth and Bruce with marriage certificate, Logan Temple, November 20, 1962.

They had their wedding breakfast at the Bluebird Cafe in Logan (as had Malcolm and Thelma and Bob and Jean, so it was kind of a family tradition).

Bluebird Cafe, Logan, Utah.

Bruce and Beth in the Buick.

They held their first wedding reception in Salt Lake City.

Wedding reception in Salt Lake.
Back: Jean and Frank Partridge, Thelma, Malcolm, Don, Bruce, Beth and Kay Merrill, Karen Tanner, Paul Partridge.
Front: Mike (cousin), Bob Partridge.

They stayed in Salt Lake City for a couple of days before heading down to California.

The Buick at the Motor Lodge

Here is their decorated Volkswagen at the Chateau Andre apartments in Castro Valley, California.

Decorated VW in Castro Valley.

Beth and Bruce at the Chateau Andre apartments in Castro Valley, California.

Their second reception was held in California.

Malcolm and Thelma Merrill with Jean and Frank Partridge.

Reception line in Berkeley:
(Jean and Frank Partridge), Thelma and Malcolm Merrill, Don, Bruce and Beth, Gail, Kay and Jean.

And finally, here is the happy couple visiting both of their families that first Christmas.

Christmas in Salt Lake City, December 1962.
(Bruce and Beth Merrill, Jean, Bob, Frank and Paul Partridge.)

Christmas in Berkeley, December 1962.
(Mark, Malcolm, Kay, Don, David, Jean and Bob Wilson, Thelma, Robin, Beth and Bruce Merrill.)

In the next episode, we meet the children that Bruce & Beth welcomed into their home.