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George Wood Merwin Vinal
and
Grace Gertrude Fiegenbaum
Marriage
Miss Grace G. Fiegenbaum, who is to become the bride of Mr. George W. Vinal tomorrow, was the guest of honor at many entertainments last week. Among these was a tea given Saturday afternoon by Miss Rawlings, at her apartment at the Marlborough. The Misses Lind held a card party and "shower" for Miss Fiegenbaum Saturday night. Sunday evening, Capt. and Mrs. William Richard Dear, entertained the bridal party at supper.
Mr. Gordon Murphy, of New York, is to be Mr. Vinal's best man, and the ushers are Mr. Edson S. Basten, Capt. W. R. Dear, U. S. A., Mr. E. L. Wallace, and Mr. G. M. Marechal. The last two named ushers and the best man are members of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, of which the groom is also a member.
Miss Fiegenbaum's only attendants are to be her two bridesmaids, Miss Louise Hart, and Miss Ida Lind. The wedding will take place at St. Mark's Church tomorrow evening.
Source: Washington Post, Washington, D.C. Tuesday, 18 November 1913; page 7, column 6.
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Vinal — Fiegenbaum Marriage Record
The image above shows the more complete of the two records of the marriage of George Wood Merwin Vinal and Grace Gertrude Fiegenbaum to be found in the registers of St. Mark's Episcopal Church (3rd Street, SE & A Street, SE; Washington, D.C.). 1
In this registration of the marriage, the groom's name was recorded as "George Wood Meridin [sic] Vinal." Other resources and researchers show that Meridin is not correct. It should be Merwin, as in his mother's name.
The witnesses who signed this record were:
- Adolph Heinrich Fiegenbaum; the bride's father.
- William Gordon Murphy, Jr.; the best man.
- Washington Irving Vinal; the groom's father.
- Louise G. Hart; a bridesmaid.
- Ida May Lind; a bridesmaid.
Rev. Dr. Caleb R. Stetson, the fourth Rector (1912-1921) of St. Mark's Church, was the officiating minister according to this record. His was also the name recorded on District of Columbia marriage license No. 63454, issued on 17 November 1913 to George W. M. Vinal.
The more abbreviated entry for the marriage found in St. Mark's Records, Book 3, page 186, identifies the groom as "George Wood Vinal," does not include the marital status, ages or residences of the bride and groom or their signatures, does not identify the parents, and lists only two witnesses - W. Irving Vinal and Louise G. Hart. It also indicates that the marriage was performed by "Rev. P. Blair." According to a 2010 history of St. Mark's posted online at the church web site ), Henry P. Blair (1868-1948) was the Parish Register from 1906 to 1916 and the Treasurer from 1916 to 1948. There is no mention of him being an ordained minister. 2
Notes
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Marriage of George Wood Meridin [sic] Vinal and Grace Gertrude Fiegenbaum in Marriage Records, 1913-1940; page 33. See also: St. Mark's Records; Book 3; page 186. Access to the church records was graciously permitted during a visit to Washington, D.C. in May 2012.
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See Bert Cooper and Mary Cooper St. Mark's, Capitol Hill: History and Description of its Fabric, Stained Glass, and other Notable Features ; (Washington, D.C.: St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 2010); pages 44, 77, 78. Updated, on-line text accessed on 17 June 2012 at <http://www.stmarks.net/assets/pdf/A_History_of_St_Marks_2010_update.pdf>