What Happened to the Headdress? A Spoering Family Mystery

 About five years ago, I wrote this post about German Wedding Traditions, brought about by a photo I found of myself, dancing in the hog trough at my younger brother's wedding.

http://attheriverbend.blogspot.com/2017/02/hochtied.html

Then, last month, I was asked to give a program at our genealogical society, and I chose that same topic.  I took some time to really delve further into the subject, especially as it applied to my family.

I looked at three wedding photos I had of three of the younger Spoering sisters - 

Lydia, Kate, and Ida, my grandmother.  My first revelation was that all three wore a dark dress, just as they would have in Germany at the turn of the century.  It was all about practicality, and I'm sure those dresses served them many years.  

Of the three sisters, Kate was the first to marry Wilhelm "Dutch Bill" Tietje in 1911.  The groom had his best suit on with a large flower stem in his lapel. 

The flower is myrtle, representative of love and fidelity.  A close look at the bride's headdress shows the same flower on top and a strand hanging down on the side.

Notice the wide hem at the bottom of the sheer veil.

Ida Anna Katherine Spoering married Albert Louis Elling in 1913.  A very close inspection of her wedding headdress revealed that it was the same as in the previous photo, only a little reworked with the myrtle hanging down as before.  The wide hem at the bottom confirmed that it was the same veil.  The dress pattern is the same used by Kate, and it would be a valid guess that the dresses were handmade.

Lydia Spoering married Harry Louden in 1915, and the headdress is the same, although we can not see the whole veil.  Myrtle appeared in both the headdress and the groom's corsage.

As for the other Spoering sisters, I do not have their wedding photos to know if they also wore this item.  I only know of its use from 1911 - 1915. Mary married in 1900; Freida in 1917, Anna in 1903, and Sophia in 1904 and Amelia later. If anyone would be able to share those wedding photos, it would be very appreciated.

Once, long ago, I was told (source not remembered) that the wedding headdress had been preserved and placed into a large frame covered with glass to protect it.  I've envisioned this for many years as a family heirloom that lived on somewhere. I thought one aunt had it, but her son assured me that she did not.  

So...does anyone know if this wedding headdress was preserved and where it is?

That is the question to answer.  Any clues or knowledge would be appreciated.

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