The marriage of Pauline and Joseph Vidich

Joseph and Pauline were married in New York City at a ceremony that was attended by his brother (far left). While in New York, Pauline worked as a governess for a very wealthy American family where her German and English language skills gave her access to the high society of pre-World War I America. In contrast, Joseph did not have the education or the language skills and relied on hard work and determination to make his mark in New York City. One of his jobs was the construction of the fire escapes that became a ubiquitous part of the New York City landscape. His life in Kropa. where the work of the blacksmith had reached a fine art, gave him a natural proclivity to work with metals. It was no accident that his heritage prepared him for his life as a mine worker.

Pauline & Joseph Vidich on their wedding day

The wedding photo was recently provided to me by my cousin Mary Jauquet Royer who had been given this precious photo by her grandfather Joseph Vidich one day while we was visiting him in Milwaukee. According to Mary, "One day he removed it from its spot on the top of the TV and thrust it at me and said 'Here take this.' So I did, and managed to carry it around during many moves and changes when I was younger. I treasured it."