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Enthusiasts of the 16th president of the United States have to be a little bit jealous of John Lincoln.
On Sunday, the 62-year-old O’Fallon man did something that had never been done before at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
John Lincoln, a Civil War buff himself, married his fiancée, Pam Smith, 53, of Troy, on the former president’s 203rd birthday.In a short ceremony attended by about 10 people, Pastor Randy Vollmer of Skyline Church in O’Fallon married the couple on the back porch of the historic Springfield residence.
Some of the people at the wedding then toured the home, and to top it all off, ate a cake in the shape of a Lincoln Log cabin.
“It’s very ironic, but they both appreciate history a lot,” said Smith’s son, Connor Smith.
“As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.”
But what’s surprising about the wedding was that it wasn’t Lincoln’s idea, he said. Originally, they discussed getting married on the beach in Florida.
Then his bride-to-be had a change of heart, he said, thanks to some subtle urging from her family, including her sister, West Frankfort resident Lori Simms.
"The whole family kind of brought it up to Pam and she just thought it would be a great idea since John is a history buff," said Simms. "She wanted to go to Florida, but she knew how strong John felt about Lincoln, so she was all for it."
After all, she said Lincoln was a great president, her husband is a quasi-historian, and most importantly, he shared the same last name.
“I wanted to become a Lincoln, on Lincoln’s Birthday at Lincoln’s Home,” Smith said. “That was my inspiration.”
Simms said the wedding was an unforgettable experience, not only for its uniqueness, but also for its patriotic feel.
"Being in the Land of Lincoln around President's Day watching Lincolns get married at Abe Lincoln's house, it was just great," said Simms. "And they were very proud of it."
Charlotte Patterson, a friend of the couple from O’Fallon at the wedding last Sunday, said to have the backdrop of your wedding be Lincoln’s home is unforgettable.
However, she stopped short of saying she was jealous of her friends.
“I’m just really happy for them because they’re both good people,” she said.
Alec Ramsay contributed to this story.
Enthusiasts of the 16th president of the United States have to be a little bit jealous of John Lincoln.
On Sunday, the 62-year-old O’Fallon man did something that had never been done before at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
John Lincoln, a Civil War buff himself, married his fiancée, Pam Smith, 53, of Troy, on the former president’s 203rd birthday.In a short ceremony attended by about 10 people, Pastor Randy Vollmer of Skyline Church in O’Fallon married the couple on the back porch of the historic Springfield residence.
Some of the people at the wedding then toured the home, and to top it all off, ate a cake in the shape of a Lincoln Log cabin.
“It’s very ironic, but they both appreciate history a lot,” said Smith’s son, Connor Smith.
“As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.”
But what’s surprising about the wedding was that it wasn’t Lincoln’s idea, he said. Originally, they discussed getting married on the beach in Florida.
Then his bride-to-be had a change of heart, he said, thanks to some subtle urging from her family, including her sister, West Frankfort resident Lori Simms.
"The whole family kind of brought it up to Pam and she just thought it would be a great idea since John is a history buff," said Simms. "She wanted to go to Florida, but she knew how strong John felt about Lincoln, so she was all for it."
After all, she said Lincoln was a great president, her husband is a quasi-historian, and most importantly, he shared the same last name.
“I wanted to become a Lincoln, on Lincoln’s Birthday at Lincoln’s Home,” Smith said. “That was my inspiration.”
Simms said the wedding was an unforgettable experience, not only for its uniqueness, but also for its patriotic feel.
"Being in the Land of Lincoln around President's Day watching Lincolns get married at Abe Lincoln's house, it was just great," said Simms. "And they were very proud of it."
Charlotte Patterson, a friend of the couple from O’Fallon at the wedding last Sunday, said to have the backdrop of your wedding be Lincoln’s home is unforgettable.
However, she stopped short of saying she was jealous of her friends.
“I’m just really happy for them because they’re both good people,” she said.
Alec Ramsay contributed to this story.
