52 Ancestors 2025: Wedding Bells – Ben and Mary Hizar

 

One very interesting wedding in our family history is that of my great-aunt Mary and Uncle Ben, which took place in April 1936. Aunt Mary, born Mary Fast, was the daughter of Orin Taylor Fast and Nellie McWilliams, who are fondly remembered as Grandma and Grandpa Fast. She was only about five years older than my mother and was something of a big sister to her. Mary worked as a teacher, first in a one-room schoolhouse and later in a larger, consolidated school. When we visited their home in Barton County, Missouri, we always stayed at their house. As a child, I would eagerly read through the Golden Book Encyclopedia set they kept on the bookshelf.

A photo from their wedding is like a snapshot of a Fast family reunion (which still happens every summer). The bride and groom stand on the right, with Grandma and Grandpa Fast on the left. In the center, wearing a dark dress and turning her head, is my grandmother, Ruby (Fast) Reed. Ruby and my grandfather Steve were no longer together, so he’s absent, but their children are easy to spot. My mom, Ruth, stands just over Ruby’s left shoulder, while the boys are dressed in bib overalls and ties. Uncle Jim stands with his hands in his pockets, and the twin Uncles, John and Joe, sit on a bench, sporting matching ties. I can also recognize Mary and Ruby’s sister, Aunt Dixie (Eccher), standing with a little girl in front of her—likely Dixie Mae.

This picture also tells a deeper story about the family. After Ruby and Steve separated, Ruby and her children moved back to Grandma and Grandpa Fast’s farm. Ruby and my mother both taught in local schools (with many of their students being cousins). Mom used to tell stories of riding a horse to school until she could afford a car. I doubt anyone took out a second mortgage to pay for the wedding; perhaps everyone pitched in.

Though Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben never had children of their own, they were beloved by many nieces, nephews, and eventually great-nieces and nephews. Mary also served as the Fast family historian. It was in her home that I first began learning about the family’s past, and much of what we know today is thanks to the books she published.