Wis. woman gets second surprise wedding

Waterford, Wis. -- A Wisconsin woman was caught off-guard by Christmas Eve nuptials for the second time in her life -- in both cases by the same man.

Iida Ruth Southey first married Francis Southey in 1942 in Sherman, Texas, after he planned their wedding on the sly while he awaited transfer to Europe during World War II, the Racine (Wis.) Journal Times reported Tuesday. He got her again 65 years later at Waterford (Wis.) Senior Living where they reside, the newspaper said.

"I didn't know I was getting married. I just went to spend Christmas with him and I got down there, he had the wedding all arranged," she said of their war-time wedding.

This time around, three generations of family and friends were on hand.

"As my mother always said, when you are married, you are married for life and that's what we did," she said. "It's just life, that's what it is."

After Monday's ceremony, the couple celebrated with a white frosted chocolate cake, topped with the number 65 and a plastic bride and groom.

"She said that she wasn't going to marry me," Francis said, looking back to their first wedding. "She wanted a wedding, a big wedding but I didn't have any money."

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.