Ever since I first laid eyes on this wedding photo from 1926, I’ve wondered: Who is that second couple?

A newspaper article detailing my paternal grandparents’ wedding revealed the happy couple’s attendants were Mr. & Mrs. Haag.

But who were the Haags? They’re not part of our family tree, but they were there for Grandma and Grandpa on a very important day.

It may well be that a newspaper ad Grandpa designed for his workplace provides an important first clue.

Grandpa worked with Mrs. Haag!

Apparently, the department store Grandpa had just traveled from Maine to Kentucky to work at was expanding by opening a new building. Rudy’s celebrated with a four-page newspaper insert. I wouldn’t be surprised if Grandpa was responsible for designing the massive ad campaign. The above page shows just the back cover, with a photo of the full staff at the bottom (too dark to see individuals, unfortunately).

Let’s take a closer look at Grandpa’s portion of the ad:

A full century ago, Grandpa took seriously the charge to tell the truth in advertising and publicity. Good man!

Now let’s take a look at Hazelle’s portion of the ad:

Once I discovered Mrs. Haag’s name was Hazelle (such a pretty spelling!), it didn’t take long to find her husband’s name: Leo.

And so, here’s a brief history of Leo & Hazelle Haag:

Leo Vincent Haag was born in Paducah in 1886. He was only seven years old when his father died. Three years later, he was in some sort of accident and lost a leg:

Leo had a rough start in life, but didn’t let that get in his way. By 1905, he was out of school and working as a shipping clerk. A blurb in the newspaper noted that he collapsed in the heat while walking home from work in July and later that year, broke his nose in a fall against a bathtub.

Meanwhile, Hazelle Frances Childress was born in 1885 in Knoxville, Tennessee. She arrived in Paducah in 1910 and married Leo two years later.

Hazelle was a milliner – she made hats! Over her career, she worked at several hat shops and department stores. She traveled to New York City, Chicago, and Saint Louis on buying trips.

And when another shop hired her away, the new boss couldn’t help but crow a bit:

Grandpa started his job at Rudy’s department store on July 1, 1926. I’m guessing Hazelle took him under her wing – especially once he talked about being so far from home and missing his fiancée.

When Grandma arrived in Paducah the day before their Thanksgiving wedding, it was Leo & Hazelle Haag who gave her a place to stay after what I’d guess was a long train ride from Maine. The next day, the Haags were the only others in attendance at the early morning wedding:

Don’t you just know the ladies enjoyed choosing which hats to wear on this special day!

Here’s a clip from the Bangor (Maine) Daily News article that ran the following week:

The Haags hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at their home in honor of the newlyweds. What a nice couple, to be so welcoming!

That said, they didn’t deserve the tragedy that awaited them in 1927.

On a motor trip back from Chicago, car trouble led to a serious accident. Hazel was in critical condition with a fractured skull. Her aunt suffered fatal injuries. Leo pulled through with a broken hip and a fractured wrist and ribs. There were four other passengers, including a baby who was found 50 feet away, safe in a clump of grass. A horrific accident.

Leo & Hazelle Haag gradually recovered. By now, he was running a local theater. Leo was house manager and published a series of movie ads with his personal recommendations on the quality of the films.

Unfortunately, Leo was held at gunpoint twice in his office. The first time, the thief escaped with money from the till. The second time, a ringing telephone was enough to scare off the robber.

Neither one of the Haags lived past their mid-fifties. Leo died of bronchial pneumonia in 1941. Hazelle then moved to Chicago and lived with her sister for two years until she, too, passed away.

The Haags are buried together in Paducah, in the city where, a century ago, they provided such kindness and care to their new young friends from Maine.

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