A Perfect Anniversary

Today is my parent's 57th wedding anniversary.  On April 11, 1953 they were married at Sacred Heart Church in Atchison, KS. 

 After a reception at my grandparent's house, Mom and Dad drove to Kansas City and spent the first night of their honeymoon at The Hotel President, dining that evening in the hotel restaurant, The Drum Room. 

Here's a copy of the bill for their one night stay at the hotel.

$10.00 for one night.  Doesn't seem like much now but Mom said they had $70.00 to their name when they got married!

The Hotel President first opened in 1926.  It operated in downtown Kansas City for many years and the hotel's Drum Room lounge and restaurant attracted entertainers from around the country including Frank Sinatra and Benny Goodman.  The hotel closed it's doors in 1980 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.  After remaining closed for years, the hotel went through a massive renovation and was reopened as the Hilton President Hotel in 2005. 

So today my brother, husband and I took my parents to a surprise lunch in the Drum Room at the Hotel President for their 57th anniversary.  We had a great time talking about their wedding day and what they remembered about the hotel when they stayed there as newlyweds.  We showed our waiter the 1953 Drum Room menu that my parents took as a souvenir on their honeymoon night, and when we finished our lunch he gave them a current menu as a momento of their anniversary lunch.  It was a perfect anniversary on a beautiful spring Sunday.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!