War inspires commitment

Although the war began with Nazi Germany’s attack on Poland in September 1939, the United States did not enter the war until after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. Roosevelt worked to prepare our citizens to prepare for the conflict that he (the President) deemed “inevitable.”

This fact was one that influenced young lovers to tie the knot while young and quickly, before they were called to leave – to fight for this great nation. People in the situation were reminded what was really important and wanted to commit before leaving for combat.

According to past issues of the Observer – specifically 75 years ago – Kimball County, as well as Banner and Cheyenne counties, was a very popular place to come to get “hitched.”

In the latter months of 1940 and in the following year of ‘41, Kimball County saw a record number of marriages. The entire world was entering into war (World War II), and folks wanted to get married quickly and without hassle.

Kimball County saw it’s share of couples from Colorado and Wyoming in those two years in search of a marriage licenses. In a December 1940 issue of the Observer, it stated that a record was broken in the county for marriage licenses; issuing more than 850 for the year.

A December 1941 issue of the Western Nebraska Observer reported that Judge Henry Vogler of Kimball issued a total of 1,377 marriage licenses for the year.