A wedding dress in past times was not a garment meant to be worn once, as most people did not have the money to buy a single-use outfit. Instead, a wedding dress was simply the nicest dress that a woman owned at the time. After the wedding, the dress would be altered and continue to be used.

     When Ruth Meyer married Gelord C.H. Strehlow in 1930, white wedding dresses were in fashion, but there were still many women who simply chose their nicest dress. Ruth chose the pink lace dress pictured here. They were married in Nebraska, where Gelord worked as a teacher.

Upon moving to Colorado, Gelord would teach at three different schools in Phillips County- North Star, Paoli, and Silver Beam. Eventually, during WWII, he would become an ammunition inspector at the army depot in Sidney, Nebraska

     Ruth was also quite busy. She became the postmaster in Paoli on April 11, 1941. She would retire on July 9, 1971, after serving for 30 years. This made her Paoli's longest-serving postmaster. Today, her dress is a reminder not only of this accomplishment, but also of how much traditions can change.