Ken met Jean Casale in 1958 when they were both teaching at Middle River Junior High School. Jean had been raised Catholic as the child of two Italian immigrants. Ken had been raised Episcopalian, with his father occasionally taking him to Unitarian church services.
Under Maryland law at that time, Ken and Jean were able to marry each other because both of them were white. When they decided to marry in 1960, they determined to hold two separate weddings to accommodate their respective families.
The first wedding was held on Saturday, November 12, 1960 at the Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren in Glen Arm, Maryland, with a reception following at Ken’s home at 16 Ridgemoor Road in Essex, Maryland.
Jean and Ken Bourn on their way to 16 Ridgemoor Road on their wedding day, November 12, 1960
Jean and Ken at their wedding reception on November 12, 1960.
The second wedding was held the following Saturday, November 19, 1960 at St. Dominic in Baltimore, with a reception following at Jean’s home at 3306 White Avenue in Baltimore.
L-R: Ken Bourn Jr., Jean Bourn, Frances Bourn, Ken Bourn Sr., Philip Casale (Jean’s father) at 3306 White Avenue in Baltimore, November 19, 1960.
Jean and Ken at their wedding reception on November 19, 1960.
Jean and Ken honeymooned in the Poconos at Brookdale-on-the-Lake in Scotrun, Pennsylvania. During their honeymoon, Ken completed his thesis for his Master’s in Education from Loyola College.
Postcard of Brookdale-on-the-Lake, when Ken and Jean honeymooned. Date unknown.
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