Community Corner

An Unforgettable Wedding, a Forgotten Location

In 1967, heavy rain flooded St. Mary's basement, forcing Marge and LeRoy Raupp to find a new location for their wedding reception. Do you know where they held it?

Buffalo Grove resident Ed Muldoon recalls attending the wedding of Marge and LeRoy Raupp — a member one of Buffalo Grove’s founding families — in the summer of 1967. It was an event not to be forgotten as, he remembers, it was “the day of a monster rain storm that flooded Edens Expressway as well as local streets and the basement of where the reception was to be held.”

An alternative location for the reception was found. Muldoon thinks it might have been held at Buffalo Grove’s volunteer fire department. To make way for the newlyweds and their guests, “they moved out the fire truck and hosed down the floor,” he recalls.

“There was the bride in white, greeting her guests, walking around on a wet garage floor. It's a piece of Buffalo Grove history that shouldn't be forgotten,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Buffalo Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Marge and LeRoy Raupp have since passed away. Muldoon recently turned to Village Clerk Janet Sirabian, who turned to the fire department, for assistance in determining where that memorable wedding reception took place.

A fire department official said that in 1967 one fire truck was kept in Firnbach’s garage at the International Harvester store that operated near St. Mary Church. The proximity to the church would have made it a logical choice for an emergency reception hall, but the garage’s dirt floor might have made it an impractical site for one dressed in white.

Find out what's happening in Buffalo Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Perhaps the Raupps’ wedding reception was instead held at the original building at ? That building, which had a cement floor, served as home to the volunteer fire department.

Muldoon hopes someone in the community remembers this wedding or can help him determine once and for all where the reception took place.

Do you remember this day? Or do you have another memorable Buffalo Grove event you’d like to share? Join the discussion by sharing your thoughts in the comments section below.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here