THE ROCK HOUSE STORY

      from the Wenatchee Daily World, February 4, 1936

      When you visit Dry Falls State park, you will find there in the stone house, Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Giezentanner, the former being caretaker of the Park.  They were married after a fifty year romance.  Sweethearts they were fifty years ago.  The became separated by a queer trick of fate and again met and were married August 29, 1935.
  
      The story of that romance is told in writing, placed in a bottle and buried in the southwest pier of the caretaker's house by George Hall, the stone mason.

      The following is a copy of that story:

      "Today was the culmination of a fifty year romance when Mrs. Georgia H. DeWeede (nee Birdie Starns) was married to Charles T. Giezentanner, caretaker of Dry Falls State Park. This couple were lovers in their youth.  He lived in Goldendale, Washington; she lived near Moro, Oregon, in Sherman county.  He moved to Yakima, Washington, from which place he wrote his sweetheart.  She did not receive the letter.  She, too, wrote her lover, but fate stepped in and the letters did not reach their destination.

      "The young man's rival, Rev. William DeWeese, married her--after which she received both letters from the dead letter office.  Eight years later the young man married Miss A. Abercrombie, of Beloit, Kansas.  Both she and Mr. Deweese were very fine people and seemingly the young lovers had forgotten their love for each other.  Both raised families that, in due course of time, grew up and married.  The wife of Mr. Gizentanner passed on at Montesano, Washington, on armistice Day, 1930.  On the 27th of January, 1933, Rev. DeWeese was run down by an automobile and killed, in Kirkland, Washington.

      "About the 1st of June, 1935, visitors at the Park, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lewis, of Kirkland, casually mentioned the name of the lady, and, at the request of the caretaker, they furnished him with her address.  And, after 47 years, the old acquaintance was renewed.  The son-in-law of the bride, Rev. Hubert C. Vincent, of Kennewick, Washington, performed the ceremony, and his wife, a daughter of the bride, acted as bridesmaid, while Rev. Robert H. Allen, of Goldendale, was best man.  Those present besides the contracting parties, Mr. and Mrs. C. T. Giezentanner, were Rev. Hubert C. Vincent, Blythe D. Vincent, Rev. Allen and Mrs. Allen, and George Hall, of Edmonds, Washington."

      posted by Connor Jorgensen in Facebook, January 4, 2012