When Engagement Announcements were Publicized

In the not-too-distant past, it was a common practice for couples to have their engagement announced in the community newspaper. This was in an era when couples did not first live together, so the local paper would make a pubic announcement to the community of the couple’s change of status. Following are two examples from the Sheboygan (Wis.) Press announcing in their April 24, 1936 edition the engagement of Martin Boerner (John and Hilda’s son) to Miss Mary Primozich. The second example is Martin’s younger brother, Jacob Boerner being engaged to Miss Dorothy Reischl in the April 15, 1941 edition of the same newspaper.