Here is a happily ever after story from The Daily Oklahoman on Aug. 19, 1923.
Here is a happily ever after story from The Daily Oklahoman's Aug. 19, 1923, edition:
In a cell in the county jail here the first of the week Martin T. Sanco was so unhappy he tried to take his own life. Now he's on a happy honeymoon.
On a little farm near Foyil in Rogers County, Lucy Venona Cook had to milk eight Jersey cows every morning and every night. She hated it. Now, as Mrs. Martin T. Sanco, she'll never have any cows to milk. Martin drives a wagon for a Drumright laundry and owns a new automobile but no cows.
Lucy Venona is 17 years old, but looks younger She is pretty, and when Martin met her at the home of Paul G. Menkoff, who runs a restaurant at Tulsa, there budded a romance that carried them through a thrilling elopement after four days of acquaintance; that landed both of them in the county jail here in such fear that Lucy Venona cried all day and her lover, within sound of her sobs, tried to hang himself — and almost succeeded.
A week ago, Sanco got a vacation from his laundry wagon. Behind the wheel of his new car, he headed straight for the farm where lived the little country girl he met at the home of her sister in Tulsa. He was welcomed and they were happy together. Sanco told her of life in Drumright. She told him how she hated the work on the farm. Saturday morning, they drove over the hill in the new car leaving behind the hospitable roof of Father Cook on a dusty horizon.
Menkoff, had other ideas about who she should marry, which led to their arrests.
Her father and brother-in-law arrived in Drumright; consent was given, a wedding was held and the couple returned to jail to await an official release.
As they waited at the jail, her father said, "I never would've given my consent until she was 18 years old, had I known, but now I hope they're going to be happy."
According to the Ancestry website, the Sancos were married for nearly 50 years.
If you would like to contact Mary Phillips about The Archivist, email her at gapnmary@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Archivist: A wedding was held, then the couple returned to jail
