Forever Maybelline Sweethearts, The George and Helen Williams Huber Love Story

Annette, Noel A. and Helen Williams, 1929.

Like all little girls, Helen Williams grew up reading the Fairy Tale, Sleeping Beauty and dreamed that one day her Prince would come. Like many little girls her first love was her loving father, Noel J Williams, who was Vice President of the Maybelline Company and the most wonderful man in the world to everyone who knew and loved him. She wanted her Prince to have those same qualities and she found them in a young man named George Huber. 

Helen and George married very young. She wanted to be a Nurse and he a fireman. George followed through with his career, becoming a Captain in the Chicago Fire Department , while Helen made a home and gave him 7 children. Annette, Kathy, John, Patrick, Christine, Jullee and James. Eventually they left Chicago bought a ranch in Montecito California, where Helen raised goats and she and George grew old together living the good life. Their young love for each other never wavered and they remain eternal Sweethearts  

  

Helen George and little John her brother, Noel A. and Jean Williams Wedding, with t in 1949.

Helen and George, (Cook) at her brother, Dick Williams and Ann Flynn's Wedding, in 1955.  

That's a Beautiful Love Story!

A Match Made in Maybelline Heaven. Jean and Noel Williams Love Story

It was a freezing cold February morning in Chicago when the Bride arrived at the church soon to be wed to Maybelline Company's Vice President Noel James Williams son Noel Allen.  Jean Kilroy and Allen met in High School and now 7 years later the wedding of the year was finally taking place in 1949.

                 
    The Bride assisted by her her parents. 

200 guests waited patiently for the Bride to make her appearance as the Groom watched with quiet excitement next to his brother, and Best Man, Dick Williams.

Jean was a stunning Bride and it proved to be worth the wait to see the beautiful gown she chose to wear. 

This was a true love match and Jean and Noel remained married until his death in 1994.

             Noel Allen and Jean on the way to their reception.

The Bride and Groom with their parents and bridesmaids.

Nine months later on November 23, their first child, Charles Allen Williams was born. Chuck aka BB1, to all who knew him. Followed by Nancy Jean and James Noel Williams.

Noel and Jean never wavered in their loyalty to their vow's and Jean remained a widow devoted to her family until her death in 2006.

Now this is a Love Story

Maybelline Company's Vice President becomes Father of the Bride. The Annette and George Corbett Love Story

Annette Louise Williams, father, Noel J Williams, was Vice President of the Maybelline Company, the company his brother Tom Lyle Williams founded in 1915.  When Annette was old enough, she worked as secretary, for her uncle Tom Lyle and her father. Annette, loved her special position at Maybelline, but deep down inside she yearned for her Prince Charming to come whisk her away. 

One day, out of the blue, and much to her surprise, Annette was introduced to a handsome, charming man, wearing a WW ll, Army Air Corps uniform and her heart skipped a beat.  Within a short time she and George Corbett, were engaged and a shortly after her Dream Wedding was planned.  

The Father of the Bride, Noel James Williams, walks his darling daughter down the isle to her betrothed.  The second picture, Annette Williams, at their family home, in Sauganash Illinois,  stands with her brother Noel A. Williams, sister, Helen Williams-Huber and brother, Dick Williams.

George and Annette cut their Wedding cake, while the Father and Mother of the Bride, Noel James and Frances A. Williams, have a moment together, before he makes his toast to the young newlyweds.

An added surprise, The Bride's uncle, Ches Haines, honors the young couple by singing several of their favorite love songs. After the fairy tale Wedding, Annette and George sped off in the Father of the Brides car - for a long, long, romantic honeymoon.   

                  
    And George and Annette lived Happily Ever After!!!!

Maybelline Love Story Week continues with the Bob and Jackie Haines sixty years + romance

There once was a little boy named Robert (Williams) Haines, who was so adored, it seemed nearly impossible, he'd ever find a bride acceptable to his doting family

After two adorable daughters, named, June and Marilyn,  Eva and Ches Haines, rang the bells with delight,  announcing the birth of their baby boy.  Bobby was as close to a cherub as any child ever born, and with his curly brown hair, sparkling blue eyes and a sweet disposition,  like no other. 

Little Bobby, though having two doting sisters, was all-boy, growing up loving fast cars, cowboys and pretty girls.  Bobby's parents encouraged his adventurous nature, knowing someday he'd grow up to be a man they'd be proud of.

And yes, Bobby did grow to be a fine young man, devoted to God, Country and Family, wanting nothing more than to someday find the perfect girl, settle down and raise a family.

Bob, with his sister's June and Marilyn.

So it wasn't that unexpected, when he fell in love with a beautiful young girls named Jackie, four years his junior. Bob knew, she was the one!  Jackie was the new girl in school from Arizona, a cowgirl now living in Chicago. 

She was Independent and adventurous, with beautiful blue eyes and a stunning figure.  However, when her family returned to Arizona in her senior year, Bob wanted to follow her, but his parents said absolutely no!

"Not so fast - she's too young, you're making a mistake." his mother Eva, said.  But, he'd been raised  to be his own man and Jackie was the woman he wanted.  He followed his sweet 16 year old girlfriend out West and and stayed until she turned seventeen.

As soon as she graduated from High School in 1953, she and Bob married at the Church in Prescott Arizona, Bob and Jackie were so in love, nothing could stop them.

Jackie and Bob Haines, of the left, followed by Dick and Marilyn Haines-Westhouse, John and June Haines-Gary, Eva Williams-Haines.  Below is David and Jerry Westhouse and June and John's little girl Kathy.

Soon the Jackie was part of the Williams-Haines family and she and Bob had their first son, Steve Haines.  Eventually 5 more handsome sons came along and all grew up to be fine young men, just like their dad.  

Now that's a Love Story.

Jackie lost her beloved Bob a couple years ago but is surrounded by her big family and is loved by all.

A Maybelline Family Valentine, the Dick and Ann Williams Love Story

Painted by Maria Pace Wynter.

Quote from ‘The Little Prince’:  “A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born."  by author of The Little Prince,  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Little Dick Williams parents, Noel J. and Frances Williams were quite surprised when Frances announced she was expecting at 42 years of age.  They were happy of course when their angel arrived and gave him everything a little Prince might expect.

Dick with his cousins, June and Marilyn Haines.

 He was so adorable, that all his little girl cousins fawned over him and  soon he realized he'd been born with a gift for charming the ladies.  Dick's parents were painfully aware of how special their boy was, and though strict by nature, were incapable of saying no to anything his heart desired.  When Dick discovered his love for wheels, (like most of the boy's in the Williams family,) he received a real motorcycle for his 16th Birthday, and our - James Dean - with movie star good looks was born. 

At 17, Dick was known for his Peter Lawford, charisma, style and cocky wit and was used to getting what ever he wanted, when he wanted it..... But, our Little Prince met his match when he fell in love with the most popular girl in school.  Beautiful, talented, flamboyant, Ann Flynn. 

Like all storybook Romances go, Our Prince and Princess, Dick and Ann Williams, were married in 1955 and lived happily ever after. But that's another story.

Dick Williams was surely born with it, and yes, it was Maybelline!!!!

Stay tuned for more Valentine's Day stories from The Maybelline Family Diaries

Valentine's Day Romance Week, Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams and Bennie Gibbs.

My cousin Cooper Aston found this awesome article from 1893 regarding Shawneetown as a lovers destination for quick marriages resonates from Tom Lyle and Bennies journey.

Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois has long been the destination of young couples wanting to marry quickly and secretly. This is especially true of those living in western Kentucky counties bordering the Ohio River. The following is one account of such a marriage and is from the Evansville, Indiana Courier of 31 July 1893.

Morganfield, – Quite a breeze of excitement was created on the street last night by the rumor that Tom Sales and Miss Minnie James had gone to Shawneetown for the purpose of getting married. It seems there was some opposition on the match on the part of the young people’s parents so they decided to steal a march on them and hied them to Gretna Green, where loves young dream might be consummated without let or hinder. Mr. Sales called at the Givens House, where his lady love was boarding with her mother about, ostensibly for taking a moonlight drive. To disarm suspicion, they started out on the Sulphur Springs road, but turned about soon, came back by a street skirting the Givens House to the Shawneetown road.

They drove rapidly to the river opposite Shawneetown, were ferried over, and at kthis morning were married by Justice Hart. The happy twain returned at once, arriving about 2 am in the morning.

Mr. Sales is a popular young salesman in the dry goods firm of Newton, Robinson and Waller and the bride is the attractive daughter of Mrs. McIntire, formerly of Union City, Tenn., who has been a resident here several months, engaged in teaching music and dancing.

http://SharrieWilliamsAuthor.com/booksample

Want to know the real story about Maybelline founder, Tom Lyle Williams and his childhood Sweetheart, Bennie Gibbs, Romantic elopement to Shawneetown in 1912... click on the link and sign up for a free chapter of my book and become a subscriber of my 100 year Maybelline Anniversary Celebration. I will be giving a book away every month for the next year. 

Stay tune for another Maybelline Family Love Story tomorrow.

Maybelline was more than just a tin of mascara.

The final chapter of Chet and Mabel's love story.  Softly as I Leave You.

The Maybelline Story is a series of Love Stories in a family that not only gave the world it's first commercially sold mascara, but also added a bit of romance to the American tapestry.

Chet Hewes in his 80's was proud of this picture and sent it the entire family.  He wrote, "I just caught this beautiful black bass here in our little Tower Lake, show it to the rest of the gang,"  signed, Poppy.

After the Maybelline Company sold in Dec of 1967, Chet and Mabel moved into the newly constructed Lake Point Tower, located on a promontory of the Lake Michigan lakefront in downtown Chicago.

They spent their final years there, captivated by the spectacular views of the shoreline . . They loved the security of having a 24 hour doorman, and enjoyed all of the amenities - including a playground, pool, duck pond, and waterfalls - shops and restaurants and even a 2.5 acre park. But the thing that Chet liked the most, was an ATM machine that spit out $100 bills on demand.  He said he and Mabel never had to leave the building because it was a world within a world.

Mabel and Chet at Tom Lyle's in 1972.

Final Mabel and Chet story, from their granddaughter, Linda Hughes:

Grammy never wanted anything but to have a family and Poppy felt the same. They were stereotypical of their times - he earned the money, took care of the yard, cars and that sort of thing. She took care of the kids and house. Even Joyce, who can be a rabid feminist, said Gammy was the happiest, most content person and would not have wanted another kind of life.


Grammy and Poppy, loved one another literally to the end. The night she died they were living in Chicago,  Gammy had had chest pain earlier in the evening so she went to lie down.  When Poppy checked on her she was gone. My parents rushed down and arrived before the ambulance.  Poppy asked my mother to come with him into the bedroom where she lay in bed and said  "I want you to see how beautiful she still looks."  

I'm reminded of the song, Softly As I Leave You,  Frank Sinatra sang it and the line "For my heart would break if you should wake and see me go."

Frank Sinatra - Softly As I Leave You 


To this day Mabel and Chet's love story lives on in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to have known them.  I'm happy to say they touched my live in the most profound way and were instrumental, in my desire, to tell the Williams family's story.