Do You Remember a Country Music Icon Getting Married in Missoula?

I have to admit that I'm a bit of a Hank Williams Jr. freak when it comes to being a fan. I pretty much took over my dad's copy of Hank's Man of Steel cassette when I was a kid and it started my lifelong fandom. I've spent a lot of time and money over the years on Hank music, merch, and tickets to shows all over the country.

It was pretty cool to move to Missoula and learn about the time that ol' Bocephus has spent over the years in the Bitterroot Valley and Missoula area. It seems like there's always somebody quick to offer up details of a Hank sighting, a story about his property, or tales of his hunting escapades. But I learned a new Hank Jr. fact over the weekend that ties him to Missoula in a big way.

Did you know Hank Jr. got married in Missoula?

Last week was an up-and-down one when it comes to being a Hank fan. First, there was the terrible news about Mary Jane Williams, Hank Williams Jr.'s wife, passing away unexpectedly. That was followed a few days later by news of Hank's first musical project in a number of years. He chose not to delay the announcement of the project due to what he said is music providing solace in the most difficult times. As I found myself reading through a number of different Hank Jr. articles over the weekend, I stumbled into one that mentioned Hank and his longtime wife were actually married in Missoula back in 1990.

An L.A. Times article had a brief write-up of the day Hank and Mary Jane Thomas tied the knot at University Congregational Church here in Missoula. The article says the ceremony was attended by about 50 family members and friends. I looked it up and it appears that the church is still around today. Or, if it's not the same one, a different church now exists with the same name.

Do you remember hearing about it when it happened?

Being a big fan, it was a pretty cool fact to uncover when it comes to Hank Jr., despite the unfortunate situation that had me reading articles about Hank and his wife. Do you remember Hank Williams Jr. getting married in Missoula? Better yet, do you have one of those fun Hank sighting stories?