William W. Porter, 24, standing, and Audrey J Ching 21 of Hawaii in back who will be married Saturday are

retiring from the circus careers. Shown with them are grandparents Mr. and Mrs. James E Soda Sullivan 73 and 71 respectively, of 11 Quirk Ave.,the first generation of Holyoke's famous circus family.

37 years ago, a famous Holyoke circus couple shook the sawdust from their feet and returned to Holyoke, bidding the Big Top goodby forever.

The were Mr. and Mrs. James E Soda Sullivan of 11 quirk Ave., the Mom and Dad of a second and third generation of circus performers.

Now a member of the 3rd generation is retiring from the glamour of circus life to settle down in Holyoke this time at 433 Elm Street.

William W. Porter, their grandson will be married this Saturday to a girl who me met in the circus, Audrey J. Ching of Kahului, Maui, Hawaii.

They will exchange wedding vows on Saturday morning at 9am in Blessed Sacrament church teaming up to settle down in Holyoke.  They said goodby to the Polack Brothers circus with which she performed as an aerialist and he as an aerial bar artist at Jacksonville, Fla.,Nov 30.

The old performers dont seem to think the circus is as glamorous as it used to be but I dont think its lost any glamour says Bill.

The glamour is still there, children still love the circus agrees his grandfather who qualifies this statement with feelings that the circus isnt what is used to be regrets that the Big Top has disappeared, whiches that the three ring circus be restored.

Whether yearning for the circus of yesterday or today, members of the 3 generations of circus perfomrers will be represented at the wedding  to see Bill married to petite, dark eyed dark haired Audrey wearing a white ballerina length gown.

The matron of honor, another member of the 3rd generation and Bills cousin, Mrs. Arden (Larey)

Kreisch will be gowned in blue velvet. Mrs Kreisch and heer husband Norbert will appear in a monkey act on the Ed Sullivan television show this Sunday night.

Best man will be Bill's brother, James E. Porter who was trapeze artist with the circus until 31/2 years ago. He is now attending the Vesper George School of Industrial Art in Boston.

Of course the couple who inspired their children and their grandchildren, Bill, Arden and James to join the circus will be there.

Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan look back upon their roles as acrobatic artist and bare-back horse rider in Barnum and Bailey Ringling Brothers, and other famous circuses with nostalgia.  Their circus careers of more than a dozen years ended in 1920 when they decided to return to Holyoke to settle down.  Mr. Sullivan, a retired member of the Holyoke Fire Dept. and his wife are seeing their grandson Bill settle down too.

Bill's aunt, Mrs. Edna Kingley of Mayer Dr. a 2nd generation member who was an aerial ballet artist from 1935 to 1939, will also be at the wedding and reception at the Log Cabin.  A non-circus 2nd generation Officer James H. Sullivan of the Holyoke Police Dept will also be there.

Bill's mother, Mrs. Rose Murphy of Los Angeles, Calif. another 2nd generation member, a former aerial trapeze artist with famous circuses, has been in show business for over 25 years. Bill got his first real taste of circus life by traveling with his mother in 1950 when she was a member of the Wallenda troupe playing at big fairs and the Cole Brothers Circus.  His father, James Porter of Houston, Texas does an independent trapeze act.

Another 2nd generation member, Eileen Larey Voise, another famous aerialist, retired from a flying trapeze act in Polack Brothers Circus in 1956 when her daughter, Arden, took over he place for a time. Mrs. Voise's husband Harold has been manager of Polack Brothers, a Shrine Circus, but intends to act independently next season.

As a member of the Aerial Voises, Bill performed with Harold; Harold's brother, George Voise, and Ralph Oyseth.

The 1951 graduate of Holyoke high school joined the team in 1955 after completing a four years term in the Marine Corp, serving in Korea and Japan.

(break in article)

He catapulted into the air doing somersaults. He bounced from heights of 30 feet into a next and back to the aerial bar. His work required practice and confidence.

The aerial bar performer from Holyoke also me a lovely girl from Hawaii.

Audrey joined the circus in 1955 to be with her mother and stepfather June and Pinky Madison , elephant trainers with Polack Brothers. Mrs. Madison will attend the wedding.

Audrey left her native Hawaii following graduation from high school in 1955 with no intention of becoming a circus performer.  As she traveled with the circus her interest in becoming an aerialist grew until she joined a team of 8 girls in an aerial act a year ago.

Both Bill and Audrey testify that traveling is the hardest part of circus life, that audiences in Canada show their appreciation the most.  People in the United States who are accustomed to watching TV like the shows but forget to clap as much.

After sharing their circus experiences, Holyoke's daring young man on the flying trrapeze has captured the heart of a pretty girl who can also fly thru the air with the greatest of ease.

The hero of this story has not only won where the hero of the song failed, but has also made plans to live happily ever after with the heroine in Holyoke.

((from newspaper article and not sure of exact date)