{"id":11628,"date":"2019-10-13T22:50:53","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T02:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=11628"},"modified":"2019-10-13T22:50:53","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T02:50:53","slug":"batavia-grandfathers-labor-of-love-brings-couple-together-in-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2019\/10\/13\/batavia-grandfathers-labor-of-love-brings-couple-together-in-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"BATAVIA\/Grandfather’s labor of love brings couple together in marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Chase and Cara Winkstern<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rhonda Winkstern has been delivering mail on her rural route around Genesee County for 24 years. She was commuting to the Batavia Post Office from Point Breeze in Orleans County each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four years ago things changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhonda’s father, Rodney Winkstern passed away at 82 and left his almost finished labor of love homestead on Pratt road to his daughter Rhonda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhonda decided to move into the totally restored home with two barns and acres of land. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the early 90’s, after the death of his wife Delores, Rodney purchased the brick home, built sometime in the late 1800’s, on Pratt road for $30,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He built the two barns, gutted it, fireplaces and everything and kept it original with the original blueprints,” says Rhonda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodney, who served in Korea, returned home after the war and helped his father manage F.B. Winkstern and Son John Deere Dealership in Oakfield. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 60’s he started Del-Mar Farms on Powers road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Last year, Rhonda volunteered one of the barns as the site for her 40th Class Reunion with 100 people attending. The event got her nephew Chase, 26, and his fianc\u00e9 Cara, 30, thinking about using the barn and the property for their wedding. The pair met four years ago on a blind date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chase was very close to his grandpa Rodney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Chase has been part of Del-Mar Farms since he got out of high school. He used to work in his grandfather’s workshop a lot helping him do some of the restore work,” says Rhonda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grandpa Rodney also had a beloved mutt named Fred who has also passed on, and who Chase was also very close to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He went in the truck with my father and my nephew and he was close to Fred also.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several of Grandpa’s antique tractors were also part of the wedding scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He wanted to honor him and get married here and I am very honored that he and Cara chose to be here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 5:30 in the afternoon, Chase and Cara said “I do” in front of 200 friends and family at the Winkstern homestead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n