We probably don’t need to tell you that these are dark times for the Duggar family — like, really dark times.
But amidst all of the scandals and allegations and arrests and prison sentences, there’s still the occasional bright spot for Jim Bob and company.
For example, earlier this week, the family announced that Jeremiah Duggar is engaged to Hannah Wissmann.
And if you’ve been following this relationship as it’s developed over the past few months, then you know that this is the sort of union between affluent evangelical families that Jim Bob lives for.
When the Nebraska-based Wissmann clan first came to our attention last year, it was not because of Hannah and Jeremiah.
No, at that time, it looked as though Jana Duggar was being courted by Stephen Wissmann, who is Hannah’s older brother.
Fans were excited, as Jana is soon to turn 32, which practically makes her an old maid by Duggar standards.
Alas, the Jana-Stephen relationship — if one ever existed — was not meant to last.
But some good came out of the situation, as Jeremiah and Hannah appear to be in it for the long haul.
There are many theories as to how this might have happened.
Some believe that Jana and Stephen were dating, and Jeremiah and Hannah met while serving as their chaperones.
(Yes, the Duggar courtship rules are still strictly enforced — even for people in their thirties.)
Others believe the situation was reversed, and the reason Jana was making all of those trips to Omaha was to serve as Hannah and Jeremiah’s chaperone.
Then there’s the third possible explanation for how this interstate romance came to be:
For years, it’s been rumored that Jim Bob Duggar arranges marriages for his children, making contacts with the fathers of other large, fundamentalist families (like the Wissmanns) so that they can unite in unloading their offspring.
Whatever the case, it seems that 26-year-old Hannah will feel right at home in the Duggar clan.
For one, as a fellow Independent Baptist, she shares the family’s religious beliefs, which is a must for anyone seeking to marry into the Duggar clan.
On top of that, she has 11 siblings, so she’s no stranger to large, hectic family gatherings.
Like the Duggars, the Wissmanns are a business-focused family with an eye toward making it in media.
But while the Duggars have focused on television, the Wissmanns are more musically-minded.
Their family band has been touring the midwest for years, although it’s unclear if they make any money from this venture.
“Our energetic, social butterfly, Hannah is a skilled and creative young woman. She loves spending time in the kitchen — trying new recipes and creating culinary masterpieces,” Hannah’s bio reads on the Wissmann Family website.
“Our home also greatly benefits from her interest in interior design and seasonal decor.”
Back in October — these Duggar relationships move fast! — Jeremiah and Hannah revealed they were dating via a post on his Instagram page.
“Never been so happy,” Jeremiah captioned a pic of the happy couple.
“Never felt so blessed! Getting to know each other has been one of the greatest joys of our lives!” he continued.
“We are excited to start sharing our story with all of you and to see what God has in store for our future.”
The majority of Duggar courtships last only a few months before reaching the engagement stage, so what happened next was not surprise.
“She said YES!!!! Hannah, getting to know you for the past year has been so incredible! I can’t even find the words to describe it,” Jeremiah captioned the photo above this week.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I cannot wait to marry you. I love you!!”
No doubt we’ll learn more about Hannah after these two lovebirds tie the knot.
Of course, unlike previous Duggar spouses, we won’t be getting to know her on TV.
TLC has canceled Counting On in response to the family’s recent scandals.
And at this point, we doubt any other network would go anywhere near the Duggars.
