June 28, 1959, was my daddy’s first Sunday as pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Missouri. I didn’t take note of the date at the time. I had just turned 12. My family of 6, Daddy, Mother, myself (the oldest of the kids), two sisters and a brother, was moving to that area from Arkansas.
I would not have remembered the date, but I would always remember that during Training Union on that Sunday evening, I met “the Ford boys” (there were three of them). I was immediately infatuated with the oldest of the three (Russell). I didn’t learn until later that he was two years older than I. Challenging, but I was sure of my goal!
After church that Sunday night, when we were all in the car, I announced, “The oldest Ford boy is mine.” It was necessary for me to “stake my claim,” as I had two sisters.
Later, when I was catching up in my diary, looking through my Sunday School quarterly (a lesson book for each Sunday), I noticed that I had written on the page of the lesson for Sunday, June 28, 1959, “Daddy’s first Sunday as pastor at Pleasant Hill.” That’s how I knew the date, and since that was the Sunday I met Russell, that date became set in concrete in my mind.
I could hardly believe it when he (the most handsome guy in the world, already a freshman in high school, whereas I was starting my 7th grade year) started to pay attention to me. Long story (VERY long story) short, I never dated anyone else.
So, when I first met Russell, I was not yet praying about God’s plan for my husband. But as the years progressed and the relationship developed (back then, we would’ve said it like this: “As we began to ‘get serious…’”), I found myself praying passionately that God would make clear His plan for our relationship. He answered my prayer.
We were married when I was 18, and Russell was almost 20. Daddy performed the ceremony in that same little church.
We will celebrate our 60th anniversary on September 8, 2025.
Oh, and by the way, my sister (15 months younger than I) married the youngest Ford boy, and they have been married 57 years.
Time passes so quickly.
Christmas 2024
It’s been awhile since I posted, but I only have three art pieces that I haven’t shared.
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