1964-95

In 1964 we were living in Kirksey Ky. I have spoken of that  era many times, how we moved there in the hot Plymouth, no  air conditioning in car, with the ironing board on the passengers side of the car, me with my baby Jeffrey. He was a good baby didn't give me any problem at all except when he wanted a bottle of milk!!! He loved milk, good and cold. How when we got to the parsonage the people had a spread of food like you had never seen before. How I took Jeff inside the parsonage , which did have an air conditioner and cried while sitting on the floor with  my baby. It was a very low time, Jeff was hot, teething , wanting a bottle and a nap. So we sat on the floor ( our furniture had not arrived.) , I rocked him, gave him his bottle and he then napped.  We enjoyed our first few days there, Windy went to Head Start, Vann lost his baby tooth  playing  football with Jeff...of course you know honey was the instigator of this! We  had a small garden, carrot peppers,tomatoes, green beans  .....teaching the children how things grew...kind of a lesson in life.
We also had lessons on how to run for cover in case of a tornado. Honey would take Jeff with a blanket, I would take Vann .... Windy would grab her pillow then we would run to the ditch and lay down...Kirksey had a tornado a few years earlier, killing alot of people. The people of the church suggested that we practice a way of getting out of the house in case of an emergency.  We didn't have a basement or an tornado shelter, so this was the best way we knew , thank the good Lord we never had to use this escape.!!!  Later on in the years to come...the best way to find shelter in a tornado, was to go to the interior of the home. Oh well, we had fun and the children laughed , thinking we were playing!
Another time honey threw the Christmas  tree in the field behind us then deciding a year later to set fire to it!!!  OH BOY!!! That was mistake! the whole field caught  fire bringing out the volunteer fire department!!! Honey had  to live that down for  a long time...
While we were living in Kirksey, there was a retreat for the ladies of the district. I had not been away from my children not for even one hour since Vann was born. When Windy was small she went to visit my parents ... then another time to Decatur to visit with honeys' parents...we really missed her. So while  in Kirksey, the church wanted me to go, so I went. I went over things with honey  about the children their likes and dislikes, what to do..when he said" don't you worry, I can handle everything" Famous last words....when I got home after 3 days and 2 nights, honey  kissed me walked out of the house and left!!! He was gone for 3 hours!! Now we didn't have cell phones in those days and only one car....I didn't know what had happened to him. When he got home , he said" i just had to get away" "I don't know how you do it" "After the first day, it went all down hill"!!!!lol lol...after that he would let me go out for a little bit without the children...what a joy.
In 1965, honey was to be ordained in the ministry, getting his credentials to pastor and hold office in the church. He was a licensed minister but being ordained was the high light of his life. In August of that year, he was ordained by the same District Superintendent as his father, Dr  Hardy Powers. Ironic in later years, his granddaughter was my best friend...
I made  a black eyelet dress to wear to the the ordination . Someone in the church had given me a treadle sewing machine, I would put the children to bed about 7:30 , then to the sewing machine I would go. I learned to make some of the kids clothes. I loved it! So I was proud of the dress I made, held my head high as honey and I knelt at the altar. I pledged my life to my husband and the the ministry  that he had assumed. My life was to be with his. So it is today...we do things together, now I am not saying that we don't butt heads sometimes but we are still together....51 years....WOW! Honeys' mother and father came to the ordination to celebrate this occasion. The children were there but of course they don't remember. So it is here for their memory of life in Ky. I think that Windy remembers some things. Of course  that is where my Uncle Alan and his family came to visit , all of us going to the Ky Dam, having a picnic and swimming in the lake..Such fun!!! We grilled hamburgers,  potato chips, drinks and cookies...hummmmm.... Incidently I believe there is film of this outing and hoping to see it soon. Our kids didn't have a bathing suit so they went  into the lake in their clothes...they didn't know the difference.

One wednesday night while at church , Jeff  was running with a pen in his hand ( how he got that who knows), fell and jabbed his inner jaw with the pen. We rushed him to the ER , him bleeding, crying, me so afraid of what damage could have been done. But it was all blood....nothing real serious. Some of the tissue was torn from the inside of the jaw...he was sore for awhile until it healed..thank the good Lord for his healing. Jeff said later he wondered how he got that small knot inside his jaw.

At Christmas in 1965, we took the children to Paducah Ky to Sears to see Santa..Windy and Vann just walked up to him, sat on his lap and told him what they wanted. Not Jeff!!! He cried and cried...I held him, comforted him, walked away to settle him down. I don't think he liked Santa!!! But he did like his toys that Santa brought him...one of his toys was a caterpillar that was segmented, making a noise when you pulled it.  Vann got a wagon, Windy a doll but I don't remember what Santa brought me or honey!!! Probably nothing...we didn't get gifts for years due to some financial shortages ( get my drift!).

One of the women of the church decided that she wanted us to give her Jeff!!! I think she had some problems that were deeper than what was on the surface... she was a trip. She actually confronted us one Wednesday night at church, trying to take him away from us. We took Jeff home, locked the door, then called our DS..we got another assignment and left within 2 weeks!!!!lol boy that was something else...we actually believe that she was possessed of the devil , with the devil  knowing that Jeff was to be a blessing in his adult life to others. Wanting control of his life. But Jeff is a follower of God giving back to others, we thank God for His gift to us that day in 1963. We love you Jeff.

Well will close for now, I love you grandpa and thanks for listening.J