Living in Farrenburg and running the grocery store was quite the experience for this young inexperienced couple.  One evening after they had closed the store for the day, ate some supper and put Larry down for the night they decided to get some rest and headed to bed.  They were so tired, sleep came easily....no counting sheep tonight.   All of a sudden, they were startled awake with a loud noise.  Willie and Helen began to realize someone was trying to break in and they were going to be robbed.  The noise got louder and it was coming from their back door.  Willie got up...flashlight in hand and headed toward the door.  He turned on the flashlight...look out and staring back at him was a set of big brown eyes....the perpetrator on their back porch was a big old cow.  They couldn't help but laugh at this and knew that one day it would make a good story to tell their kids and grandkids.

Shelton Rhodes and wife Una Mae had decided to move to the farm and Shelton asked his sister, Helen if she and Willie would want to move into their vacant house.  The 3 room house down the road from her parents (Roy and Eunice) was a nice little place...much nicer than what they had lived in up to this point in their marriage. I can imagine that Helen thought, "now this is a place I could fancy making my own!"

So they loaded up their bed that Willie had worked so hard to purchase, the rocker from Helen's dad, the table and goat hide bottom chairs from Willie's dad and the special vanity with the mirror and headed to Kewanee.   A lady gave them an old leather couch that she wasn't using.  It was a pull out that made into a bed.  This was a little different from the sleeper sofas we have now.  This had springs inside and when you pulled it out you had to put a feather bed on top of the springs.  It was exciting to have this piece of furniture, it was a place for visitors to sleep when they spent the night.  Larry was still a baby and had slept in his mommy and daddy's bed since he drew his first breath.  They decided it was time start putting him in the baby bed that Shelton and Una Mae had loaned them...  This way he could rest better and they could have more room in their bed.  That was a good plan, but good plans don't always happen...all Larry would do was stand up in his baby bed and cry.  They knew they were spoiling him rotten, but back into their bed he went.

A few months later...they found out they were gonna have another baby.  When Helen was a couple a months along and still nursing her sweet little Larry, she realized that she was going to have to wean him.  After he nursed, he would throw up.(she thought it was because she was pregnant and made her milk different)  This was very upsetting for the both of them, so it was time to buy some milk from the store and start making baby bottles.  When Larry was hungry and wanting his bottle...she would let him suck on an a candy orange slice until she could get his bottle made. 

Willie was always looking for a better way to take care of his family.  And now with another child on the way, he was excited to be hired as a teacher at LaForge.  He was able to buy an old rusted out car with no floorboard that he would drive back and forth to his teaching job.  He loved being able to teach kids and they all loved him.  He was a great combination of being strict and being fun.

Now to get ready for that baby on the way....


 


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    Paula Tollison Andrews Maupin
    I am married to Bobby and live in the Nashville, TN area, working as Executive Assistant to both the Director of Sales and General Manager of FOX17, MyTV30 & CW58 television
    _I have 3 wonderful sons and daughters in love (Brad & Holly Andrews, Bryan & Stacy Andrews and Brandon & Ashley Andrews) from Tulsa, St. Louis & Springfield respectively. They have given me 9 precious grandbabies.  (Joseph, Cooper, Margo, Sloan, Jonas, Nora, Everett, Lawson and Blythe & Gma loves them so much) I also have 2 great stepsons and daughter in love (Jonathan & Kathryn Maupin and William Maupin) from Lexington, Kentucky.

    As a lady who's lived through both good & bad circumstances in my life, I've learned and continue to learn a lot of "life lessons".  Along the way I have been inspired to be a better me.  God is faithful in ALL circumstances and His love covers all.   My hope is that you will be inspired to be who you were meant to be. 

    I have been writing this blog about my mom and dad since September of 2011.

    You can find their story from the beginning by going to the Stories link.  Happy Reading!!!
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