The newly married seventeen year old Helen went to church the next morning along with Willie, Edith and Ray. That day she would travel home as Mrs. William Tollison...surely her mom would understand how important it was that she be with this man that sits beside her in the car. Because on a snowy winter's night many years ago, Roy (my grandpa) pecked on Eunice's (my grandma) window, and she slipped out of that window in her sock feet with her shoes in hand into the arms of her knight in shining armor. How can they be angry with Helen when they too were a runaway couple once upon a time? Helen, Willie and Ray said their goodbyes to Edith who was staying behind in Whitewater, Missouri where she was a school teacher. At that time in history (1939) married women in that area weren't allowed to teach school. (I read where there were other areas that women weren't allowed to teach after they married because they didn't believe in 2 income families in that day.) So they left Edith and traveled to Kewanee, Missouri. Ray would go back to work, Willie would go back to college and Helen would go back to finish high school where she was a Senior. Helen knew that she needed to let her parents know she was married, but decided that she would wait until her birthday. From December 24, 1939 until January 3, 1940 Helen Tollison was still known as Helen Rhodes. So on her birthday, she got up her nerve to tell her folks that she was a married lady (imagine the butterflys in her stomach-would they be angry?) She finally gave them the news and her mom was angry and said she would just get the marriage annulled. Helen said that she could go ahead and do that, but she would just marry Willie again because she was now 18. The truth was out now, what a relief! They would move in with Helen's parents. Roy made Willie a hired hand on the farm and Helen went back to high school and worked on the farm. One morning before Willie headed out to work, he leaned over to give Helen a kiss and Roy saw it and told him that he hadn't hired him to be kissing around on Helen. This made Willie so mad that the next day they left the Rhodes home with suitcase in hand and just started walking....(to be continued) CommentsDeb Faison 09/10/2011 4:05pm
Just lovely! Thank you for letting me share this with yourself and Bobby! Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Leave a Reply |  Author
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!!!   ArchivesMarch 2012 |
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