Where to Live and Make a Living 09/11/2011
So, now what Roy? Was being so upset over affection between a man and his wife worth losing a hired hand AND a daughter? When Willie leaned over that spring morning and gave his wife a kiss before going out to work on the farm, little did he know that by doing that he and his wife would be walking down the road the next day carrying all they owned in a couple of suitcases. Where would they go?Willie's favorite girl cousin, Johnnie and her boyfriend George McVay had gotten married in February of that year and had a place of their own. Willie knew that all he had to do was ask and they would have a place to lay their heads for the night. So they knocked on George and Johnnie's door that day and as they shared what had happened...his cousin and friend opened up their meager home to them to stay as long as they needed. After a few days, they went to live with Willie's parents. Helen was so thankful for her new mother and father in law for letting them stay there while she finished her Senior year in high school. Missouri Jane (grandma) had always been supportive of the couple. (As it turns out she was the one that had kept their marriage license and fact that they were going to elope a secret.) They lived with the Tollisons until summer when they decided it was time to move to another place. Helen knew her cousin, Marie Puckett Martin (married to Buddy Martin), who lived west of Kewanee past 1st ditch had a back bedroom that she wasn't using. She and Willie thought the Martin home would be a good place to go for a while. So for a couple of months, they rented the bedroom and did their best to make it their home. While at the Martins, Willie got a job making a $1 a day delivering groceries at a local store where the owner loaned him a truck to make his deliveries...then on Sundays he let him use it to take Helen to church. The store had a little bit of everything for sale and he would later buy their first bed there. Willie got up every morning and went to earn his $1 while Helen stayed home and did what she could to make the small bedroom feel like home. She had a 2 burner oil stove on 2 orange crates where she would cook for her sweet hubby who was working hard. When they wanted biscuits, she would put her oven on one of the burners and bake a batch of biscuits....they weren't the best, but butter and jam made them tasty. After a couple of months in that tiny bedroom, Willie found a little shotgun house in Kewanee located across the street from the cotton gin. He and Helen decided moving into that little place would be a challenge, but they were up to it. He was able to purchase that bed from where he was working by paying on it until he could pay it off. He had to carry it home on his back a piece at a time. This was the first thing they owned as a couple, so it was pretty exciting when they got to sleep in their very own bed that first night. This move put them closer to Helen's parents. Her dad had gotten over being so angry with the two of them and even gave them a rocking chair. (which was really an unfinished porch chair that rocked). Willie later got a job at the cotton gin turning the press. (to be continued) CommentsMOM 09/11/2011 5:25pm
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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!!!   ArchivesMarch 2012 |
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