Mom at sweet sixteen, from one of her many photographs. She had an uncanny ability to see a design and copy it with no pattern to go by. She must have gone to school at Lockney High School.

Mom was born in 1926 just outside of Abilene, TX in Hamby in Shackleford County, Texas. Her Grandpa Charlie, had just started to prepare the land he traded to get a loan on a section of land in the Panhandle of Texas near Sterley, TX for a "fresh start from scratch". Her "Grandpa Charlie" had gone in with his three sons to farm the section he had aquired by splitting it four ways amongst them. He started by drilling a well and putting a windmill on it. He built a house for all to live in till they could add on and expand living arrangements and homesteads for all the families. The families had lived through meager and hard times as migrant farm workers and labor. Mom was blessed with parents who walked the way that Jesus taught and were "Right with Jesus" as Aunt Maye would write in her diary. I had the idea that the land they bought was a section of nothing more than prarie grasses, weeds, and prarie dog holes. Water wells had to be drilled or dug and a starter house built for the growing family and provision to break the land, buy seed and sow the first crop and live till the first successful harvest time. It takes little imagination to see that the beginning was stark, but their hard labor paid off, the land produced abundantly and they prospered. They withstood the lack of everything at the beginning and the dust bowl days followed. They somehow managed to pay the note off on the land. The early years were a struggle. Grandmother did laundry to bring in extra income the first few years they moved there. I do not know how they managed to hold on during the dust bowl days but they did. I believe the expression was the rock on which they stood was Jesus; while all other ground was sinking sand. Mom said they had several years they came near to losing the farm during the dust bowl and from what I've heard they were granted a miracle just to be able to hold on. They made do with "outhouse" and a walk to the windmill when water was needed. Grandad could have taught Jack Benny how to pinch a penny I believe. When the kids and grandkids remember Grandfather's farm they do not think fondly of the lack of amenities but do lovingly remember a Grandfather and Grandmother with the love of Jesus in their hearts and a love of their children and grandchildren.

At the age of thirteen mom was baptised along with her older brother Clarence, their names were written in the "Lambs Book of Life" and they were born again. The joy that family felt in my mind could have lit up the night sky in rejoicing that Christmas Eve in 1939.

Mom also was mentioned along with her older brother Clarence in her Aunt Maye's diary on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1939. "Dec 24, 1939 Went to Church at PC (Prarie Chappel). Truitt Hickey preached. Clarence & Doris obeyed the gospel & wanted to be baptised at 3 PM at Lockney. Duarward and Jack accepted and was baptised at the water. Bill and Warren came home with us for dinner & went to the baptizing. All the Davis' & Floyd & Mary Daniel came to our house for the Christmas Tree. Then we let Clarence & Ed, Kenton, Margarite & Doris have our car. They came back about 11:30 & stayed the rest of the night."

She will be with Jesus soon when he returns. He took her home 27 August 2002. This is but one of the precious memories that Polly Zieammerman had in mind when she sang the same song at Mom's funeral 31 August 2002. The book of John of the New Testament of the King James Version in Chapter sixteen verse 33 are the words Jesus spoke, "These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Pastor and Brother Jim Everidge's words that day at her service rested in a broken heart as they came from Jesus and the Holy word through him straight to me. I wept bitter tears and asked Jesus to forgive me and accepted him as my Savior Aug 31 2002 and was born again. I was baptised on 16 Sepember 2002, I want to meet Mom, and the Grandfolks there, the jury is out till I meet Jesus at the end of my way. I know tribulation is returning. I'm leaning on the promise of Jesus, and learning to trust his word.

The verse number sixteen matching the age at which tribulation appears in the temptations of our youth is no cooincidence. Sixteen is an age at which trouble in the form of temptations are the downfall of so many. Praise the Lord God above for sending his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, as our salvation through his blood and amazing grace. Tom Smith

If you haven't asked Jesus for his salvation and are still walking in this troubled world without his salvation please don't wait. Believe and call on him in your heart, confess your sins, ask him to forgive them and come into your heart and life as your Lord and Saviour and he will. You will know it when he does, your life will be changed, and you'll witness for him to all. We all need Jesus, he is softly and tenderly calling for all sinners to come home to him. "All have fallen short of the Glory of God and are sinners." Romans 3:23