MY SISTER MARY

MARY, MARY QUITE CONTRARY, HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

WITH SILVER BELLS AND COCKLESHELLS AND PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROLL. 

When I think back to when Mary and I were young I do not have a lot of memories. My sister June who is 15 years older than Mary says she remembers when Mary was born and she had to take two weeks off from school at Central High to take care of Mom and Mary. Because of that she failed Algebra. But she said the next year when she took it over she made straight A's.  I was 5 when Mary  was born and by the time she was 5, I was 10 and when she was 10, I was 15 and already dating my future husband. So we didn't do a lot of things together when we were young. Usually if we did anything it was with Jim and Bill. I am sure we did the usual things like walking to and from school, playing in the yard and woods, playing with the neighbors etc. It was after we were married and had children of our own that we because much more involved with each other. One thing that does stand out in my memory is one time when James and I were on a "date" at church. Most of our dates were somehow involved with church. I think this was just between services not an actual date. We were standing in the church parking lot talking and Mary, the pesky thing that she was, came up to us just as James gave a big yawn and she stuck her finger in his mouth. It made him mad and he said to her "I'm going to knock a knot on your head that even Oral Roberts can't take off." For those of you that don't remember Oral Roberts was a healing evangelist. I remember giving Mary a 16th Birthday Party and inviting all of her friends from church. She would of just been starting High School when I graduated. I graduated in 1961 and she graduated in 1966. I got married in 1962 and she got married in 1966 the same year she graduated. Mary was one of the Bridesmaids in my wedding and I was her Maid of Honor. The next few years are kind of fuzzy because Mary's husband was drafted into the Army and he spent the next few years in Kentucky, Arizona and then Oklahoma.   I know Mary went with him when he was in Oklahoma but not sure if she went anywhere else. In the meantime I was busy with my children. Pam was 3 when Mary and Stanley got married and Byron was 3 months. So they were busy with their lives and we were busy with ours. It was also during this time that James was going to UT and I was working at Levi's to put him through school. Stanley started working at the telephone company when he finished the Army and I guess at that time it was Bell South. He worked there for many years. He also went to the University of Tennessee where he graduated with High Honors. I am not trying to write their life's history but just enough to bring you up to date where we are at this time in our lives. Mary's first child Melissa was born in 1968. I already had two children by that time and the next time the stork flew through it stopped at both our homes. Mary's Jonathan was born on April 2nd of 1971 and my daughter Jennifer was born on April 24 of 1971. So they have always been close for many years. Mary and Stanley first built a house off Millertown Pike on Mary Emily Lane. I remember she gave June and Onloe a 25th Wedding Anniversary Party at their house. (She was probably trying to make up for causing June to fail Algebra.) 

In 1977 Mary and Stan left Knoxville.  Stan was transferred with his job and they moved to Franklin, TN and worked in Nashville, Tn. It was the beginning of the school year at the time of their move and Melissa and Jonathan started school right away. Stan started his new job at the phone company. The house was empty after everyone left for the day and Mary became a little homesick and needed to be out and around people. There was a man in their church that they began to attend who came to Stan and asked him if Mary might be interested in working for him. He had a coffee company that supplied businesses with coffee products and snack foods for their coffee breaks. She was the girl Friday and did a variety of things such as answering the phones and taking orders and packing the boxes with the items going out to the different businesses.  She worked there for around a year. Then she decided to apply for a job with the phone company where Stan worked and was hired in a clerical position.  She worked for the phone company for 16 years in several areas of different jobs. 

Mary and Stan were good to  my kids taking them each summer to spend several weeks at their house. I used to watch them come back home after their visits and could see that they had gained weight. Their cheeks would be chubby.  I was never afraid to let my children go to their home because I knew it was a good Christian home and there would be nothing going on that I wouldn't approve of. One summer Jennifer was able to go to Disney World with them. Jennifer was in Melissa's wedding and Melissa was in Jennifer's wedding. My children have stayed close with Mary's children over the years. I am sure it was an influence in Jennifer's life to attend a Christian college because of Mary and Stan sending their children to one. 

They lived in Franklin, TN for around 8-9 years and then moved to Murfreesboro, TN so that their kids could attend a Christian School. They lived in Murfreesboro for around 6 years. One of my favorite memories is one year when Mary and Stan hosted a family reunion and we all went down to Murfreesboro. We had such a good time. We  put on a talent show and you would not believe all the talent this family had. Josh tiptoeing through the tulips, Pat as the laundry woman, James, Stan, Charles and Ron made up a barbershop quartet. That's just a few that showed out their talent that day. We had lots of good food and played a lot of outdoor games. It is a time that I will never forget. 

Missy and Jon got older and graduated  high school and went off to college. That was another time that Mary began to feel homesick and wanting to be with family and friends back home. Stan applied for a transfer back to Knoxville and they moved back here in October of 1991. Our mother became sick with cancer and died the following year in December of 1992.  Stan's mother passed away the following year in August of 1993. So their move back home was somewhat filled with sorrow. This did enable them to spend some final time with each one of them before they passed away.

Melissa met her soon to be husband Bruce when she was going to Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL. He was from Michigan. Next Jonathan met his bride to be Angele also at Pensacola Christian College. Angele was from North Carolina. So for a few years Mary and Stan were busy planning weddings. Melissa  and Bruce live now in Lake Odessa, Michigan and Bruce pastors Faith Bible Baptist Church and they also have Faith Christian School. Melissa is an Administrative Assistant and a Christian Counselor. 

Mary and Stan were blessed with their first grandchild Sarah Conilee (Conilee for my mom) who was born in 1993 the month after our mother passed away. She was the daughter of Melissa and Bruce. This was a new and exciting time in their lives as they become grandparents. This was just the beginning of grandchildren. Next followed Maxwell also the son of Melissa and Bruce. Maxwell is engaged and looking forward of a December wedding. He is working for Camp CoBeAc. A few years later Bruce and Melissa had another daughter Cassia.  Cassia is attending Pensacola Christian College at this time.  Sarah and her husband Nathan have become parents to Benaiah (Ben) Evans Barker Goodson making Mary and Stan great grandparents for the first time. Sarah and Nathan live in Pensacola and both work for Pensacola Christian College. 

Jonathan and Angele have been blessed with four children. Caitlyn, Josh, Chase and Marenda. Jonathan is now the Senior Pastor at Bluestone Baptist Church in Danielsville, Georgia. Angele is an Executive Consultant with Rodan + Fields Dermatologists. Caitlyn and her husband Andrew have a son Tobias Jonathan Marks (and another due soon)  making Jonathan and Angele grandparents for the first time and making Mary and Stan great grandparents yet again. Caitlyn and Andrew lives in Phenix City, Alabama.  Josh and his wife Devin live in Foley, Alabama where he is Pastor at Crosspoint Baptist Church of Foley. Chase and his wife Rachelle are based out of Danielsville, Georgia and Chase is an Evangelist. Chase and Rachelle travel from state to state explaining and sharing the gospel with hundreds of people including lots of students. Marenda is attending Pensacola Christian College at this time. Jonathan's children are very talented and have made CD's and sung in many churches. Josh writes a lot of their music. 

Stan had been working for the telephone company for over 30 years and he decided to retire and him and Mary moved to Pensacola to be close to their daughter and her family who lived there. They both began working at the College where now their daughter Melissa and her husband Bruce worked. After 5 years of living there, their son-in-law accepted a position as a pastor in a church in Michigan close to where he was raised. Stan worked at the college around 18 years and Mary worked there for about 14 years. 

So many things have happened throughout all the years of living in Pensacola. Five of their 7 grandchildren are now married. They all came to the college where we worked to get their education. Such fun and blessings they have had being able to share their college years with them. 

Here is a closing message from Mary. "Where have the years gone? Stan and I retired from working at a public job in 2017. It has been five years already and the time keeps flying by. We still stay very busy with church, our kids, and their families. This year has been a hard year for our extended family. All three of my sisters have been very sick and my oldest sister, June, passed away in June of this year. The same day my nephew, Ronnie Lee, passed away. Our hearts have been sad. Most everyone in our family has contacted Covid this year and it has hit some worse than others. Throughout the years we have managed to do some traveling. We finally made it out west to see the Grand Canyon. We vacationed at Ruby Falls, Niagara Falls, Canada, and  made lots of short trips. We don't travel as freely as we did. Old age is chasing us as fast as it can. However, the Lord has been so good to us in all things. Life would not be as tolerable without His abiding presence in our lives. We look forward to many more years of life to be lived in the future."