"Edsel and I talked to the priest about the time of September that year. He took some instructions about the Catholic religion and promised to raise our children in the Church. His parents were very much against him marrying a Catholic girl. They lived in a little town in South East Missouri.
"Edsel's dad worked for cotton farmers and Edsel had picked cotton most of his life. He said he was never able to be in school teh first day in September or the last day of school in May because he had to be in the field working. He went into the army at 18 and spent his 3 years and then was home for some time. he had some money and wanted his Dad to buy a farm but his Dad said 'no'. He never wanted to be in debt. He'd never had a car either.
"Edsel's sister had married and was living in Weston so he came up here to be by her. He got a job and lived in a rooming house - ate all his meals in a corner restaurant - but was sure happy when on my days off, I invited him to have dinner with us. I saw or talked to him every day.
"We were married in 1950 in the parsonage by the priest. At that time mixed marriages didn't take place in the Church. My first baby girl arrived in 9 months and 2 days later. The next one in 21 months and then 2 years later a boy, then in another 3 years, a girl and then in 4 more years, another boy. Five in all at that time.
"Polly, my oldest was going to Catholic school and made her first communion. She liked to go to Mass with me depending on what shift Ed was working and able to be with the other children. To only be gone away from the family as little as possible, I tried to go real early and leave the rest at home. Taking five little ones to Mass wasn't my idea of of worshipping. I personally struggled with being at Church without my family.
"I remember vividly one Sunday coming home from my Church alone, and just crying out to God. 'I know this isn't pleasing to you to not have all the children in Church. I just need your help, God. you know the desire of my heart. I want my family to be in Church together'.
"In the spring of 1962, my sister and her husband had encouraged Edsel to visit the Christian Fellowship Church, a Protestant church where they thought Edsel would be comfortable at. He asked about taking our kids because they wanted to go to Sunday School and found they would be welcomed. So they went with their Daddy.
"In those days, on the third Sunday of attendance at the Christian church, you would receive a Bible. The children were very excited about going that next Sunday. But, Ed had to work days that Sunday and they wouldn't be able to go. So I took them and dropped them off and said I'd go to Mass and be back at 10:30 to pick them up.
"As I pulled out of the parking lot, I was convicted that this was where I should be - with my children. It was the first time in my life to be in a Protestant church. People were so friendly and made me feel like I belonged. The next Sunday, we all went to Sunday School and even stayed for worship services. God had answered my prayer that we would be in Church as a family.
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