FEBRUARY 17, 1957
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, ARTESIA, NM
DR. S.M. MORGAN, MINISTER
That Sunday, 60 years ago today, (seems like only yesterday.)
when Donna and I left the reception room at the church---it
was the best day of my life...and she feels that way too, I'm
sure.
She was all class and beautiful in her "going-away-outfit"
which I don't remember, being a man. But she can
remember!
Those two diamond rings on her left hand cried out to me
and the world: "Look, Look...Look!" It was grand! I had been
Minister of Music at FBC, Artesia for a little over a year-and-
a- half and we had been engaged for seven months.
We were headed out on our honeymoon---not to Fiji, or Tahiti;
not to Reykjavik or even Hawaii. For you see, times were
simpler then and money was not plentiful....we were going to
Ruidoso, N.M. and it was necessary for me to float a small
loan at the bank, just to do Ruidoso.
(We didn't know it beforehand, but in the winter the place had
fewer restaurants open and rolled up the streets about 7 p.m.
There was nothing to do...in Ruidoso.)
Being just out of college not very long, having arrived in
Artesia on a hot June 3, 1955, with only a '48 Chevrolet hauling
my total worldly goods---between us we had no household
furniture, pots and pans, or other items.
Donna's father was a splendid man---a Baptist deacon in the
church. He ran an appliance store down on Main Street and
had wholesale connections.
Around the end of January, 1957, he drove us up to Roswell,
45 miles north, to a wholesale furniture friend of his. You won't
believe this--I don't myself, BUT:
We drove back to Artesia that day with his pickup sagging with
all manner of furniture---couch and matching easy chair, rocking
chair, dinette set with four chairs, nice bedroom suite with dresser,
chest-of-drawers, one matching night stand, and "Long Boy" bed
and mattress set. Seems like there was something else.
Her dad financed all this merchandise through his store for us
and this is what is hard to believe---the total was $641.00 and
the payments were about $40 per month.
He also gave us a used fridge and old electric stove out of his
storeroom. Donna got her piano from home, and the church
ladies had a big shower for Donna. (I wasn't allowed to attend.)
The shower stuff lasted for years and we were wont to say, often
in later times: "Remember dear Mrs, H., soprano in our choir---
she gave us those table lamps..." All the shower stuff is gone, now,
60 years later, we think.
I had rented a duplex apartment just across the street from the
church on February 1, 1957, and we moved all our new stuff
into this domicile and I moved in before the wedding.
I will tell in a future piece more about the wedding and the friends
who came to help us get married---both Donna's and mine.
But there is something unusual...uncommon...and magnificent
that occurred at our wedding that likely few others can boast.
For when I nervously stood at the front of the church, with the
minister and all the attendants...and watched Donna coming
down the aisle on her dad's arm...there were 64 big wide-open,
youthful eyes watching my every breath...
Yes, I had 32 children "FRIENDS" sitting whereever they could
on the front rows...my JUNIOR CHOIR, ages 9-12. And their
eyes were WIDE OPEN, taking in this event, big time. We got
along good, me and that bunch...and we practiced hard and
laughed hard, together.
They were good too, and sang beautifully and didn't force
their voices. More on them later.
We didn't know it at the time, but a couple of the teen-agers
jimmied the screen on our new apartment, crawled in the
window and stole some clothing out of my suitcase.
It proved to be very embarrassing to me, later on when arriving
in Ruidoso. All my pajama bottoms were missing.
I must wrap this up, so I will tell you that our dishes we had
selected, epitomized our feelings for each other. They were
called "Tickled Pink." You can google them.
We cut our honeymoon a day short to return to our new
apartment---eager to try out all our stuff...and cook...and
eat..and be like old married folks. And use our new dishes.
We quit using them quite a few years ago...and stored away
a pink bowl and cup... as forever keepsakes....
The dishes didn't quite last...but we did, 60 years.
***************
MIL
17 FEB 1957
SIXTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
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