Friday, December 9, 2011

Family Friday

Secondary Roads

Mr. Chuck who lives on Secondary Roads has challenged us with a "Family Friday" meme. Although I have posted many family stories on this blog, they have been scattered at random. This is as you would expect, since this is a random sort of blog. Please don't let me hear you mutter "undisciplined."

Here is the first of the family stories on "Family Friday."

Spring 1932 on the high plains of Eastern Colorado, twenty-one year-old Delbert Lacy was working in the northeast corner of Bent County. He felt strongly the call of God on his life, knowing with certainty that he was to preach the gospel of Christ. Long before daybreak on Sunday morning he would rise and walk ten miles to a schoolhouse which was his preaching station. He would conduct the services, then trek the many miles homeward. It was while thus engaged that he was able to obtain a Model-T coupe, and thus expand the horizons of his life.

Delbert had heard of a revival which was being conducted in the next county to the north. He made the trip to Haswell where he met a young lady, Vera Morrell, who with her sister was providing the music for the meetings. When the evangelist felt it time to move on, Miss Morrell stayed behind to establish and conduct church services on a regular basis. Thus it was that the young preacher lad heard this preacher girl from her own pulpit. A correspondence between them was started in which they shared accounts of their endeavors in the Lord's work.

Eventually, these young people found their letters to include more and more endearing salutations, and finally a visit by Delbert to Miss Morrell resulted in an invitation to meet her parents in Hartman. Long story short, the wedding took place in Hartman on December 24, 1932. It was the beginning of a life-long love affair with each other, and with their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, in whose service they labored together until Vera exchanged her earthly life for her heavenly home in 1991. Delbert followed in 1999.

Delbert and Vera Lacy were known to me as "Daddy" and "Mama." It was a blessing from the Lord to me that I was allowed to be born into their home. I have a packet of letters that they exchanged with each other during the year 1932, the last one written four days before the wedding. I have pieced the above paragraphs together from verbal accounts I remember as well as from material contained in the letters.

8 comments:

John Cowart said...

Hi Vanilla,

Great love story. You are blessed to have such parents.

Be sure to preserve those letters. It might be a good idea to transcribe them for publication, or scan them into a computer and post them on-line so they can touch a larger audience of readers. Such a heritage can get lost so easily.

P.S.: I posted a sort of Christmas home movie my youngest son made on my blog this morning. You might get a kick out of it.

John

Pearl said...

Oh, Vanilla, that's wonderful. And just look at those two, those smiling faces! You had lovely parents who led lives of service and affection.

You lucky man.

Have a great weekend!

Pearl

Secondary Roads said...

I agree with Pearl. You are, indeed, a fortunate fellow. What radiant faces your parents have. And a great story too.

Anonymous said...

It was a whirl-wind romance and look at those smiles! You can tell a lot about a person from their smile...I can tell they were marvelous folks with a lot of warmth and a sense of humour. Ain't you the lucky one to have had them as parents! Good-O

Sharkbytes (TM) said...

Very nice- to have parents that really loved each other, and to know that they did.

vanilla said...

Thanks, John. I was indeed blessed, probably more than I realize even yet. Transcription might be the better choice. Scanning probably would not produce a very clear copy of some of the faded, though legible, material.

Pearl, they were wonderful people and great parents, and I am lucky! Thank you. Happy weekend to you, too.

Chuck, thank you. I have always believed that the love of God shone from the faces of both my parents.

Grace, I agree with you that a smile tells a lot about a person. It was a whirlwind romance. Must have been love at first sight. Thank you; I think you read my folks correctly.

Shark, that Mom and Dad loved each other and that they both loved the Lord was the greatest gift they could have given me.

Vee said...

Loved reading this account! I have not seen the letters.

vanilla said...

Vee, thank you. You should read the letters.