Comments:
I left El Campo for Houston in November of 1969 after working in El Campo for three years at May Aluminum Company. After being in Houston for only one week, I began working at the Houston Independent School District as an hourly employee and left there as a supervisor in 2000 taking an early retirement (too much craziness and politicking going on). Moved to Pearland, TX about a year before retirement and drove back into Houston working to supplement my retirement income at Gremillion & Company Art Gallery. Left there after about a year and then began working at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Not quite a year later I decided I was tired of driving into Houston and found a job at Epiphany Lutheran Church of which I was a member. In January of 2003, Richard (Rick) Turner came back into my life (knew him in the 70's) and we were married in June of that year. I had been single up until then and loved every minute of it. There are a million and one things a single person can do if he or she doesn't sit around feeling sorry for him or herself, which is often the case. I had traveled to New Mexico a couple of times, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada (too many times to mention), California (Sacramento, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe), Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Norfolk, Virginia. Richard and I have also traveled together some (Nevada (again), Utah, Arkansas, Louisiana, etc.) When I married Richard, I was blessed with a stepdaughter and stepson who have blessed us with five grandchildren, three girls and two boys. Richard, Jr. lives in Baytown and Deanna lives in Houston. We spend time visiting with them as much as we can, and we also spend time with my father who lives by himself in El Campo. He will be 94 yrs. old in February of 2010. My brother, Lesley, is also in El Campo and is retiring from El Paso Energy this month at the age of 65. Richard and I drove back and forth from Pearland to Groves, Texas from 2004 to 2006 where he was serving the congregation as pastor until they called a pastor. After about two years of driving back and forth, Richard accepted the call to be pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Groves, TX (Port Arthur area). I quit my job at Epiphany and we put our home up for sale, but we could not understand why it wasn't selling. Shortly after a trip to San Antonio to a pastors' conference we learned that my mother's lung cancer (2002) had spread and she needed additional treatment. She moved in with us in our Pearland home so I could take her into Houston for treatment. We knew God had intervened in our lives. After she died in 2006, we officially moved to Groves. My husband is also a police and FBI chaplain for Houston, Baytown and the Beaumont/Port Arthur area. He founded Police Chaplain ministries which is a non-profit organization. Yes, he stays busy. On September 3rd of 2009 I had surgery to remove a 1st rib, which is directly behind the collar bone. Since the age of thirty, I had been experiencing pain and swelling in my right hand, wrist, elbow, neck and shoulders. I went to numerous doctors, but never got an exact diagnosis until this past summer when a physical therapist said she thought I had an extra rib. I contacted a doctor in Houston who specializes in extra ribs and learned that I actually had an anomaly. The rib on my right side was never fully formed (congenital) and was compressing the blood vessels and nerves causing all the pain. He said I could have had an aneurysm. Thank God for small blessings, but thank Him for big blessings as well. So much of the pain is gone, but I see a neurosurgeon in February for a damaged nerve in my neck. Keep me in your prayers. This past month, while pacing myself, I made four stuffed animals (called Wacky Creatures) for our grandchildren and a quilted wall hanging that I plan to give to our church. I am also taking quilting classes and will be making a lap quilt. I also enjoy making jewelry which I started back in Pearland before Richard and I got married. During our spare time this past year, Richard and I have taken oil painting classes. I have been painting off and on since the late seventies. Life is good! Thanks again Andy. This is a great idea!
