The C.R. Stout's were the next minister. They had a daughter Mildred. She had more dolls than any child we had ever known. She loved to have Edith and I come to visit. She wore us out as she never tired of playing so we took turns, while one played with her the other visited with her mother. She still calls us her "big sisters" and signs her name to letters as "your little sister, Mildred". While they were there Nitha married Lowell Wadsworth and Rev Stout performed that ceremony. Then in 1912 my mother died and we had her funeral, later he married my older brother Glen and Amy Lowery and in 1920 he married Russell and I. All through the years there was a very close tie binding us and the Stouts together. When Russell and I were married September 1st, 1920 we went to the Barth Peace parsonage and Rev. Stout tied the knot with Mildred and Mrs. Stout the only witnesses.

The Homer Manuels followed the Stouts in 1913. They put three daughters in the parsonage. Since we had recently lost our mother Mrs. Manuel and the three girls were quite a comfort to us and Rev. Manuel and Dad were very good friends. They had us there for a meal quite frequently especially Sunday evening suppers. There was always a huge pan of buttermilk biscuits that were delicious. Ruth and I were pals, Fern and Edith and Martha being the youngest was the odd one. Ruth died shortly after she was married leaving two babies, Fern married Frank Dawson and lives at Southport, Martha married Chester Hughbanks a minister who has served Union Chapel Church. [I believe this would have been the original union Chapel Church where the cemetery is today, east of Keystone around 83rd Street. The church moved to 86th and Haverstick in 1955. -Alan]

By this time we had grown up and dating was beginning to put two and two together, but more on that later.

          end of part nine

A list of all of Edna's columns