Last Edited March 8, 2013
What a shock to learn early in 1963 that I was pregnant once again. It took about 7 months to really accept that fact. That disappointment turned into joy when a little baby girl, Karen Marie joined our family August 4, 1963. I have never been sorry for having four children. They have been such a blessing and continue to be a blessing.
Four children in a small 2 bedroom house was becoming crowded. We looked at a couple of other houses, thought about building bedrooms in the attic, then drew plans for an addition. An addition of 3 bedrooms and a bath was started in late October of 1963. The wall between the original front bedroom and the living room was removed so the living room was one long room across the front of the house. The original front closet and half of the original bath was made into a half bath. We did the painting and varnishing of the walls, woodwork, and doors ourselves. Many an hour and late nights were spent on that project. But how nice it was to be able to spread out and have room for everyone. Even the living room had room for everyone to sit.
A few months afterwards I started getting pains in my knees, elbows, and hands, which was diagnosed as Rheumatoid Arthritis. My hands were so swollen and sore that I couldn't even handle the safety pins in changing Karen's diaper. My mother came to stay with us for 6 weeks. Three years after medications, gold shots and, of course, prayer the symptoms left.
School years went by quickly. One year all four went on the same bus and one year they were each in different schools. It made for hectic mornings just getting everyone out the door to catch the bus in time. The bus stop by our house had 12 children waiting for the bus.
When I found out that I wasn't the only one in my husband's life, it left a very broken heart. It seemed to hurt so bad that I thought that I would not make it or even if I wanted to. God used a very dear friend and a dear relative to see me through those days. My realization that God had given us four precious children that needed me, changed my thinking that I did want to be there for them. We were divorced July 7, 1971. Karen was going into 3rd grade, Daniel 5th grade, Nancy 7th grade and Susan 10th grade at that time.
I started working at Adrian State Bank in November 1971. It was a difficult transition from being home with my children to leaving them by themselves while I worked. I still had a garden, canned, sewed, and the usual things mother's do. God provided when the mortgage, utilities, taxes, etc were due. One time when I was short and was trying to decide if I gave the tithe or pay the bills, I decided to tithe, since God had provided for us up to that point and I believed he would then also. I still don't know how the bills got paid, but they did and were not late and I did not borrow to pay them. Actually, when I tried to figure out what I had coming in and what I needed to pay it just didn't work out, but the bills still got paid.
A friend of a friend used to do the work on my car. He was going to change the oil and looked at my car. He said I don't know why the car was working, since the carburetor cap was cracked and it should not have even started.
Another time I was told that I needed a new furnace. I said I can't buy a new furnace. Nancy reminded me how few new things that I had bought, because God had kept them running. I was able to buy the new gas furnace and make the payments with my gas bill.