My mother was born to hard-working but poor, wonderful Christian parents. They went with her to church from her earliest years right on until she was an adult. Her parents were respected by the rich and poor alike, and my mother loved by them.

She also loved going to church and was blessed to have outstanding pastors [at First Baptist Washington].

In her marriage, she dedicated her life to making a wonderful Christian home for my dad and me. She loved God and people and was a kind person who never hurt anyone’s feelings. She prayed to God through Jesus Christ for those she knew were sick or grieving.

She believed in prayer power (and still does). She was a righteous woman by the power of Christ, and God heard and answered her prayers. She loved my dad and was a helpmate to him all of his life.

My mother’s humble Christian spirit influenced me and made me very sensitive to other people’s feelings. At age 88, she is rich in the spirit of Jesus and knows she will have eternal life.

My dad was a Christian man molded the way God wants people to be. He loved God with all his strength, mind, and heart and loved his fellow man as himself. He sought to serve God before making money.

A man of prayer, he prayed daily for me before I was conceived. When I was born he put my well-being before all else. It made me want to grow up to be like him.

My dad was a college graduate in a time when that was rare, but didn’t allow his education to separate him from less-educated people. He had a personality gift that enabled him to cause everyone with whom he talked to feel that they counted.

He would be a county school superintendent, state legislator, and men’s Sunday School teacher [at First Baptist Washington]. Despite his activities he made time for me and taught me the Bible, making me want to be a true Christian like him.

My dad always let my mother know that he loved her and showed her gratitude for all she did to make a home for him and his child. He was a strong man.

Even though he has been in heaven now for 15 years, his influence remains with me and will forever.