Love at home

That summer Hollis was true to his word. The missionaries came to the farm house each evening to him his the lessons. I was scared that he would reject their teachings and then reject me so I sat in on the discussions but did not contribute much. After teaching the Plan of Salvation the missionaries left and Hollis made a comment. "If I were God, that is how I would do it." He further explained that the Gospel was simple in it's purity. He had been active in early highschool in the MYF, Methodist Youth Fellowship, but got burned out when more influencial members dictated to the minister what should be preached or done in the parish.

I will always remember the first time I heard Hollis pray. The missionaries had given the lesson on prayer and then turned to Hollis as asked he would like to say a prayer. I almost jumped up and shouted "No!' For fear that he would be embarressed..His prayer, however, was awsome.
It was not long that he committed to baptism.

Hollis was baptised in the Mississppi river at Nauvoo, Ill. The missionaries took him to change clothes in the Times & Season's building then drove down a dirt road to the edge of the river. On the way back to Keosauqua Hollis related that it was then that the missionaries thought it was wise to tell him that not only was tithing important, and Hollis was agreeable to this ; but that then there were fast offerings, ward budget , building and missionary funds that would be expected. He related he almost had secound thoughts.

We were on our way to Nauvoo when the Methodist minister came by the Hervey farm and told Bob and Helen that Mormon girls dated non-mormon boys to get them into the waters of baptism then they would drop them like a "hot potatoe". Maybe he had heard the phrase "flirt to convert." He was too late with his warning..Hollis was comitted.

I was accepted into BYU, Provo, Utah for that next fall semester. Hollis and I were constant companions. He was my best friend and we did just about everything together. Mom, as I said , liked Hollis and pointed out that while I was wearing his class ring it would not be fair to go off to college without giving him a opportunity to look elsewhere if that is what I was doing. So drama queen that I was, and probably still am, I gave Hollis is class ring ..but with the understanding that we would keep writing to one another. Oh, what patience he already had for me.

Dad later said he sent me to the "Y" to be sure I would not find a good Mormon boy out there. It was already too late. I was truely smitten . Letters traveled via post office along with goddie boxes and I even taped messages to him...yeah, I even sang to him...How pitiful is that?

At Christmas time I was not sure how I was going to get home. I found a ride on the message board and hooked up with some kids who were returning to Ames, Iowa..in a 1944 Olds. Traveling across the mid=west during winter blizzards was not a wise thing to do but I wanted to get home to my sweetheart. In Nebraska we hit an ice storm . The owner of the Old car was tired and wanted to stop and rest somewhere but I was sure this would ruin my ability to meet up with Hollis before he left ISU so I offered to drive. I did not get very far before the back of the car waffled and there was nothing to do but let it slip/slide slowly into the ditch . We did not even have to get out of the car before we saw a farmer on a tractor coming to pull the car ahead of us out of that same ditch a few hundred feet ahead. He just came on down the road and pulled us out...

The Owner then creeped into the next town , stopped at a service station and put on chains.. but by the time he got them on the sun was up and road melted and chains no longer needed...

That Christmas I got my engagement ring. Mom was acting funny all day and fussed about my getting ready on time for my date. Hollis picked me up and we went to Spurgeons Jewelry and we found a modest ring. I thought it was gorgeous. Mr Spurgeon said it had a small speck but I could not tell it. Later I found that Hollis had sold all of his ham radio equipment so that he could purchase the ring..I was humbled, he really loved his K0TCC , cq, cq, cq talk across the country

more later