Married 48 YEARS Dean and I met on April Fool's Day at Bible College in Minnesota. I was 18 and Dean was 21. We were married August 15 that year. Could a marriage like this last? God has brought us through. After we were married we stayed out of college a year, living in a suburb of Chicago, then returned to finish College in Garland, Texas. God provided scholarships to pay college bills. Our first daughter Michelle was born there. After college Dean became a Music and Youth Pastor in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Two more daughters were born, Kimberly and Carolyn. Not making much money, God provided a doctor that never charged us. After three year Dean was ordained and felt it was time to take his own church. Our house sold and we were to vacate the end of February. Dean candidated in a church toward the end of February. The church called us on Sunday night before the move. We moved to Wisconsin. The church had a lot of young couples who loved the contests and the church grew. After 6 years we moved to Greenville. Dean became a top salesman of real estate. After two years, our pastor recommended Dean to a church in Iowa. We moved in November and left the next June. Dean helped his mother fix up a log cabin that summer. Before the girls started school, Faith Baptist Church of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois called Dean as pastor. We lived in St. Joseph, a small town nearby so that the girls could go to a Christian school. Our family grew up here. We had the joy of Bible Schools, Christmas programs, Cantatas and God giving the increase in our church. I worked as church secretary. The building was old and needed to be fixed it up but our church grew. We bought land and built a beautiful building that would seat 250 people. Michelle finished college and Kimberly was married. After nearly twelve years, it was time to move on. Sadly Carolyn stayed behind. I had worked at a children's home in Champaign-Urbana so we got a job at a children's home in North Carolina, working with teenage boys. A year proved about all we could take. During this time needing to get away we bought a home in Greenville, S.C. and commuted, as we would be on duty 10 days 24/7 and then off 5 days. When we quit we moved to Greenville. Dean worked at sales jobs furniture and cars and I worked at a girls group home on weekends. The last summer we were in Greenville both of us worked at a Boys Home as weekend house parents. We enjoyed that but God had other plans. In 1992 we accepted a call to a very small church in Indiana, but before we moved Michelle came by to tell us she was expecting our 1st grandchild. We were unable to sell our house therefore we rented it. We cried as we left, we were so very tired. Dean pastored this small church in a very small town for three years. We went back to work in the children's home again working with teenage girls. We moved in with Kimberly and her husband during our time off. We stayed almost a year and paid off our home. We were ready to move back in our home but it was rented, so we lived with our oldest daughter 9 months. Michelle had two children. We lived in a two bedroom, one bath house and slept on a fold out couch in the living room. Dean worked as a motor coach driver so he was gone a lot. That May, it was so good to get back into our home. We got a job at a home for troubled boys. This time it was 8 hour working nights which was much easier. Dean started writing poems and songs which he performed in church. He started a business with a friend which went well. Four years ago Dean had a stroke. He is now disabled. He writes Christian poetry and puts it on a website http://www.biblepoemsbydean.com and I have a website selling Pepper Spray and home security products. http://www.peacemakerpepperspray.com . Our married life has been a moving experience, as we have moved 18 times. We have lived in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Iowa, Indiana, and North Carolina. Where ever Dean is, is where I call home.