The first story my mom related about Uncle Ernest, (5 November 1916 to 15 January 1980), was that she was on the North Central High School journalism staff with him. One day he took her books from her and threw them down the school hallway. She was stunned. Then he went and picked up her books and gave them to her. He asked her out on a date. When she went home and told her family that she had been invited out, her older sister Evelyn, insisted that my mom get dates for her and their friend so that they could go as a group. When my mom told Ernest that her sister and their friend wanted to be included, Ernest brought his two brothers, Hollis (25 May 1912 to 10 November 1985), and David (22 June 1914 to 11 March 2003), along with him. From then on my mom and dad were a couple. Uncle Ernest met is wife Emily when he attended the Pilgrims Club at the Congregational/ United Church of Christ. Both couples were married in 1939-- Ernest and Emily in September and Dave and Grace in November. Hollis and Jeanne were married in March of 1940.
The second story my mom told happened when I was two years old in 1945. We were enjoying a day at a beach. My mom loved to swim so she asked my Uncle Ernest if he would watch me. Ernest assumed that I would be like my brother, Jay, and cousin Kit, and play in the sand. No such luck. I took off after my mom and jumped off the dock into the deep water. Ernest had all of his shoes and clothes on but jumped in after me and brought me to shore. He assumed I wouldn't do that again. Unfortunately I took off again and jumped in and he had to rescue me again.
When I was a senior in high school Uncle Ernest advised me to develop a passion about something, and to choose that as a major in college. I developed a passion for boys and dated as many as I could!
When I was in college Uncle Hollie gave me a whole bag of candy bars. I was very popular in the dorm as long as they lasted. When our daughter, Heather, was born, he built a rocking horse for her. She still has it and used it with her children.
I'm thankful that Uncle Ernest out lived his mother, Isabel,(26 March 1887 to 3 September 1979), by a year. It is too difficult for a parent to loose a child to death.
My dad chose II Corinthians 12:9 as his life verse for the grave markers below -- "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
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