HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC AND BECKY (I)

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We were in the cold winter, deep in snow in the town of Wooster, the state of Ohio. Charity and I were in the Wooster Baptist Temple, where I was the Youth Pastor of the Teenagers, and Charity taught the Jr. High Class. We were temporarty living in a home provided by a church member John and Marie Williams while they were Arizona. The snow was coming down, and the driveway was snow covered about a foot or two. Eric was ready to be born and Charity was ready to deliver and I was ready to be a dad. Okay where is the car, oh get the keys, and how about the snow, can we get to the hospital? We arrived at the hospital. I was told that this might be a long process, so I had brought six books to read. Who told me that? Charity was taken to the labor room, and I read books. Six hours later Eric was born at 6:06 a.m. Now that was fast. folks. Eric weighed in at 9lbs. 8ozs!

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We came home from the hospital, and we stayed with Richard and Elizabeth Clark, until Charity's mother came from West Porstmouth Ohio. Mrs. Clark told me that children grow up so fast. That night I could not sleep. I just kept looking at Eric, afraid I would miss something. Bob and Lenora Temple were glad to be grandparents for the first time. They arrived on Sunday afternoon, and Eric was the star attraction.

In March when Eric was a month old, we took a trip to Danville, Virginia, to visit my mother Pauline Whisnant. This trip was one to remember for a life time. It snowed most of the way from northern Ohio and across the West Virginia Turnpike. Our car had old slick tires; only the Lord's care got us there. Mom was so glad to see her first grandchild!

In April 1971 I resigned the church and we moved to West Portsmouth, and by June 1971 I was pastor of Madison Missionary Baptist Church in Minford, Ohio. I remember taking Eric to church in his little baby seat and put him on the front pew while I preached on Wednesday night and Charity was working for her aunt Betty Gullett.

Then four years later we moved from Minford to West Portsmouth, where we were Youth Pastor at Victory Baptist Church for a year. Then we moved to Grapevine Texas. I was Minister of Christian Education in the First Baptist Church of Haltom City, in Fort Worth, Texas, I was also working full time for Mesco Metal Building, and full time at AlCOA, Dallas Airport. Charity was staying home taking care of Eric, and was on pregnancy leave from Goodyear Atomic Corporation.

Now it's February 10, 1976, the weather was clear and nice. And Charity was ready to deliver our second child, Becky Faith. She was born at 8:44 a.m. I can't remember where I was in the hospital, but I didn't take any books this time. 6lbs. and 9 ozs. She was so little, but her birth was such a big event that it got her Grandma Lenora Temple on an airplane for the first time!

Becky was six months old when we moved to Perrysville Ohio, where I was camp director for Pleasant Valley Ranch and Mansfield Baptist Temple. Becky's first home was in the camp's multi-purpose building. We lived in the rooms upstairs over the camp's kitchen. And the Camp was on three hundred acres of beautful land.

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We were snowed in for weeks as one of the biggest snow blizzards in history came in 1977. We had finally moved into a house, and the natural gas line froze and the weather was old. I can remember Charity and I , Becky and Eric getting in bed, we were going to wait the storm out. Right! No heat, wind blowing, it was below freezing! We were rescued by a family, and for about a week we lived with them. What a wonderful life.

Then we moved to Mansfied, Ohio, I was teaching the College and Career Class and working with Adam Geiss putting up aluminum siding. Eric started kindgarden and first grade in Mansfied at Temple Christian School.

Then we moved to Connervislle, Indiana, in 1978 where I was the Youth Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church. Eric was in the second grade. Then we moved to Cedar Lake, Indiana near Hammond, Indiana, and Eric was in the third grade in Hammond Christian Schools. I attended the Hyles-Anderson College.

Finally we moved to Altoona, Kansas, in March 1980 where we stayed sixteen plus years as pastor/Teacher of the First Baptist Church. Eric finished school, and Becky was able to start and finish school there in Altoona. Eric went to Florida and graduated from Penacola Christian College.

That's some of the early history of Eric and Becky Whisnant.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC AND BECKY!!!

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