| Foy and Lorene made their wedding plans through the letters that
continued after Foy went back to sea. He was stationed in Hawaii at the time. Lorene saved her money enough to travel by train to the West Coast. Foy got the marriage license and ring and waited. He made arrangements for Lorene to get a steamer from California to Hawaii. This she did and they were married on the day of her arrival, June 29, 1938. Lorene, of course had to go to the beauty shop to get her hair done and prepare for the big event. Mother told me about doing lots of crocheting and knitting to sell, so that she made extra money while she was in Hawaii. She sent this money home to her mother, Terrell, and Lois. She said the thread was cheap and she had plenty of time. While Lorene was in Hawaii as a new bride, events were continuing to unfold in Franklin County with Mommee and her two younger daughters. Lois, upon her first year of college at Florence State, and was working in Russellville and was engaged to marry Lester Strickland. They thought they would marry in Bowling Green, Kentucky (where Chess and Mac were). But when they arrived they found out there was a three day waiting period. So it was on their way back home that they married in Athens, Alabama, July 20, 1941. Lester was in the Coast Guard and returned to Boston, Massachusetts. Lois continued to live with Mommee, but later when Lester was transferred, the young couple moved to Charleston, South Carolina.
It was during this time when Ruth and Terrell were home that they many times did not know where the next meal was coming from. The cupboard was bare. Ruth and Lorene related to me that many times there was no food in the house for them to eat. They kept faith in God for his blessings. They never went without food so Ruth often said. For when circumstances were grim, in came a letter from Lorene or Chess providing them some money for food. She could then buy food from the peddler and they could eat. Ruth has always been an example in our family that God does not let his children go hungry or begging food. She never lost her faith through those trying years. She always trusted God for his blessings and she was never disappointed. One might wonder why there was no help coming from the members of her family. Times were very hard for everyone in the late 1930's. Some help came from the Ezzell side. Grandma Ezzell gave them money for a dress every year. They would buy fabric that was all the same design so they could make more clothing items out of the same amount of money or fabric. Also, Grandma Ezzell paid the peddler for some staples (flour, sugar, cornmeal, etc.) to be left at Mommee's house for Mommee and her girls. Ruth was a woman, who had suffered three deaths in her family, all the men, and at this time in history, women were almost helpless if they did not have a man to rely on for food and shelter. Very little help came from family members for Ruth and her children. But help came from God. God's providence provided their needs. |
