Lois's Latest

    I wrote about my life before marriage, and sent it to our children. Since then I have been asked several times to relate my life after marriage. So let's start at the beginning.

    I met Mel when he was six and I was 10. His mother was expecting another baby and was feeling so unwell that my mother invited her, along with a cute little son, to come and live with us for a while. I fell in love with him straight away (though not with a future marriage in mind !!!) We played together our in the sand with his Dinky Toy Cars, and built roads and tunnels and everything else we could think of. World War II was raging and our petrol (gasoline) was severely rationed, so Mel's Dad would ride out to our farm on his bicycle to visit his little family.

    The two families bonded and the Sheasbys became life-long friends. My family had moved to a small settlement outside Bulawayo, my home town. After school I often went to the Sheasby's house for the
afternoon. Mel and I became very firm friends -- but still no romance. After I graduated I worked for two years at the Standard Bank in town. Rona, my sister was at Abilene Christian College and persuaded me that I should also try. Tuition was free for foreign students who were members of the Church of Christ. So, as soon as I had saved enough for my ship fare I made my final arrangements and left by train to go to Cape town, the town from which I would board ship

    After I earned my Bachelor's Degree I returned home. I stayed with old friends in Cape Town until left by train for Bulawayo. To meet me at the station were my parents, Mel, and his parents. The next morning as we were preparing to go to Church there was a knock at the door and there was Mel asking if he could go to church with us. He was not yet a Christian because his parents were not interested in the church despite my mother's discussions with them. However they did allow my father to pick the children up for Sunday School and church when ever they wanted to go. While I was in College Mel would sometimes turn up for church. His grandmother was a staunch SDA and she taught him a lot about the Bible, but he did not convert to their doctrine. Anyway, after he turned up on Sunday to go to church with us Mom invited him to have lunch with us -- and I was in love!! More at another time, this was just an introduction.