MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 32 – In Book, Page 76

Trip To Wisconsin, 1974, Goliad, Fortieth Wedding Anniversary Celebration In Detail, Tim In Pain, Summer In Pioneer Park, Back To Weslaco, Texas, Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Susie And Family’s Visit

BACK TO WISCONSIN FOR OUR VACATION

We left Weslaco on June 5, 1994. Dick and I love to travel, so on the way to Wisconsin, we stopped at places of interest along the way. On our way through Texas, I was reading the book “Texas” by James Michener. I got to the part where General Santa Ana came up with an army from Mexico, defeated and killed the Texans (including Colonel William Barret Travis, and the border guards, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett) at the Alamo in San Antonio, and marched to Goliad. There Colonel Fannin surrendered, but Santa Ana killed him and all the other men. Believe it or not, but as we were riding along, I said to Dick, “there’s a sign which says “Goliad”, let’s turn here. So we did. There is a beautiful chapel there. We also saw the tall monument and huge mound where all the men are buried. It was very interesting, but heartrending. But, as Santa Ana marched on, General Sam Houston with the battle cry, “Remember the Alamo”, defeated him at San Jacinto. Dick and I also went there to see that monument and the battleground. Santa Ana was forced to sign a treaty granting Texas its independence.

We made other visits on the way to Wisconsin. One of the stops on June 9, 1994, was in Springfield, Illinois, to see where President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) his wife, Mary, and family lived. We were privileged to actually go on a tour of the home at Eighth and Jackson Streets where the Lincolns lived from 1844-1861. The home is furnished a lot like I remember from my “Omas” (Grandmas) and “Opas” (Grandpas) homes. There are “potties” under the bed (like we had when I was a child) and the outdoor toilet had three holes (we had only one)! Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Larkin G. Meade designed the monument on his grave, dedicated in 1874. It is a place of universal pilgrimage.
 
OUR 40TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – JUNE 19, 1994

We arrived in Wisconsin on June 10th.   One of the first things we did was to watch our grandson, Mark, son of our daughter, Debbie, and her husband, Glen, play Little League baseball. He did really well. His brother, David, and sister, Nicki, also love to play baseball, and are good at it. Glen learned to love Little League baseball from his father, so he passed it on to his children. How wonderful it was to see them, Tim, Sue, their family and Jim, Sue, and their family again, all living in Wisconsin. Since we had our park model at Pioneer Park in Lake Delton, we had a very nice place to stay, during our vacation.

All our six children, spouses, and families had been working “like beavers” to plan for our 40th wedding anniversary celebration at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (my home church and where we had been married), Watertown, Wisconsin, on June 19th. On the 18th all of us were in the Fellowship Hall getting ready for the next day. There was a lot of work to do because our families were preparing the meals, entertainment, etc. But, first, we had our “Christmas in June”, and opened the gifts from the people who had drawn our names. Stephanie, our “clowny” daughter decided to model the gift for me from her family. Wow – it was a “teddy” (lingerie), which I still have! Of course, she wore it over her clothes! Our family has lots of fun!

The big day came, and how can I describe what a wonderful blessing it was! All of our children, their spouses, and families, other relatives, and friends were there, traveling from long distances. Our son, Dick, Wanda, his wife, and children came from Orlando, Florida – Steph, Jeff, and children from Isabel, South Dakota – Jeff’s Dad and Mom, John and Carla, Heitsch, from Tarpon Springs, Florida – Steve and Rebecca from Mission, Texas – Helen, Dick’s sister, and her husband, Carl (Kellberg) came all the way from Renton, Washington, to be with us – Christine, their daughter, her husband, Brian (Charlton), Nolan and Adam – Carla, their daughter, her husband, Pete (Peterson), John, and Richard – and John, their youngest son, his wife, Wendy, came from the state of Washington, too. Pastor/Missionary Stephen Lawrenz and his wife, Lori, were there all the way from Lusaka, Zambia, Africa (where we had been missionaries many years before). Stephen told us that he had heard my husband lecture about Africa when he was a child, and then made up his mind to be a missionary. How the Lord works in people’s hearts. Our son, Richard, and his brother, Steven, were the ushers.

What a glorious unforgettable service it was, with our son, Tim, having the Psalms, Epistle, and Gospel readings, and a blessing – son-in-law, Jim, having the Invocation, the Call to Worship, and a blessing – son-in-law Jeff, having Prayers, and a blessing – Glen, Mark, and Jim singing “How Beauteous Are Their Feet” – and Pastor/Missionary Theodore Sauer preaching an inspiring sermon, “God Has Done It All” – l. He has reconciled you to himself to Christ – 2. He has made you his ambassador for Christ – based on 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. And, there was a special family song, “One Life/Jesus Loves Me”, sung by our whole family, including our beautiful grandchildren. I will never forget how sweetly they all sang. Jenny, Tim and Sue’s daughter, accompanied the family wonderfully on the piano. Mrs. Carole Roberts (from Lord And Savior, Crystal Lake, Illinois) played the organ wonderfully for the rest of the service.

After the service, we greeted all our dear relatives and friends, many who had come for miles to be with us, and then everyone went to the fellowship hall for the reception. How hard our families had worked! There were blue and white balloons rising from the tables among the people as they ate the delicious meal our families had prepared. There was a cake with the words, “God’s richest blessings – 40” on the top of it. And the entertainment was fabulous! Our children astounded us with their individual talents. Our son, Dick, and daughter, Debbie, did a great job of being the master and mistress of ceremonies. Jim composed a song titled “The Ballad of Dickie And Cookie” (sung to the tune of the “Battle of New Orleans”), and he, our family, and all the people who were there sang.

Members of our family (children included), acted out a skit. It was hilarious when as each of our six babies was born, along came one of our family pushing a baby buggy with a baby in it! Glen, Jim, and Jeff sang, “remember, remember, remember”. Many of our dear relatives and friends came to the microphone and delivered many remembrance speeches. Among them was Missionary Steven Lawrenz, who was on furlough from Zambia, Africa, where we had been. Everyone had many kind words to say about us. Missionary Lawrenz’s words will long remain in our memories. God has truly blessed us with a family which we can be very proud of, and many relatives and friends who are very dear to us.

(THERE IS A VHS VIDEO OF OUR 40TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
WORSHIP SERVICE AND RECEPTION)

TIM IN PAIN!!!!

After the reception and many of the people had left, we were all shocked to see our son, Tim, lying doubled up in pain on a pew in the hall of the fellowship hall! ALL DURING THE TIME OF THE SERVICE AND RECEPTION, HE HAD BEEN IN TERRIBLE PAIN!! He had not shown any sign of pain when he participated in the service and reception. He was passing a kidney stone. Anyone who knows Tim knows that he has a lot of stamina, and endurance. Tim and the other members of our very big family are survivors, thanks be to God!

After the big celebration all of us headed to Pioneer Park, Lake Delton, Wisconsin. There are two swimming pools there, so you can imagine the unforgettable fun we had! The swimming pools aren’t the Olympic-size pool like we had in Lusaka, Zambia, Africa, but big enough for all of us. The swimming, water basketball, little ones on floats, sun bathing, food, singing around the campfire, etc. were fantastic! We also went to Dutch Hollow Lake where besides all of the above, there was great fishing and water skiing. Most of all, it was being together that was the best.

But, as they say, “all good things come to an end”. It was time for our out-of-state relatives and friends to leave us and go back to their homes. It was very sad to see them go.

We lived in our park model at Pioneer Park until June 28th. While there, we visited many relatives and friends who live in Wisconsin.

BACK TO WESLACO, TEXAS

It saddened us to leave our loves ones again, but we knew that God had called Dick to Abiding Savior to live and work among his people there. So we left our dear ones and started out for Texas.

Again, we made stops along the way. We went to Memphis, Tennessee, where we visited Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion, and went on the guided Tour of the living room, music room, dining room, TV room, and “Jungle” den in the main house, and the original fan mail/ business office out back. The highlight is Elvis’ trophy building, which houses his enormous collection of gold records and awards, along with an extensive display of personal mementos, stage costumes, jewelry, photographs, and much more. The tour ends with a quiet visit to the Meditation Garden, where Elvis and members of his family have been laid to rest.

On the way out of Memphis, Tennessee, we passed Hernando’s Hide-a-way, and remembered the song about that place. We then stopped at Vicksburg, Mississippi (a Mississippi port), where there are thousands of Civil War graves, marked according to States. It was unbelievable! Vicksburg fell to the Union army on July 4, 1863, after a 47- day siege. We also went to Natchez, Mississippi, on the Mississippi River, where a gambling riverboat was moored. We got to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at night and saw a huge lit-up oil refinery. What a sight it was!  We kept on going, and finally reached Weslaco, Texas, June 30, 1994.

Our daughter, Sue, her husband, Jim, and children, Jimmy, Brian, Becky, and Christina came to the Valley to visit us in August, 1994. The people of Abiding Savior were happy to see them too. We took them to South Padre Island where they were impressed with the beautiful paintings of killer whales on the side of a huge building. We also took them to Progreso, Mexico. Christina, 4 years old, wandered off in one of the shops, and gave us a few anxious moments. We also went to a Mexican restaurant to eat. The waiters were impressed by Jim who loves the hottest pepper, the habenero, which he ate with gusto. We were sad when all of them left the Valley.