Mom's story; off to college

After high school, my mother attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. It was during her sophomore year that she told God she would do His will for her life:  to become a missionary. 

During her years at Grace she sang in the choir.  In the picture above, my mom is on the front row on the far right.  Her sister, Treva, is beside her.  When Treva graduated, she went to Africa.  The boy she was engaged to didn't want to go to Africa, so she broke off the engagement.  She remained single all her life.  My dad is on the 3rd row, 3rd person from the left.  I see a few other faces that I recognize too!

Mom also taught Sunday School, did child evangelism and worked on the newspaper.  There was a boy who also worked on the paper named Peter Voran.  

After 2 years at Grace, he left to attend Bethel College in Newton, Ks.  and to begin a pastorate at the Hopefield Mennonite church.   On a return trip to Omaha with his cousin, Chet, for a reunion at Grace, mom happened to be passing out the programs.  Chet told dad that he would be a fool to not marry her.  So he asked her out and ended up proposing to her that night!   (he told us that when he got back to the dorm, he cried and wondered what he had just done!  But he has not regreted it at all now!)

After a total of 3 dates and a summer apart, they were married in Pandora on August 5, 1949. 

                          

When I was a little girl, I was so envious of that little girl who was the flower girl.  I didn't understand why my mother didn't pick me to be her flower girl!

 

 Uncle Mahlon, Uncle Wally, Myron Voran (dad's cousin - he didn't have any brothers), Dad, Mom, Aunt Treva, Aunt Wava and Aunt Betty Jo (my dad's sister)

The wedding reception was held at the family farm.

 I still have those candleabra and used them at our wedding.

For their honeymoon, they drove to a Bible conference at Pikes Peak, Colorado.  We always teased them that they had such a romantic honeymoon!  Others attending the conference knew they were newlyweds.  After they had checked into the lodge and gone to dinner, some people went to their room to pull a prank.  They replaced the double bed for bunk beds! 

 

to be continued....