I visited Milton’s home to meet his parents right after Christmas. I had previously met his two sisters who lived in Fort Worth. On our way back to school we spent several days in Little rock for him to meet my family. All went well in both instances.
After we returned to school Milton began acting very differently and finally confessed that he was having some doubts about our relationship. This began right at the time we were preparing for finals. Consequently I did even worse on them than I had expected to do. It didn’t help that he had confided in another student who then happily relayed that information to me. Had it not been for the period of real searching for God’s will concerning Milton’s place in God’s plan for my life, I would have given him his ring and gone home. But, I was so sure that I decided to stay at Seminary, but to work on campus and not enroll in any classes. If things didn’t work out, then I would go home.
After two agonizing months during which I developed nervous disorders and lost ten pounds I followed the advice of my “Job’s comforters” and did indeed give him back his ring. However, I could not refuse when he wept openly as he gave it back to me. Since that time our love has grown and deepened and I can’t really regret those two months of misery. We made many adjustments during that time that most couples have to make in the early years of marriage. It was much easier knowing that I could give him his ring back and go home. I do regret that my Seminary preparation was so affected by these difficulties.
When I began working full time on campus I became Dr. John Drakeford’s secretary and receptionist for the counseling center as well as working for Dr Boyd Hunt. During one of the Seminary’s Missions Day held during chapel, Milton made his decision to volunteer for overseas missions. This confirmed my conviction that our engagement was the right choice. As the end of the semester neared, Milton and I had several premarital counseling sessions with Ralph Edwards and Bud Fray in the counseling center. Our sessions with Bud Fray were after Milton had made his missions decision and he was most helpful to both of us.
Summer came and I went home to work in the offices of The Arkansas Gazette and plan a wedding. Milton stayed in Fort Worth to complete his thesis and take comprehensive exams and graduate. In God’s timing, Milton was called to be the minister of music at Immanuel Baptist Church in Savannah Georgia, beginning on September 1st. Our wedding took place on August 2 at Calvary Baptist Church in Little Rock, my home church, and was performed by the pastor Rev Paul Fox. My friend Lillie played the piano, and Milton’s friend Edwina Thedford sang. Following the wedding we traveled to Eureka Springs for our honeymoon. Afterwards, we spent several weeks with Milton’s parents in Louisiana before traveling to Savannah, Georgia to begin our life and ministry together.