Our Progenitors

I suppose I don't have to describe what "progenitors" are. I won't, unless later I think maybe I should have. Pictured here first are Jean's parents: Wilbur and Ida Anderson. They were natives of Champaign County Ohio - one of them living to be over 90 (Dad), the other over 80.

He was a farmer and later, butcher, generally. Though shortly after moving to "town", he became the City Night Watchman, basically a Night Policeman. They owned a Cities Service gas station, that included what we laughingly call "A Jot-em-down Store" (shades of Lum and Abner on the radio.)

They were parents of 4 adult children, and one infant who lived only for a short while.

Jean's mother, of course, worked in the home, as well as the farm yard when they lived in the country. In her later years, she was a "Binder Supervisor" for the Crowell-Collier Company, in Springfield, Ohio.





My dad, Walter O. Maddex, after farming for a few years before I was born, worked for many years in a Hardware Store, for the vast sum of $25 per week. After retiring from that, he was a bookkeeper for the Pure Oil Company Distributor in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. He walked over a mile every day to work, up in his eighties. He lived to be over 90 as well, his death possibly caused by a fall and broken hip in our garage.

My mother, Mae Maddex, lived to be over 80, the last several years in poor health. Her final days (as were Jean's) were spent in a Nursing Home. I had one sister, Miriam, who was 11 years older than I.

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When Jean and I announced that we were going to marry, there was more to it than that. Jean was 19 1/2 years old, I was not yet 19. Parental consent, of course, was required, in both cases.

I had been drafted in the Army, though, and since we had been dating for a couple years, we felt that we should marry before I left for overseas.

Our arguments for marrying finally prevailed, and many people in Mechanicsburg said, "It'll never last!" - and they meant it. Our parents didn't quite see it that way, or they would not have consented. One lady in our town was CONVINCED that we would remain married "for the duration", as she said. Her name was Edna Hunt. She said, "You just wait and see. This will last!" Oh........I didn't mention that Edna was the Head Clerk in the County Court House that issued Marriage Licenses.

In those days, blood tests were required before a marriage license would be issued. (Interestingly, with today's "promiscuity", and STD, a blood test is NOT required.) Anyway, our blood test had to be done in Columbus, for some reason. And, getting back to the County Seat of Urbana took some time.

Edna knew we were coming, however, so she kept the doors open until we arrived. (I dearly wish, and hope, that Edna somehow knows that we were married 65 years.)

Previouly, I've described our wedding and subsequent events, and they can be seen in an earlier posting on this blog.

Proverbs 31 speaks of a virtuous woman. I don't know why men/fathers could not be included in that paean of praise thus - "her children arise up and call her blessed."

Praise the Lord!