by Bob Futrell as told to Ella Reff

I was born in 1946, the last of my mother's five children. My two oldest brothers were half-brothers, for their father had drowned in an accident. My father worked at Warner Gear and also did plumbing and electrical work. We were members of the Eaton Methodist Church. My father had a rule that the only reason a family member could miss Sunday church was if you could produce a death certificate or were really sick! My mother was a school teacher throughout the years. She had a musical talent and sang many specials on Sundays at church, having my brother and me to sing with her. My favorite song was “In the Garden,” mainly because it was my grandmother's, and she would play it on her piano.

There were many times in my growing-up years that I made a commitment to Christ: first as a child at my church, as a youth at church camp, then as a young adult. It seems that when I made these commitments, I was dead serious and it would be important, then I would backslide and those commitments would fade away. It was not until Carolyn and I were baptized by immersion in our 40's that we could stay by this commitment.

In my years in the church, I served on many boards. I was the lay leader at the Eaton church for several years and served on the board of trustees. I also ran the junior church program where a music theme was tops, and I was the adult leader for the MYF. After the 1989 death of Allen (Carolyn’s son), we decided to attend the Yorktown Methodist Church because of their making available the church building for Alan's funeral. I have been active in this church, serving on the board of trustees, finance committee, as lay leader, and Carolyn and I worked with Bible school.

I was asked to share any experience of God working in my life. I could write many chapters on this, but will say in 1965, I was in a life-threatening accident which resulted in months in the hospital. God spoke many times during that experience. I feel that God led me to Carolyn, and if you had an extra hour or so, I could tell you about that. God was with us through the deaths of two children—one foster child, and one natural child. I believe that God is present in our daily lives.

Finally, I think that we as a church are going through a trying time now. If we all make a commitment and give our support, we will go through these times under the direction of God.