Bends in the Trail

More from Cat Island

“In the summer of 1971, the Beverlys suddenly announced that they were moving back to the States. We were shocked, and wondered whether we should even try to live on the island without them. We were surprised that we were able to manage alone. Without them, Grandpa and I had more responsibility in the church, along with our weekday school classes. Grandpa gradually deteriorated mentally, and often did not know who I was. But even the last Sunday that we were there in 1974, he taught the adult Bible class and the people enjoyed his teaching. The spiritual part of a person seems to continue even after other faculties are gone.

 

“By summer 1974 I knew we could continue no longer. Our son was medical director of a nursing home, and secured a room there for Grandpa. By then he didn’t know me at all, and when good friends retired and offered to go to Cat Island with me for the coming school year, we decided to do that. We had many good times together. I remember one Sunday we had 19 children and young people in our little house. One group played Chinese checkers in the middle of the floor. Some girls brought a package of pudding mix and wanted to learn how to prepare it. We had to step around little kids to cook. Others were reading and some playing games—a busy, noisy, happy crowd.”

 

More stories tomorrow.