Eyes of Love
First off I want to give thanks to God, who made this love possible. This marriage, the family and the Love that was shared becoming a part of it. Thank you Lord for the time granted that I got to spend, married to Debra and for being led back to Christ thru her family.
Debra Lynn Leech, born in 5/7/1957, Heavens Bells 9/20/2024
. Deb and I met though some friends of mine that I worked with, while she watched their youngest son as we worked a job close to home (Malvern). We immediatly hit it off, I belive now that God had everything to do with how we met and got togther. After meeting her and her parents, I started going to church with them, actually having a curiosity of the Pentecostal way of worship. The Holy Sprirt hit me hard the first Sunday I visited, and left no doubt in my mind whether or not His presence was there. Anyway, at the end of this job I was being sent to a new project in Pennsylvania. I asked Deb if she wanted to go with me, however never being away from family or out of state, she was having some difficulty leaving. Wilma had mentioned the M word, but I told her I needed time to be sure this time. Well just how many times have you been married she asked me? My answer was, once out of necessity, once out of stupidity, and again out of ignorance. There was relationship I thought would turn to marraige, that left me truly broken hearted for years. I needed to be sure if I was to marry again, Anyway against Wilmas wishes she left with me. Debbie called and talked to her mother for hours on end every day. I dont know how they didnt run out of things to talk about. (They continued to do this dailey for years after) when working out of state. Many months fly buy when one day she dropped a bomb on me " Ed, would you marry me? Ill make you a wonderfull wife. Im old school, cant work, but Ill keep your house clean, and cook for you, wash your cloths. Ill take wonderful care of you, youll have supper cooked for you every nite. Im a good cook, my Mom and Grandmother taught me. I love you so much and want to spend the rest of my life with you.." She told me she had been praying for a God fearing man, someone that would go to church with her. I had been going to church wth her and family since we met, we occasionally went to churchs here, and she saw that the Holy Spirit had started to work on me.
Debbie had a certain look, one you knew was sincere. The look she had, that look of love in her eyes that followed me for years to come, well I was going to say now haunts me, but it doesnt, its something lost that a person can only have memory of, being a part of a full, unconditional love, a love like no other.
Anyway so what did I do? I asked her to leave, like the dumb, stupid person I was at that time. I was an alcoholic, afraid to give up the life style I was living, and afraid of being married and or hurt again. I asked her to go home and give me the summer to spend with my daughter, be single a little longer and make my mind up. Two days later she left, giving me my space and oppertunity Anyway I found notes, dear John notes in my socks, underwear, under my clothes in the drawers, in shirt pockets that had been hung up, in my truck! Professing her love for me, making sure I stayed in her thoughts. She called me every nite, and all the time, well and sometimes crying, untill I noticed them slowing down, even catching myself wondering or waiting to see if she was calling. I woke up and realized I was losing one of the best things that may have ever happened to me. The job was nearly over by then, my year assignment up, so I asked for the earlist ROF I could get, to go home and beg forgiveness.
In the meantime she had met and helped me take care of my daughter Tessa, accepting and loving her as she would her own child. Tessa stayed with me that summer that I sent Deb back home, and trust me I never heard the end of it. "I want my mama back". We were not evan married but those two had bonded as mother and daughter..
Ill never forget that night I got in, the look on her face and the happy tears she had for me.I had not told her my plans, just called on the way driving to Arkansas, telling her I was coming home to her if she would still have me.. She told me it was God, answering her prayers. She had asked her Grandmother,Dad and Mom to pray, that I would come home and marry her. She had had faith she said, She said her Daddy told her if it was Gods will, that things would work out, just pray and have faith..
I continued going to Church with Deb and her parents at Lake Hamilton Assenbly of God, where I found myself being pulled back into the arms of Jesus, falling head over heals in love with Debbie, and her Church family. And this is where this story really takes off.
The Shotgun wedding. Debbie had gone grocery shopping, leaving me piddling with Curtis outside when I was cornered and asked if I had a minute. Memas, she asks, "well when are you going to ask for my daughters hand. You know, get married? I didnt answer her right off, and she says to me,"Dont make me load Papas shotgun"! "Doesnt really matter because you two are getting married two weeks from now right here in my house, in this living room. We will have a Blue Jean wedding, Im making the cake, our Pastor from Church will marry you two if you ask him". About that time Debbie comes back in and Memas says to her, " Edward has something he wants to ask you dont you Ed." Well of course I proposed to Deb then and there with Mrs Wilma just grinning. After some conseling from Brother Wes Bennet he married us thier at 187 Echo Pt, in the living room, one of the happiest places Ive ever lived.
Now, I had explained to Wima, if I was going to provide for Debbie, I would be taking her daughter away from her again, I dont think she really understood that most of my life I worked on the road, and she still thought I would find work there in Hot Springs. No, Im staying here working in the sawmill just long enough to get Tessa graduated from high school, then I plan on getting back to what I know, and make a better living. Or more money anyway. And that day came. And thats when I found out what Love was all about.
Wilma missing Debbie, had Curtis go to the credit union, purchased a nice used moter home, and here they come, The first trip was to Juliet, GA, where I was working on an expansion to the power plant there,Plant Schere. Juliet is near Macon, and the home town where the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed and originated. They parked several RV spaces from us and spent nearly eight weeks there. I had my example of how to live a Christian life, a mentor without knowing or realizing it, back in my dailey life. Curtis Beard. We had quite a few talks about God, but only if I brought it up. He never pushed his beliefs on me, but led by example. We attended a huge Pentecostal church every Sunday in Macon, and Curtis loved it. One Sunday morning, early before church, I became under the conviction of the Holy Spirit to quit drinking. The night before, for the first time I felt embarresed drinking around Curtis. It had never bothered mr brfore. I never hid my drinking from them or anyone.In my mind I was doing no wrong, all I drank was beer, and an occasional glass of wine. I was fooling myself, I was a functioning alcoholic. The only thing keeping me half straight was my job, because I worked 10 hours a day 50 and 60 hours a week. God told me if I quit drinking then and there he would pull the desire totally from me. It was the strangest , wrong word, most beautiful moment in life. I had gone over to the public bathroom to shower for church because Debbie had our little space taken up getting herself ready. I remembered feeling so bad drinking in front of the family the night before. I had never cared what anyone thought, not evan my own blood family. I was ashamed of myself, and here I was getting ready to go worship God. I felt His presence at that moment, when i asked for help, and right then, without a doubt I quit drinking. Something I had practiced almost religously for 20 plus years just left me. I walked back to our RV, picked up my mostly drank 30 pack, and a bottle of wine, told Deb I had just quit drinking. She said "You know todays Sunday, you throw that away you cant go buy anymore. No problem I said. As I passed Papas moter home, noticeing his door open, with screen door shut, he was doing what he usually did of a morning, sitting there reading his Bible, under the same lamp he had brought from the dinning room table at home. He looked at me smiling and told me it was a litle early to start drinking aint it. I said "Yes Sir it is, we are getting ready for church and Im taking out the trash. Papa I just quit drinking, and you know what he said? Well, I knew you would, Ive been praying for you, me and Wilma both. Youll be fine without that stuff." I took the beer to the dumpster and have never looked back. Between God and Curtis telling me that, Ive never desired another drop. We had a wonderfull summer, and ate a lot of fried green tomatoes at the restaurant from the movie. We went to a Civil War reinactment, found something fun to do every weekend .
Several years later they traded that moter home in for a nicer one to make the trip to Utah. We tried to talk them out of it, worried about there age and driving but here they come. They called me from Ogden which was about 40 miles from where we were. They had pulled over to a Walmart amd said they couldnt drive any further. Deb and I loaded up and went and got them. I drove the home on in and Wilma rode with Deb back. they had had quite the journey, Papa getting them lost...but Curtis said it was Wilma due to her lack of navigation and map reading skills. They stayed nearly the whole summer, having to leave befor the snow trapped them in. Again we had a wonderful time together. The best time. We explored the Salt Lakes. We visited Brigham, and looked into the Morman history. One of the guys that worked for me came from a Morman family and the company erecting the structural steel on the job was all Morman. He invited all of us to meet his family and go to the to the Rodeo, where he, his wife and young family all rode, roped and raced. We went to the state Fair and on picnics up in the mountains, visited hot springs there. On one weekend trip we decided to take Debbies convertable for a ride up to Bear Lake in the Mountains. Bear lake is a natural lake, a crator at the top of Bear mountain, that used to be a valcanoe. Once up there, we were driving around the lake, coming around a turn, were stopped by a herd of cattle, comong right down the road! Big cows, very big cows, that was actually a hugh herd being driven down to a lower pastor by cowboys and girls on horses. One of the cowboys on the driver side of the car stops, tips his hat to Debbie, whose long blond curly hair was windblown and you know, looking good, says Howdy mam" to her. Debbie replys very sweetly, "Howdy Cowboy"! Well he stops and keeps talking letting the herd go on, and explains this is something they do every year. Of course Popa has to ask a million questions and finally the cowboy tips his hat to Debbie again, and tells her to have a nice day, and for me to be sure and stop and by the lovely lady a raspberry shake. Popa was lovin it. Now this area is known for its raspberrys as is the raspberry capitol of the world. So of course we had to stop for shakes. So Pops would always tease me when we stop for ice cream and tell everyone the story about how he nearly lost his son in law to a cowboy up on Bear Lake.
There was so much love in this family, I saw it all the time, and of course by then I had learned most of the family hisory, which was a beautiful story in itself. Now Wilmas mother had passed before the first trip, and her husband had died just before me meeting Deb. but Wilma loved her mother with the same type of love she wanted Deb to have for her. Wimas Mom always said the reason she lived so long was because she loved her mother and always honored both her parents, and telling us it was written in the scriptures. Exodis 20,12. You see Wilma has never been away from her Mom and Dad. They were all from Arkansas, had moved to California together, and thats were Curtis and Wima met, at a very young age in California. According to the story I heard from both Wima and her mother they had stopped at a gas station to get gas in Quincy where they all lived at the time. I very nice convertable car was in the lot for sale, where Curtis was walking around admireing it. Wima told her Mom, look at that nice looking man looking at that car like he wants to own it. He is to young, and couldnt aford I fancy car like that! Well get out and go talk to him her mother said. Wilma asked her Mom for change, so she could go get drinks out of the machine for them, I dont want him to think Im paying attention to him. So off she went, following Curtis inside, where he was paying for the repair work for his car that was inside. She didnt realize what he was actually paying for, but anyway Curtis asked her if she needed help carring out the drinks and she was purchasing.They got outside and got to talking, finding out they all lived in Quincy. One thing led to another and Curtis asked Wilma if he could call on her sometime, maybey they could go get a hamburger or something. Wima told him why sure, but did he have a way to pick her up. He said of course, thats my car inside. She said to him, "you talking about that other new convertable inside thier, thats your car? Why sure it is you want to go for a ride. It was actually nicer than the one outside I was told. We can get that burger right now if your hungry Curtis told her. Wilma and Curtis ate lunch together that day and within several months were married. Loren and Debbie were born in Quincy. Curtis and Wilmas Dad both worked in the sawmill there, and Curtis had held a second job with the railroad. He was a railroad cross tie repairman, were you had to change out three ties a day, by yourself. Now that meant pulling spikes, four each side of each tie, useing a pick axe to dig out and loosen the gravel enough to drag the tie out by hand, replace with a new one, and respike. Curtis told me he often did four a day to keep his job. This was during the depression and there was a lot of compitition for the work, especially the railroad. Often times in the dry season he was called, both him and his father in law to fight fires, the hugh forest fires where it was mandatory to volunteer as a firefighter close or in your county, depending on the need. They had both had to help fight several times, sometimes for days on end.
Curtis and Wilma had two children while living in California. Loren Beard and of course goldilocks, little miss priss herself, Debra Lynn Beard. The family decided to move back to Arkansas, because Curtis had a relative that was helping him get a job at Reynolds, an offer to good to turn down. Kinda like the ones I get that keeps me on the road. So both families load up all thier possesions and move back to Arkansas. Deb said she wanted to ride with Mom or granny because the two trucks were so embarassing. Envision the Clampets, the Beverly Hillbillys. Deb said thats exactly what they looked like, with Papas truck pulling a trailor so loaded down, posessions were tied to other things with rope to hold them in place. Going thru Los Vegas, there dog jumped out the window, and Wilma made Curtis get out of the truck, stopped at the traffic light and chase down the dog. Come to find out it was thirsty, and it took quite the effort for Curtis to catch the dog. I told him I think I would have just left the dog, and he told me I didnt know Memas as well as he did. He was going to catch the dog!
Coming to Jesus! So they settled into thier first home, Curtis having to put up fences for a fencing company while waiting on Reynolds to hire him. Wilma opened up, started a restaurant, on Lake Hamilton. She had worked as a cook and learned the ropes in California, I think cooking meals at a hotel and for a railroad kitchen. Anyway, after Curtis had started working at Reynolds, Debbie gets sick, actually falling out. Curtis was called home from work, and finding her laying down unconscince started praying to God. He offered a life of service if he would help Debbie, not let her die. Curtis was a man of his word, immediatly found a church, this one here, where the front was the Church converted from the old school house. One of the first Assembly of God churches founded here in Hot Springs. A lot of people dont know it but the Assemblies were founded here in Hot Springs, AR. When I started going here it was Pleasant Hill Assembly and later renamed Lake Hamilton Assembly of God. Anyway Debbies appendix had ruptured and she nearly died. Later on when she was 10 years old she got sick again and this time diagnosed with Type 1 diabetis.Still living a life of faith in Jesus Christ, Curtis continued to go to and serve as a Deacon and Board member to the Church. Wilma told me way back then he was always the first one there to open up, and get the church warmed up for service.I often heard it said if the Church doors were open, Curtis was there and I believe it. I saw him serve as a Greeter , Deacon and board member as I attended. He shared cuttting the grass and mantenance with other members. He became Sunday School Superintenant early on. He talked me into going to Sunday school. We would leave early on Sunday mornings, I would go on in to Sunday school, but he had to sweep ouside and inside, assuring the sidewalk and carpet was clean, bathroom trash cans emptied. He loved the Church and the people in it. Later as he was much older, hw was voted in as an honorary permanant member of the Board. The first person to ever hold such a position. In the end he made his life right with the Lord, assuring he had foregiveness for any and all sins he had ever comitted, leaving no doubt in my mind he had set an example as a Christian, a man who tried his best to put his God first in his life as commanded. He loved his Church family, and I often saw him attend funerals and church functions, always taking time out of his personal life, putting others first. Curtis had to retire after having a stroke. He had still been working for Reynolds when it happened. Another excellant example of his life, was his work ethics. Once starting at Reynolds, to provide for the family he voluntered to work every double shift he was offered. Never late, never missing a days work, working unless he was to sick to physically be there. After Reynolds changed hands they laid everyone off, in the whole Cable division, except one person. And this person was the oldest person there at this time. The only employee that was kept was Curtis Beard. Now that is dedication and also a testament to his faith in Jesus Christ. Curtis also had a part time job, one that he learned from his father in law, small engine repair. He was a pretty good mechanic. He always changed his own engine oil, doing minor repairs himself. He kept all the neighbors lawn mowers running and blades sharp. Between him and his father in law, they had a shop and all the tools necassary for small engine work. He had a nice little income from time to time, it was kinda seasonal but it gave him something to do during retirement. He spent his last years serving the Church, and every morning still sitting at the dinning room table, his little lamp, reading glasses and his Bible open to the word of his Lord. He had gotten ill when the first Covid pandemic came along. Everyone in the family, including most of the Church contacted it, Wilma and myself got over it ok, Debbie had it kinda bad but recovered quickly enough, but it ended up taking Curtis on to Christ. In his last few hours I administered drugs under the care of Hospice, to keep him comfortable and he passed comfortable at home with his family.
Curtis
Wilma, beloved Mother and Mother in Law.