Dear Family & friends “HOW IT ALL BEGAN’ October 22-03 Since our Family looks forward to two Celebration Weddings in 2004 September 19th in San Diego & October 30th in Sedonia ,Arizona...Here was Mine:

Timewise, I spent 68 years with Carol Edna Calvin as her closest Friend.

We began our walking together at the University of Redlands. We studied together, walked from our classes to the Chapel several mornings a week ,skated on the Quadrangle, played early morning Tennis before classes. Discussed our dysfunctional family Heritage... and shared intimately our thoughts about the World and the Church. We exchanged Alpha Gamma Nu & Sigmi Fraternity/Sorority pins in my Senior Year.

Carol graduated in three and one-half years ... A marvelous achievement ; considering that in September 1933 she arrived on Campus with a scholarship & only forty dollars.!. (This is one reason that our Family now rejoices that through each of the enlarged Family’s participation; along with Friends who have contributed; The SHIKLES-STYN’ SCHOLARSHIP FUND, to help 2nd year students , is now over $25,000)

Carol skipped Mid-year Graduation; having secured a Missionary appointment

of the Baptist Home Mission Society ;as a Christian Friendliness Missionary in the Christian Friendship House at 720 Lynden Street in the West Oakland Slums ”

I was living with a Fraternity brother ,Jim Heydon in the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School and was the interim pastor , serving each Week-end ,in the 1sBaptist Church of Santa Rosa.

In the spring of 1937,I became the Director of Christian Education, in Carol’s home Church the Tenth Ave Baptist Church in Oakland.

We were married on a Sunday morning, July 4th, 1937 in the Tenth Ave. Baptist Church just before The Lord’s Supper was served. Our two Family’s had reserved seats on the 2nd& third rows of the Sanctuary..

Carol’s father did not present her; he was singing in the Choir, where he had been a member for many years. Edna, her Mother, and Carol’s two brothers: Bert & Dick, were also members of the Church.

Friends in Santa Rosa ,where I had been the Interim -Pastor, tuned in KSFO,& heard us take our vows. After exchanging Vows & rings we returned to our seats

for participation in the Communion. Our Church owned KSFO. Radio Station before it became the Bay area outlet for the Columbia Broadcasting Company. One morning every two weeks, I had the joy of speaking for “The Hour of Prayer” Half hour Broadcast, as one of the staff-pastors. During the morning Service the Bacone College Indian Choir from Oklahoma sang....Phil Armstrong, a long time friend of Carol’s Family sang “O Promise Me” during the placing of the rings on our fingers..

After greeting our Family & Guests who had been with us at Carol’s Home in Castro Valley for a Wedding Breakfast; ...we drove to a friends cottage on the Ocean, where we stayed until Monday night ; returning to Oakland , for our two Vacation Bible School’s .Tuesday morning, in our Church ,and at the Oakland Christian Friendship Center at 720 Lyndon street in the Oakland slums.

Carol had 14 nationalities in her school. Children’s names like: Kabachi’s, Phillithipio, Krakov, Anderson, Perry. etc were familiar to us... In fact we were awakened before 8:30 a.m by children on our fire-escape who came early to Carol’s school ..to congratulate us...and wait for her School of about 100... I was the Principal of Tenth Ave School with about 60 to 75 in attendance in the three week school . (In fact , I wrote a Master’s thesis for my M.A. degree on the Vacation Church School Movement. One of America’s great Preacher’s : Harry Emerson Fosdick , began his ministry in one of the first, while in Seminary in New York City.

At the end of the summer, we accepted a Call to pastor the First Baptist Church in Bellingham Washington. Dr. Irving E. Miller, representing the Pulpit Committee, had visited our Junior Church and presented a challenge to us.

An Evangelist Pastor of the Melrose Church , in Oakland ,tried to defeat my Call because he said “the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School is a Modernist School”.

Dr. Sanford E. Fleming the School President ,brought him to the train to meet me after I had candidated.; in August of 1939. I told him of my Call and my beliefs and he apologized for his statements. (Later, I will write of our Parishes: 4 of them: Bellingham and Everett, Washington. Denver and Grand Junction, Colorado..and Aea Pastor for forty Colorado Churches 1990-1998

Just before .... what was to be our 65 Wedding Anniversary; In December of 2001Carol who had used Breathing machines in Colorado ,and here in California. was diagnosed with “Acute Leukemia”: and beginning in January, spent 37 days in the Scripps Memorial Hospital . Our 4 Children & 7 grandchildren touched her life in attentive and blessed ways. Her Hospital Diary follows next week.(Thanks for letting me share) Caleb Elroy10-22-03

(One more writing to come...Thanks for Scrolling& Deleting

Caleb Elroy