In 1956 Dorothy and Ray bought a house on Juanita St. with a big oak tree that shaded a large garage/shop in the back yard next to an occasionally used railroad track. That was surely exciting times but it was marred by the death of Mark, her father on February 18, 1956.

Those were good times for Dorothy as three years after Tom arrived she was again pregnant. At age 35 she had the little girl she wanted and named her Peggy.

During this time the Presbytery decided to start a new church on one end of the three-acre field behind the house. Ray and Dorothy moved their membership from Broad Street to the new Grace Presbyterian Church. Both were very active members walking through the small field to the services.

1956

Mary Alice

Three years after Peggy arrived Dorothy had Mary (1957) who was blond like Ray.

Tom remembers helping install the air conditioner window units each spring and Ella, the maid, coming once a week to help with the housework. Ella occasionally watched the kids when Ray and Dorothy went out.

With three kids Ray and Dorothy no doubt realized they needed more room and so bought two lots on Halls Mill Road just outside the city. The plan was to build a home with the large lot.  But, that did not happen before they found a 181-acre farm for sale. down a narrow dirt road in a community called Union Church about 20 miles southwest of the City.

Dorothy agreed to move to the Country and so began the process of buying the farm. Soon Ray and Tommy were going there every Saturday to add a bathroom and modern kitchen to the old white farm house.

They moved to farm in October, 1961.