Saturday was a fabulous day for us. I arranged for Jerry Bott and his brother Jeffrey, to come to our house along with Ben Tolley and his wife, Karla. Jerry and Ben are heroes to us, the Sims Family. They were the Missionaries who taught my parents about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and ultimately baptized them.
Ben and Jerry (sounds like ice-cream uh? :) hadn't seen each other since 1968. We have been fortunate to see Jerry on several occasions but the last time I saw Ben, I was just 7 months old........so it made us both feel old when I told Ben we hadn't seen each other for 42 years. That is how long it had been since Jerry and Ben had seen each other.
Here are some pictures of our happy occasion.
Ben and Jerry - first meeting since they were Missionary Companions in England in 1968
Cake to celebrate after we ate lunch - Lance's choice
Strawberry, Key Lime Cake
My choice - Chocolate Turtle Cake
Ben, Max and Mom, Jeffrey and Jerry
Ben and his lovely wife, Karla
Jeffrey and Jerry. Can you tell they are identical twins? I was asking Jeffrey questions thinking he was Jerry :) They let me on a secret - They part their hair on different sides. That will help when they are together :)
They both went to England on their missions.
Ben, Mom and Jerry. Dad was here in spirit. He would have LOVED this reunion if he was here.
Just for fun, thanks to my great friend Chris,(whose family were baptized by these great guys also).... here are pictures of Ben and Jerry when they were in England 42 years ago :)
Elder (Ben) Tolley at the back - Violet, Tom, Steve, Simon and Chris Stansfield
Elder (Jerry) Bott on the left and the Stansfield Family
I thanked both Ben and Jerry for ALL they had done. It is because of these great men and the examples of my parents that I KNOW I will see my Dad again.
We love and miss you Dad!
2 comments:
I remember Ben and Gerry really well. They were both so tall, and yet were so different. Ben was very outgoing, whilst Gerry was very quiet. I went to Chelsea Close with them to teach your Mum and Dad on a couple of times because of your Dad and me loving Rovers so much.
I was at your Mum and Dad's baptism. I had been baptised by John Denney and the late Richard J Mccormack on 22 August 1968. (Richard, sadly, passed away in 2001.) I had an amazing experience though, very close to the end of my mission. I was at my last Zone Meeting, and turned round to see a couple named Elder and Sister Merrill sitting behind me. I asked them if they were related to a David Merrill who had served a mission in the North-East British Mission. Sister Merrill said, "No, but my son served there." I asked his name, and she said, "Richard J McCormack." I told her that he had taught me the Gospel, and we both shared a fair few tears. Apparently, she had been widowed, and married Elder Merrill shortly before they came on a mission.
You are right that your Dad would have loved the reunion. He is a great friend, and always enjoys when his friends do good things. He is one in a million.
eeee.... look at those short trousers and jumpers. I remember wearing those. The only thing missing now is the balaclava and some woolly mittens. What a trip down memory lane :0)
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