Betty Faye Royse

MEMORIES
By BETTY FAYE HUGHES ROYSE
Edited Version

"Why, do you not even know what will happen tomorrow.....what is your life? you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" James 4:14 NIV

Here it is 2002 and I have just had my 71st birthday, and the above scripture suddenly comes to my mind. Life is so brief. I want my grandchildren and their children to know something about me, and so I have decided to write some memories of my life. It is really a way to pass down my love to those I may never know. Of all the accomplishments in my life I am most proud of my children and grandchildren. I thank God every day for them and pray for them.

I was born on July 13,1931 near Enid Ok. My parents were Anna Faye Snyder Hughes and William (Bill) Thomas Hughes. I had a brother Bill 4 years older than me and 18 months after me a brother Larry. I always felt that I was special to my parents, especially my dad, since I was the only girl.

On my 4th birthday my family settled in Fowler, Colorado where dad got a job as the night watchman. We lived there until the 10th grade. I remember a happy childhood, even though we were rather poor.

I went to church at the Christian church after we moved into town and we could walk there, but when a Church of Christ started up, we went there. Dad wanted us to go, and was proud when I was baptized at about 12. We had no baptistry so we went to another town to do it.

In the fall after my 12th birthday, I became very sick with fever and got so I could not walk well. It was a polio outbreak and there were about 10 others who were stricken....one died. I spent from October till April in the hospital in Pueblo in a polio ward. With therapy I fully recovered. I missed my entire 7th grade

When I was in the 10th grade, we moved to La Junta so Daddy could be near the airbase where he worked. High-school there was a lot bigger, but I soon became acquainted with some kids and was in the GANG. This was simply a bunch of kids both boys and girls who were really the most popular, I guess. We had lots of fun, and I remember my high school days as a good time. I had not been there long before I noticed a really cute boy at school; then was surprised when I saw him at church. He seemed a little shy to me so when we had a music picnic, I asked him if he would go with me. Mrs. Rochelle had told me I could do anything I really wanted to, and I wanted to go with John!!! We both had some other dates, but by my senior year (John was a year ahead of me) we were seriously dating. On a cold Feb. evening he asked me to marry him. Our wedding was set for August 5, 1950. We would both be 19 years old. I would graduate from high-school in June.

Our wedding day was a very hot day at the 8th and Grace Church of Christ in La Junta, CO.
We went to Denver for our honeymoon and on the first night the hotel gave us a room with twin beds. We were too embarrassed to ask for another room so we changed hotels the next night and got a room above a bar. The music played all night....."Good-night Irene".

We started our married life together in a little 25-foot trailer and moved every few weeks as John was working on a Santa Fe signal construction gang. We did not have much money, but always had a paycheck every 1st and 15th of the month.

Our love has only grown through the years. We have always had a commitment to love and stay together. As the years have passed, we have realized more and more how special the other is and have grown to be more thankful for each other. God has watched over us more than we could know at the time.

During the first 12 years of married life, we had four boys: John R. Royse, Kent T. Royse, Scott D. Royse, and Michael H. Royse. After many moves and promotions for John, we landed in Hurst TX. The boys were 16,13,10, and 5. We went to Colorado in July for a family visit and a few days with Pauline and Joel Clark, our friends from Pueblo. Our goodbye to them was that we would see them in a few weeks when they came for a visit. In late July we got a call that they had a car wreck in Claude, TX. Pauline did not survive and Joel and the kids were in a hospital in Amarillo. Joel lived long enough to make known his desire in his will that the children be placed in our home. The lives of 9 people changed forever as Patricia K (12), Steven J (10), and James F. Clark (6) were added to our family.

I had prayed for God to give me an opportunity to express my love for others and Pat, Steven, and James came in to our lives. I know God did not cause the wreck to happen, but I do think it was his will that we take them into our lives and love and care for them. It brought a whole new meaning to the word “love” for all of us. We have been blessed by having them as “ours”. I am thankful they are a part of our family.

I cannot tell you how busy our household was at that time. Seven kids from first to 12th grade with all the activities 7 times over. God’s hand was always there and He was faithful in answering my prayers on their behalf.

Addendum: College degrees, marriages, and grandchildren came next along with a couple of more moves. The last one back to Bedford. John retired early from Santa Fe giving lots of time for Betty and he to travel as well as serve the church in multiple ways.

The legacy of Betty lives on in the lives of her strong, capable, God honoring children, grandchildren, greats and one great-great. 79 in the Royse/Clark family counting those by marriage who of course feel loved as if they were her own. Since Betty learned to love so well, she has a myriad of others who have been blessed by her life and love.

As Betty wrote: “I do hope we have many more years together…the year is 2005 and we will celebrate 55 years this August and I have had such an amazingly happy life. I thank God every day for John and the years. However long we have together will not be long enough!!!!!!”
They had 17 more sweet years.

MEMORIALS: Body and Soul Ministries: www.body-and-soul-ministries.org
Our Father's Children: ourfatherschildren.org or 6250 NE Loop 820, NRH TX 76180