Free The Pastor's Wife by Diane Fanning Page A

Matthew and Mary moved there with their two little girls. Matthew’s new employer, the Central Church of Christ, was housed in a building constructed in 1928 on the grounds of the original old courthouse at the corner of Morford and College Streets. Just a short walk away, down sidewalks lined with old brick buildings, a small city park stood, filled with century-old stately maples, graceful elms, a sparkling fountain and an abundance of flowers in the spring and summer.
    They bought an $85,000 home on Franklin Street. Once again, when they moved, Mary was pregnant. This time, however, she was not as far along and the pregnancy ended in miscarriage late in the first trimester.
    They quickly became friends with an older couple across the street, Bob and Evon Dennis. Bob and Evonwere Baptists, but that never interfered with the relationship between the two couples. In fact, Bob and Matt engaged in frequent, friendly debates on theological issues.
    Evon enjoyed the energetic and perky Mary Winkler, but was especially drawn to the two little girls. She had her own grandchildren, but they were all boys. Patricia and Allie became surrogate granddaughters. Evon doted on them, remembering them with gifts every Christmas and birthday.
    She loved watching them at play outside the house. When they spotted her, they’d stop, wave and yell greetings across the street. “They were both sweet girls—small and adorable. Patricia was very talkative. Allie was quieter.”
    Matthew and Mary were always on the run. Matt’s position as youth minister required him to be away from home quite often in the summer as he took trips with the teenagers in his care. Year round, he had evening and weekend activities with them, and frequently entertained groups in his home.
    Matthew faced a big challenge at Central Church of Christ. His predecessor had had a very lax demeanor, more interested in being friends with the teenagers than their mentor. He’d made no rules, set no boundaries and provided no structure. Matthew got the kids and the program back into shape.
    Matthew could be stern and authoritative at times, but he kept them from losing control without being bossy. The teens appreciated always knowing where they stood with him and what he expected of them. Most of them looked up to him as an energizing and inspiring Christian leader. There were two or three teens who bumped heads with him, but that was to be expected when working with adolescents.
    Mary pitched in with Matt’s meetings and activities, and often ran errands for the youth group. She found the energy to visit with the house bound elderly church members and to sit with the sick. She made birthday cards on the computer and sent them out to all the church members.She cared for two children and her home as well as working part-time, first at Super D drug store, and later at the post office, where she was a valued employee. The pharmacy owner, Donald Sullivan, wrote, “She was a very reliable and dependable employee that worked well with other employees and was well liked by our customers.”
    Bob and Evon, like many of the neighbors on Franklin Street, saw Mary and Matthew as loving and hard-working, and excellent role models for the other married couples. But Mary recalled it as a challenging time.
    In August that first summer, Mary played catcher on the church softball team. At one point, a ball careened off a bat and hit her in the face, leaving a distinct bruise. She didn’t go to the doctor.
    Later that week, according to Mary, Matthew was shouting at her for some perceived wrong-doing when he knocked something off a table. Mary bent down to pick it up, and, she would later allege, Matthew kicked her in the face. She said that was when her face really started to hurt.
    A week later, the lightest touch caused excruciating pain. Finally, Mary visited her physician. In his office, Mary explained the softball injury. She never mentioned any physical