LOIS, III

Hugo McCord

This is the third article I have written about a special Lois. If she were in her right mind (no improvement as of 7-6-2000), she would stop me. But the one who knows more about her than anyone except the Lord is still captivated by her after 67 years of married life. If I could make you see her devotion to her Lord and her love for everybody I could spend my time in no better way.

On December 19, 1910, in a Mississippi cabin in a cotton field, a baby girl was born on a corn shuck mattress. No doctor was there. An African-American lady assisted, and exclaimed, “Just like the baby Jesus, born in a manger!” The baby’s father determined that she was a girl by holding up a half-dollar, and she said, “Gimme,” and he said she has been saying “Gimme” ever since.

There was no birth certificate, and it was two years before “Sister” was named “Lois Rilla Henderson.” Her brothers later said the first two letters of her middle name, “Go,” she purposely never used.

God had put a sharp, quick-thinking mind in the little girl. She responded to love, and became a loving and loveable person. Nearly always (until her physical and mental backsets in the year 2000) she was animated, bubbling, smiling, and cheerful. Never a complainer, she always saw the bright side of everything. She loved people, delighted in being with them, and never wanted to go anywhere alone.

Her parents moved her to Memphis, Tn., where, when she was four years old, playing in her back yard, a neighbor’s child hurled a tin can, and so injured Lois’ left eye it had to be removed. At the age of eleven, she was baptized by John Allen Hudson in the building of the old Harbet Avenue Church. She did not know that a baptistery has steps, and she stepped off into the water, making a big splash, and was caught by brother Hudson, saying, “Hold up! You are not going swimming.” Lois was blessed by an excellent Sunday School teacher, and in later life could still say memory verses she learned from that lady. She grew up under the preaching of N.B. Hardeman and G. C. Brewer.

When, at age 19, she went to Freed-Hardeman College, her friends teased her, “You are going to FHC to marry a preacher!” She was infuriated, telling them, “The last thing I ever will do is to marry a preacher!” Years later, Raymond Kelcy, having heard what she had said, and having heard Hugo try to preach one night, walked up to Lois, and said, “You certainly kept your word. You lacked a lot of marrying a preacher.”

In a Bible class at Freed-Hardeman, brother Hardeman, the teacher, who knew Lois well from his Memphis trips, asked Lois if she understood the Bible verse he had explained. When she answered that she did, he said, “If Lois understands the verse, I know everyone else does. We’ll go to the next verse.”

Lois’ father was out of town on the day that I asked her mother if I might marry her daughter. She responded, “Yes, but I do not recommend her.” Of course she was joking. Hugo calls her “Thing,” remembering Proverbs 18:22, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing.” I believe God in his providence sent her to me, for Solomon wrote, “A prudent wife is from Jehovah” (Proverbs 19:14).

The many crises in Lois’ life (the suicide death of her father and older brother, the traffic death of her younger brother, her being bedfast 18 months with tuberculosis, and the mental condition of our adopted daughter) have caused Lois to mature spiritually. Her tragedies, however, have enabled her to be of strength and comfort to many other people with similar adversities.

Though it makes her nervous to teach ladies’ Bible classes, I persuaded her to do it. She has taught classes in several U.S. cities: Oklahoma City, Bartlesville, Washington, Knoxville, Montgomery, St. Louis, Orlando, Denton, Ft. Worth, and in some foreign countries: Australia, England, Scotland, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Kenya. In addition, where she has not taught classes she has helped my preaching work in New Zealand, Tasmania, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, and in Hawaii. For several years she served as coordinator for the Oklahoma Christian College Women’s Association.

Also, during the three years (1957-1960) we were with the Gretna congregation, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, with our daughter Carolyn enrolled in the Ganus Christian School, Lois was one of the mothers taking turns driving a van full of children over the river bridge to the school, and to pick them up in the afternoon.

On a preaching trip to Scotland, we were scheduled to be in Peterhead on May 17-18, 1980. But we had already learned that the Peterhead congregation had only one cup for the Lord’s Supper. Lois, thinking ahead so as not to drink after others, sat on the first bench on the right side, and was served the bread there. However, when they came with the wine, they started with the first bench on the left side of the auditorium, and returned from the rear to the front on the right side! Lois was the last one in the audience to drink from the one cup!

In regard to a scheduled gospel meeting with the church in Corby, England, beginning April 28, 1985, I had to write that Lois was unable to come. Joe Nisbet, the local gospel preacher responded with a bit of humor based on Lois’ having lost some earrings on her last visit to Corby. Then he added, “Seriously, we are disappointed Lois will not be with you as we love her so much.”

In our files I happen to have a letter dated November 16, 1976, in which Ian Grant, writing for the church in Canberra City, Australia, says, “it would be good if your wife were able to take the ladies’ class on the Sunday morning” of my gospel meeting there.

Also a letter dated May 27, 1977, signed by Harold Scott for the church in Christchurch, New Zealand, anticipating my gospel meeting there June 24-26, says that “the ladies will surely enjoy having your wife for the” ladies’ class.

Also, in 1977, in Bayugan in the Philippines, Lois’ work with the ladies was just as important as my work. A twelve year old girl walked up to Lois and asked her to baptize her. Lois told her that “if I were the only person available, I would do so, but you have a gospel preacher here, Roman Cariaga. Let’s ask him to hear your confession and baptize you.” And so it was done.

On one occasion, Lois taught a ladies’ class in the annual lectureship of East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions in Knoxville, Tn. All the lectures were published in a book. The lectureship director, Thomas F. Eaves, autographed a copy of the book and mailed it to Lois, with these words on the first page: “April 11, 1979 To: Lois McCord In appreciation for your contribution to the success of our lectureship.”

July 6, 2000