Evelyn: I moved to Fairhope in 1978. My aunt and uncle took me in as their child when I was 17. Our family lived together in the neighborhood. My aunt passed and the house went to me. The house was built in 1960. It was an old house, but it was warm. Everyone came to our house, and we loved filling it with friends.

Our house caught on fire a few weeks ago. I wasn’t feeling well that day and called my husband. He took me to the doctor. The doorbell camera on my phone went off while we were in the waiting room. I pulled it up to see if someone was at the door, but all I could see was smoke. My neighbors ran around the house calling my name because they thought I was still inside. If I hadn’t gone to the doctor, I would have been in the house and may not have survived.

My husband tried to get my dog, but the police wouldn’t let him go in. Her name was Little Girl, and she died in the fire. She was a chihuahua and I rescued her when she was a puppy. Little Girl was my baby. I have cried more about losing her than anything else.

We lost everything in the fire. It’s a horrible feeling, and we didn’t have insurance. We own the property and can put a trailer or something there. We can also move into the family house next door. It’s been empty for a while, but it needs a new roof and a lot of work. We can do the inside work ourselves once we get the roof fixed and move in. We have each other, and we don’t need much else.

Right now, we are living with my daughter, her husband, and their five kids. We set up a bedroom in the den because we didn’t want to take a kid’s room and mess up their patterns. I am helping with the cooking and love being around my grandkids this much. We spoil them and they keep me laughing and my mind good. My husband said God is on top and looking down on us.

Hiriam and I have been married for 37 years. We met when we worked at the Grand Hotel. I worked in the salad department cutting lettuce and making shrimp and crabmeat salads. I worked there until 1979. Hiriam pulled my hair and did things to annoy me. I couldn’t stand him.

Years later, I was at New Era Church one Sunday and felt someone watching me. I scanned the congregation until I looked up at the pulpit. It was Hiriam. He smiled and I smiled back. After the service, I tried to get out of the church and get away, but I got tied up in conversation. Hiriam asked me to dinner. I said no, but my aunt said yes. So I went. He had already cooked steak, rice and gravy with cornbread and sweet tea. He can throw down on some cooking. I changed my mind and thought he was okay.

Hiriam

That Sunday, I had on a navy blue suit, a blue and red tie, and blue shoes. I had a fresh cut and was clean-shaven. I looked like a champ. I stood at the pulpit and scanned the crowd to get a vibe. There was somebody I hadn’t seen, but I knew I needed to see them. I scanned again and locked in on Evelyn. I caught her eye, and when I smiled at her, she smiled back. She fell for it hook, line and sinker. After dinner, she was caught and I reeled her in. I took her home that night and she has been with me ever since. I had an eye for her at the Grand Hotel, but she didn’t know it. When she finally caught me, she couldn’t let me go.

Every promise I made her, I tried to keep. I made a few mistakes, but I tried to keep the promises. She hasn’t wanted for anything. If she doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t have to do it. I have spoiled her intentionally, and I would do it all over again. All of my kids and grandkids are spoiled. That’s my love.

I was 18 when God called me to preach, but I ran from it and went to Pittsburgh. I thought I would get up there and be a fool. I got up there and never missed a Sunday in church. I even sang in the choir. When I was ready to leave, they were trying to make me a deacon. I was 23 when I started preaching. I am now a pastor in Flomaton.

I came home from Pittsburgh to help my mom. I grew up with a big family in Daphne. My older sisters had children and were trying to work but they didn’t have the means for a babysitter. I started keeping their children. I had all of my nieces and nephews. They were my children. Everywhere I went, they went with me. I spoiled them too.

Even in tragedy, we have our faith and our family. Most importantly we have each other. God didn’t bring us to it not to bring us through it. After our fire, I saw on the news that another man had lost everything in another fire. I helped him because people have been so kind to us. We understood what it felt like for him. It wasn’t much, but I did what I could.

The Word of God says in Matthew: I was hungry and you did not feed me. I was naked and you did not clothe me. I was in need and you did not come to me. They said, Lord, when did we do these things? And He said, When you did them to the least of these, you did them to me.

We the children of the most high God have been given an obligation one toward one another, to be there in the time of need, regardless of race, creed, or color. I don’t preach a Black gospel. I preach a true gospel. For God so loved the world that he gave. He didn’t say God so loves black folks, white folks, Jews, Gentiles or Catholics. He covers the whole multitude. Whosoever that believes in him may not perish but have everlasting life. We most love one another.

I cut grass for the City of Daphne, but preaching  is my calling. If you give me half of a chance, I am going to put love and the word of God on you. One day, I want to hear God say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’

The old folks say you can’t hurry God. You have to trust him and give him time. He may not come when you want him, but he is always, not sometimes, he is always on time.

I trust God. He has a plan. The Lord gave and He has taken away. God didn’t take our house with nothing in store. I am just following the plan of God. However he blesses us, we are going to be satisfied.

(If you want to help the Stantons, here is the link to the GoFundMe set up by the their daughter to help her parents get back on their feet: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rev-hiriam-and-evelyn-stanton-road-to-recovery)