Friday, May 15, 2020

A Tribute to My Father-in-Law

Louis Andrew Tinsley was born 110 years ago this week, on May 11, 1910. There are few people who do not have some connection with the Missouri counties of Hickory or Polk who ever met or knew about him. But he was June’s father and I am happy to offer this tribute in his honor.
The Tinsley Family
According to the genealogical records June and I have found, the Tinsley family in the U.S. are descendants of Thomas Tinsley, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1618.
Thomas immigrated to Virginia with his new wife in 1638. Two years later, Thomas S. was born. The latter’s great-grandson was William Thomas Tinsley, and even though he was not born until 1763, he was drafted twice for service in the Revolutionary War.
Before the turn of the century, William moved to Kentucky, and his grandson Jeptha was born there in 1831. Around 1870 Jeptha and his family moved to Missouri where he lived until his death in 1912, two years after his great-grandson Louis was born in Hickory County.
The Hardships of Louis Tinsley
June’s father Louis had a challenging life in many ways. His mother died when he was only ten, and his father seems to have been a stern man who expected too much out of his older son (Louis). Then during his boyhood years, Louis was struck with polio, which left him with a twisted foot and a limp.
Probably encouraged by his father to do so, Louis dropped out of high school after a couple of years, and then when he was in his early 20s the Great Depression began. In 1933 he joined the newly established Civilian Conservation Corps for a regular six-month term.
Just before Christmas that year, Louis married June’s mother, and they began to eke out a living on a rented farm in Polk County. But 1934 was one of the worst of the Dust Bowl years, so it was a tough time for farmers in southwest Missouri.
By the time I met Louis in the fall of 1955, his health was already declining, and by early 1957 he was diagnosed with cancer. He was able, though, to escort June down the aisle at our wedding in May 1957, but then he died less than six months later.
I am still sad that he was never able to know any of his grandchildren, nor they him. 
June and her father (5/26/1957)
In Tribute to Louis Tinsley
Despite the hardships, my father-in-law did remarkably well. By 1944 he and June’s mother were able to purchase their own farm for their family of five.
Louis had a knack for working on farm machinery and cars, often helping neighbors out with theirs. He also studied “how-to” books and bought the necessary supplies to wire their farmhouse for electricity and later to install indoor plumbing.
Louis had an inquisitive mind, and would often stay up nights reading the books that June’s mother, a schoolteacher, and the three children would bring home from school. He also read through the World Book Encyclopedia.
More importantly, from what I learned and observed about him, Louis Tinsley was a man of basic honesty and integrity. Because of his sense of honesty and integrity, he habitually disapproved of pretentiousness and hypocrisy.
Louis became a Christian in his early 20s and was a member of Rondo Baptist Church in Polk County from 1934 until his death. Although he was not always an active churchman, he did help construct the new church building where June and I became the second couple to be married in it.
As a teenager, June did not always appreciate her father, but perhaps to a significant degree she has him to thank for her own unpretentiousness and honesty, attributes I like about her—and appreciated in my father-in-law.

17 comments:

  1. The first response I received this morning (at 6:00!) was from local Thinking Friend Harold Phillips:

    "Sweet article. Shows also the ruggedness of Ozark people. We are more blessed than we realize my our circumstances.

    "Thanks for sharing."

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    1. Hooray for "Ozark people"!

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    2. I don't know who you are, but I agree: hooray for Ozark people! Still, I don't consider Hickory and Polk counties a part of the Ozarks.

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  2. About 20 minutes later I had this welcome response from Thinking Friend Vicki Price in Texas, a former missionary colleague whom June I first met in September 1966.

    "I did read every word of your beautiful tribute to your father-in-law. It brought back memories of my own grandfather, even though the circumstances were different. Thank you for taking time to share it."

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    1. Thank you for reading and responding, Vicki. It was good to hear from you again.

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  3. Then about 6:30 I received the following comments from Thinking Friend Steven Kunkel, who is a young Baptist missionary in Japan now:

    "That was a great tribute and honorable story of your father in law as I read this post. Thank you for sharing and what an honor it was for you to meet Mr. Louis Tinsley during his difficult years. He did choose the right man to be a great husband for his daughter."

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    1. Thanks for your comments, Steven--but I don't know if it correct to say that Mr. Tinsley chose me. At least, though, he didn't object to me marrying his lovely daughter!

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  4. Bob Leeper is a local Thinking Friend who is even older than June and me. Here are comments he shared with us:

    "What fun reading of your approbation, along with that of June’s. I Googled and learned all that history is east of my old stomping grounds in El Dorado Springs on highway 54. Fair Play and Humansville were central to my up-bringing. My dad was dealing with a gentleman in Humansville 1947 and 1948 for the Kaiser Fraser automobile dealership.

    "Like June, the more time goes by, the more deeply I respect the guiding principles of my very stern father. Life is good when we can look back with more appreciation for those who formed our life."

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    1. Thanks, Bob, for not only reading the blog article but the piece that June wrote about her father (and that I attached to the email yesterday to my Thinking Friends).

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  5. Thinking Friend Kelly Malone, like Vicki quoted above, is also a former missionary colleague in Japan. For many years now, he has been a professor at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. Here are his brief comments:

    "I have a great appreciation for family history. This is all the more meaningful since I am familiar with many of the locations here in Polk Co."

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  6. WOW, what a Beautiful tribute to an obviously Great man,a Wonderful daughter&wife to her Very Respectful husband.
    I was born in the same area as Leroy and your Father, so I know some of the hardships they must have endured.
    Knowing how sweet&nice you are June, it's hard to imagine how you could ever get upset with your father.
    I Love All the pictures you included in your Tribute and the one of your father walking you down the aisle I particularly like.
    He looks so Good there it's difficult to think that he went to Heaven Not to longer after your wedding.
    I want to commend you June for such a well written&thoughtful Tribute and you Leroy for honoring both your Dear wife and Father-in-Law.
    Bless you All,
    John(Tim)Carr

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    1. Thanks John Tim for your warm comments--and for also reading June's piece.

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  7. Thank you Leroy, for the moving stories you and June have shared with us. My mother died last summer, so I have been living with such memories this last year. We just received the last Stephen Ministry booklet walking with us through our grief. I highly recommend the series. I hope I will be ready for the anniversary next month. Hopefully my father will be, too.

    All this has me remembering my father-in-law, Medford Speaker. He was a Baptist minister, serving in Chillicothe, Sedalia, Richmond and finally Hannibal before retiring to the William Jewell condos beside the school. His death came about a quarter century ago, at the end of a long surgery. His widow had the sad duty to call our house and tell us what had happened. I started around the house to find my young children to tell them that they would not be seeing their grandfather again. Then the phone rang again, and I learned quite a lesson. Our former pastor, Bill Link, was calling to see if we had a report. I said, "Apparently, he just died." After a brief pause, Dr. Link replied in his best pastor voice, "Craig, people don't 'apparently' die." Apparently, people sometimes do fail to believe what they know. So I told a longer version of Eleanor's call. A few days later, at the visitation, I kept finding myself waiting for him to breathe, as if he were just napping in front of a Sunday afternoon football game. Apparently, I am not a quick study.

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    1. Thanks for posting your comments, Craig.

      I regret that I did not attend your mother's funeral last year as I thought about doing. Also, I wish I could have known your father-in-law; I assume he was as fine a person as your mother-in-law, whom I have had the privilege of knowing.

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  8. Yesterday I also received the following comment from local Thinking Friend Temp Sparkman but failed to post it here until now:

    "An interesting story. I see the fine character in June that you connect to her father. For good or ill, it is our lot to mirror our parents. You married well, my friend."

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