October 29, 1963

from Fifty Years with Marge and Andy in the words of Marjorie Curtis Lampiris

On October 29, 1963, tragedy struck our happy family. Andy Jr. came home from school and said he was having a friend, Steve Jollineau, come to our house and they were going hunting behind the Riverside Cemetery, which was across the road from our motel on Riverside Drive. It was okay with his dad and I, as he hunted there a lot. I was ironing in the basement and, as he went up the stairs, he said "if I'm not home by dark, send out the militia." It was my bowling night and as I was on the way to the Soo, we met the ambulance. I said to my friend, Lynn Parr, "Andy is hunting, I hope he is okay." Well as I was putting on my bowling shoes, I had this terrible urge to call home, which I did, and before the phone rang, Gloria screamed "mom. Andy is dead, go to the hospital." I drove there immediately and met my husband in the hall and he verfied that.



Andy Lampiris





















Pastor Glenn Williams preached the funeral and used the underlined verses in Andy's Bible. The High School was let out the church basement was full of kids and we were told that many wept and afterward many professed to be saved, including Steve Jollineau and his mom and many years later we learned that his father came to know the Lord. A few months after that my dear daddy, Grandpa Wilbert, walked down the aisle of Calvary Baptist Church adn was saved!!!!! mom had prayed for him for forty years !!! He was 65 years old. So we KNOW God never makes a mistake!

Life goes on --- our lives were changed forever. Gloria graduated the next June. After she left for Bob Jones University, Nancy had an especially hard time coping with all the changes. Dr. Hagele advised us to get her away fro a while -- so, we bought an eighteen foot travel trailer and headed for Florida. The Lord had allowed us to have a wonderful Fl. trip in April 1963 while Andy was with us. We had an unforgettable two weeks together and have lots of fond memories. The second time we found Sunset Bay Trailer Park on Tampa Bay. Nan could walk to school and we attended Manhatten Baptist Church where Nan was baptized by Pastor horne. By the way, Andy Jr. and his dad built the baptistry in Calvary Baptist Church and Andy Jr. was the first one baptized in it and he was the second funeral in that church.

We are so very, very, thankful that Andy was saved and we will all see him in Heaven!!!! The time spent in Florida helped all of us with our grief - made lots of new friends and Andy did some cement work.



Marge Lampiris