Nelda and Jerry,

Tommy and I send our love and congratulations on your 50th wedding anniversary! What a loving tribute your son Brett has made in setting up a website with photos that span your life. The photos filled in quite a few gaps for me.

Nelda, my memories of you go all the way back to 1951 at Morgan Avenue Baptist Church. I have photos of you at my 9th birthday party in July of 1952. That was on 7th Street, across the street from South Bluff Methodist Church. I remember you and your family at MABC up until you and I graduated from high school in 1961. I especially recall playing on the MABC women's softball team.

Brett asked for us to recall memories. As I thought back, I recalled something I had totally forgotten about. On Oct 28, 1962, I spent the night in your Ruth Collins dorm room at Baylor in Waco. I had caught a ride from TWU in Denton and attended the Baylor-A&M football game. The game wasn't over until after 11 pm & we had to be in the dorm by midnight. Then 10 girls had a party in your room until 1:30AM. I got to eat at the athletic dorm (Martin Hall) with Tommy on Sat and Sun. On Sunday we went to Seventh and James Baptist Church and heard Howard Butt Jr. (I don't recall that.)

I don't recall knowing about your wedding though I am certain that my mom kept me informed. My journal tells me that on Fri June 30, 1967, I presented the oral defense of my dissertation at Baylor. We had just moved to College Station for an Air Force assignment at TAMU and I had spent the first month there typing the dissertation on an old Royal manual typewriter and manually drawing all the graphs and illustrations. We have all come a long way in so many ways since that time. May you and Jerry have many years of continued health and happiness.

Nancy Rodman and Tommy Smith