Growing Up with a Preacher Man
Rev. William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)
Mary Eulalie McLean Howard (1933-2021)
The Joe Schnepp Family
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by Carolyn Ann Howard
I don't remember when the Joe and Jeanette Schnepp Family began attending First Baptist Church of Monticello, Indiana. It feels like they just were always there. Joe and Jeanette were at the church a lot, and I know my dad thought the world of them. I don't remember their roles exactly, but I see in Jeanette's obit, she sang in the choir. She and I shared the same birthday, and I think she may have sent me a card every year. I'm not sure, but when I saw on Ancestry that we shared a birthday, it felt she was proud of it or at least thought it was neat.
I learned early that the two boys they were rearing, Mike and John, were their nephews. I'll not repeat the story I was always told as to why, because I don't know if the reason is true or if I even am remembering it correctly. But Mike and John indeed lived with their Uncle Joe and Aunt Jeanette, and so, they attended my dad's church. I didn't know what to do with this. I couldn't figure out if they were my friends or were just being nice to me because they had to be.
I was as boy crazy as any other little girl, but mine was terribly unhealthy. I was so obsessed with David Cassidy, it was ridiculous. And so, I also wondered if either Mike or John could become my crushes. Mike did give me a ring once at church, and I was proud of it. But my dad saw it and told me I had to give it back. Instead of going to Mike and telling him "My dad says I have to give the ring back, I'm sorry," like a normal person, I yelled at him and threw the ring at him. So much for having crushes.
Mike and John's grandmother lived really close to our house, just off North Main Street. She ran a yard sale everyday and had a big sign that you could see from Main Street that said "RUMMAGE." I only remember being there one time, but I'm sure it was many more times than just once. But in this memory, she had an orange clear plastic piano for sale. It was small, and I liked anything that had to do with the piano. There was only one problem. This particular piece actually was a cigarette holder. So, because it was a cigarette holder, their grandmother wouldn't let me buy it. Such was the constant supervision I lived with growing up as Rev. Howard's daughter.
Once when at their grandmother's, John asked me if I wanted to know how to lose ten ugly pounds. Being chubby, I definitely wanted to know! The punch line was "Cut off your head." Little boys telling dad jokes. Click on photos to enlarge
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| L to R: Janet and Rose Geier, ?, Mike Schnepp, maybe Leo Price, Greg Timm, Cindy VanMeter, me, ?, John Schnepp, Peggy Shine Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection |
Something that I've never understood was how my parents were okay with me spending an afternoon with Joe's sister, Ethel. I was never allowed really to go much of anywhere, but yet, they let Ethel take me home to Idaville, Indiana one day. I think it might have been after church. The reason I question it, even today, is that she was estranged from her husband, and she was afraid of him. Or at least, she made me afraid of him. She was continually looking over her shoulder that day, on the lookout. I only remember two other things from that day. The first was that we stopped at a gas station so she could put gas in her car. At that point in history, there was such a thing called Ethyl gasoline. She told me at the station that I could always remember her name by thinking of Ethyl gasoline. The last thing I remember from that afternoon is that she taught me to play a card game called Crazy Eights. It may be this experience that gave me a love for card playing. A love I no longer have as an adult.
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| L to R front row: Debbie Sproles, John Schnepp I unfortunately don't remember the other three The teacher, though, (in blue) didn't like me Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection |
Mike and John's uncle, Uncle Joe, drove a school bus for the Twin Lakes School Corporation. I walked to school at Woodlawn Elementary, because it was 5 minutes from my house. When I hit 6th grade, I, like most of the other 6th graders were shuffled off to Meadowlawn Elementary. It was a good system, for the 6th graders had their own wing in this school and were kept separate from the others.
Even though Meadowlawn was on the other side of town, I walked and/or biked to and from school whenever I could. Otherwise, I would ride the bus. I'd walk to Woodlawn to catch bus #6 driven by Uncle Joe Schnepp. He was a good bus driver, very kind to the students.
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| L to R: My dad, me, two visitors, and Mike Schnepp I was mad at Dad, the reason for my face Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection |
I don't remember when, but I do remember that Joe and Jeanette built a new house in an area called Norway. We visited several times as they were building. I don't remember the floor plan, but I do remember having a church Halloween party there. Funny thing about my dad being reared Pilgrim Holiness. we always had Halloween parties growing up. I don't know what the Pilgrim Holiness beliefs are as to Halloween, but I wouldn't think they'd see it in a positive light. This particular party wasn't the church-wide Halloween party but was just for those in the youth group. I made one of the attendants upset. I identified her when I arrived by saying hi to her and calling her by name, thusly ruining the "guess who this is" game. She didn't talk to me for a while after that. We also dunked for apples, and I was terrible at this. I didn't like having my head under water, for one thing. Can you imagine a bunch of kids sticking their head in the same container of water, all of them with mouths open, spit coming out in droves. Post-pandemic I wonder if any of us got sick after such a spectacle? How did we survive?
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| The two trees in front of the church I loved those trees and took this picture hoping I'd never forget them |
When we left Monticello in 1977, I clung onto everyone as hard as I could. To that end, I had all my friends at First Baptist Church sign my bible, much like you would have someone sign your yearbook. I was clinging to what I had, knowing I was going to be a terrible situation once to Evansville, I was hoping against all hope that I could take something from Monticello with me to Evansville that would get me through. But the old saying is true. You can't go home again. Once we turned our backs on Monticello, it was over.
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| Me in front of the moving van I had by this time lost the weight I look happy, but I wasn't |
The bible that everyone signed has long been missing, I still remember what John Schnepp wrote in it though. In his usual humor, he wrote, "don't forget to breathe." Sage advice for any generation. On a brighter note, it did all work out, in the end.
