and after-school discussions, I answered their questions and helped them to learn something about the Bible. These discussions caused some of the parents to become interested, and I made many calls at the homes of the children to give a further witness to the Bible’s truth.

It was during this time that I was out a month with the Spanish flu. While I was recovering, the pastor of the Lutheran mission visited our home and told me that if I would just stop “talking the Bible,” I would have all things my way in his organization. I told him: “As long as I have breath, I won’t stop talking about the truth in God’s Word the Bible.”

As a result of that conversation, I knew I had better look for other employment. It was not long before I heard of the need for a teacher in Opelika, Alabama. I applied and got the job.

SERVING IN YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN

In 1924 we moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where my husband’s parents lived. While my husband went to Ypsilanti to get things arranged for us, I stayed with my parents in Youngstown, Ohio. Over the years my father had always been bitterly opposed to God’s truth. After twenty years of opposition, he finally began to see the light of Bible truth. The Watch Tower Society’s book Enemies seemed to open his eyes to the great issue facing all mankind. To see my father come to the truth was one of the most thrilling things that happened to me. My mother, who could not read, never did make a dedication to Jehovah, but she was always delighted to hear about the truth. In 1948, my father died, faithful to Jehovah.

Finally, things were ready in Ypsilanti, and we went to meet my husband there. The need for proclaimers of Bible truth was indeed great in this small college town. From 1924 until now Jehovah has kindly permitted me to be used in his service in this area. Here Brother Pettibone took the lead in the meetings and was a pillar of spiritual strength. With his death, apostasy set in. For a time we were able to gather a few others in our home and keep the flickering flame of truth burning in this locality.

The falling away affected most of those that were attending meetings. My husband was even affected, and he left me and the four girls. Around 1932 the meetings in Ypsilanti, even the one that was held in our home, seemed to cool down. Activity seemed to be dead.

About that time I was stricken by a severe nerve condition. Despite this, I determined to continue witnessing even in my hospital bed! The results? Many marvelous experiences were enjoyed by my bedside, teaching people about Jehovah and his kingdom.

Four months later I was sent to my parents’ home in Youngstown to recuperate. After a short stay, I went to be with Witness relatives in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Soon, both physical and spiritual strength began to return to me as I attended meetings in Pittsburgh. We moved to Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, where the joyous gathering work was going full speed. All around us there were increases in the number of praisers of Jehovah.

Finally, my physical and spiritual strength renewed, I was ready to return to Ypsilanti. What a disappointment! Nothing had changed! The Kingdom work was at a standstill. I wrote the Watch Tower Society about the condition of things in Ypsilanti. The answer came in the form of a special representative, Zone Servant Clayton Ball. He brought the sound car, phonographs and literature I had requested. Ever since that time, Jehovah has continued to supply spiritual assistance to keep the Kingdom-preaching going in this town.

In time I was able to arrange for a group of colored Witnesses to come out and assist in preaching in this area. A school was rented and the public talk was well advertised and attended. After the colored Witness gave the talk, it was well known that all races are represented and welcomed to Jehovah’s true worship. As a result of the talk, much interest was evident among the colored people in the area. Soon, many Bible studies were begun with former opposers of the truth.

DETERMINED TO DO FULL-TIME PREACHING

I wanted desperately to enter the full-time preaching work. But I still had one girl in school and could not see how I was going to do it. I took the problem to Jehovah in prayer. Soon came the idea of renting out rooms in my house. But I did not have enough rooms to rent out to earn support for me and my daughter. Then another idea came to me: Enlarge the house! But how? I had no money, but I went to a local lumberman and laid my plans before him. Immediately, he accepted the idea and pledged his assistance. In addition to that, he trusted me for the price of the lumber. I enlarged the house, and in 1944 entered the full-time preaching work. The house has been a blessing in other ways as well as a means of support. Through the years, Jehovah has allowed many persons to come to a knowledge of the truth while rooming in that house. I am convinced that this is another marvelous example of Jehovah’s motivating his people with his holy spirit.

During all those years, in view of our limited means, my Christian brothers and sisters lovingly gave me and the children assistance in attending conventions. Gradually, the renting of the rooms provided enough income for me and my daughter to go to all the assemblies. We never missed one after that! There have been times recently, however, when I had to get permission to go from a hospital to attend an assembly in a wheelchair, but I was determined to be there and I was!

When I began the full-time preaching work in 1944, I was blessed with my first car, a 1934 Dodge. An old farmer had owned it, and two Witnesses repaired it for me. To help pay for it and keep gas in it, I sold junk and paper to the local scrap dealer. Jehovah, in his kindness, made opportunity for me to praise his great Name even more!​—Ps. 96:1-3.

By Jehovah’s kindness, I not only was able to attend the assemblies in the United States, but also had the blessing of making a trip to Europe in 1951, attending the London and Paris assemblies. In 1955 I was able to return to Europe to visit all the cities in which assemblies were being held. They were wonderful blessings.

The full-time preaching work has indeed been a privilege in which to share all these years. In this town, where quite a few people come and go, Jehovah has permitted me to help many persons to get a knowledge of God’s truth before they moved on. Today these Christian brothers and sisters are scattered all over this country from coast to coast. During the years, I have had so many marvelous experiences that I cannot begin to recount them. Despite the pain of arthritis, I manage to continue in the full-time preaching work. With a crutch and a cane I have been privileged to assist in dispensing these wonderful truths to others.

In 1965 my house burned down while I was out in the preaching work. Even that did not stop me from staying in the full-time preaching work. All I ever wanted was somewhere to rest at night, enough food to keep alive to serve Jehovah, and a way to get to the people with God’s message of truth.​—Matt. 4:4.

Recently I was again confined to bed because of an accident. But I was able to carry on several Bible studies by means of the telephone. What had happened? The car slipped out of gear somehow and rolled backward over my legs. Despite this accident I held my study and then went to the hospital to be examined. Not a bone was broken! But I had to stay in the hospital six weeks. The doctor who treated me was amazed and called it a “miracle.”

Now, in the waning strength of my years, I continue to preach and laud the great name of Jehovah! At eighty-four years of age I remain determined to be faithful to the most wonderful and loving Employer in the universe, Jehovah. Yes, the full-time preaching work has indeed been a most wonderful and rewarding career! I pray to continue faithful to the end.

Questions From Readers

● When did God create dinosaurs, and when did they become extinct?​—U.S.A.

The Bible does not provide specific answers to this question. According to the Genesis account, animals were created during the fifth and sixth creative periods or ‘days.’ If the Hebrew expression translated “great sea monsters” [Hebrew, tan·ni·nimʹ] includes dinosaurs, which often inhabited swampy, watery areas, this would mean that dinosaurs were created on the fifth “day.” (Gen. 1:21) We do not know whether they continued to exist until man was created (toward the close of the sixth “day”). At the very latest it seems likely that they must have disappeared off the earth at the time of the flood of Noah’s day. Dinosaurs were reptiles, and some kinds of dinosaurs bear strong resemblance structurally and otherwise to lizards (sauros is, in fact, the Greek word for “lizard”; saura in Leviticus 11:29, LXX). Not all types of dinosaurs were of such gigantic size. Hence, even if they had survived till the Flood, this would not have required taking pairs of the mammoth varieties into the ark. Other smaller members of the particular family or “kind” to which these belonged would have sufficed to fulfill the divine command.​—Gen. 6:19, 20; 7:14.

Some of the older translations of the Bible at times use the word “dragons” to translate the Hebrew tan·ni·nimʹ (“sea monsters,” NW). (Ps. 74:13; 148:7; Isa. 27:1, Authorized Version) The term “dragon” (Greek, draʹkon) is found in the Christian Greek Scriptures. It has been suggested as possible that, rather than having a purely mythical source, this expression may originally have been applied to enormous creatures such as the dinosaurs, taking on mythical tones only after these mammoth creatures had long disappeared. Interestingly, many of the mythical depictions of the “dragon” strongly resemble certain types within the family of huge reptilian creatures that includes the dinosaur.

● Is it proper for a Christian to ask his parents or grandparents for a blessing, as is the custom in parts of Latin America?​—Venezuela.

The Bible shows that God’s servants in ancient times pronounced blessings on others. Jacob blessed Pharaoh, that is, he expressed a wish for his welfare. (Gen. 47:7) Rebekah’s family blessed her when she left upper Mesopotamia to marry Isaac. (Gen. 24:60) And Isaac as well as Jacob pronounced special blessings upon their offspring. (Heb. 11:20, 21) According to Proverbs 30:11, parents are deserving of blessing from their children.

So no Scriptural objection need be raised to a parent’s or grandparent’s blessing his or her children. Even in lands where it is not a general custom to ask for a blessing, it is common