And Along Came Helen

In June of 1914, a baby girl was born to Leona and John. Before the birth, Leona prayed silently for the Lord to send them a boy this time. Of their seven children, five of them were girls. Boys were much needed to help with the chores in the barn and also to work in the fields, but her silent prayers had not been answered. A baby girl had arrived and over the next several days Leona became troubled by this baby's actions. Her previous children had all been healthy and strong. This one cried as though she were hungry, yet could not digest the mother's milk that her older brothers and sisters had thrived on. Instead she would throw it back up as if it were poison. Leona reproached herself for having presumptuous in her prayers, praying for a boy rather than for a healthy baby. She asked God for forgiveness and prayed for guidance in bringing this one up to love the Lord. Once she had made her peace, Leona decided to quickly have the sickly child baptized , as it would not be right to have the child die without baptism. She was baptized the next evening and given the name Helen.