Granddaughter of TOM Weds on the Beach

On June 23, 2019, Tom experienced another life event. His first-born grand-daughter, Ashli Coryell, was united in marriage with Mathew McClendon. The McClendons exchanged vows on the beach at the Rockport, Texas. It was a hot and windy day, but beautiful and memorable.

Tom spent the weekend with his son, Steve, in his RV among the live oaks of coastal Texas. As they prepared for the big day, it was busy and chaotic tending to the details, such as setting-up the arch and chairs on the beach, arranging the tables inside the reception, and various decorations. Tom and his son, Steve, along with his grandson Scott, pitched-in to see it all come together.

It was another full-circle moment for Tom as he watched his son walk his only daughter down the aisle, a time-honored tradition that Tom also once experienced for his only daughter in February, 2000. Good stuff. 😊

TOM: Down Memory Lane

You have probably heard the phrase many times, "take a trip down memory lane". Whether we simply reminisce of days gone by and the special people we once knew, or we actually go to those unforgettable places and retrace our footsteps from younger days, most of us take that trip regularly.

Tom is no different, traveling back to the old home town of Pekin, Illinois as often as he can. Besides the nostalgia and the full-circle moments he has shared in his book, TOM, he still has friends and family there. So he is making new memories with each visit!

On one such visit Tom gathered with his twin brothers, Tim and Til, and with his sister Carol. As they looked through photo albums and laughed they came across a cute picture of the 3 brothers standing in front a newly-planted pine tree. The city had recently made some improvements to the park, including this young tree that would someday provide a cozy shade spot for afternoon picnics. That was in 1956, and they were now looking at this photo almost half-a-century later in 2003. Surely that tree was a giant by now!

The four siblings decided to drive down to the park and find the very spot to do a "then and now" photo. Not long after a local Pekin paper ran the story, shown below along with another short article about the nursing home they lived in as kids and a photo of the four at the old home. Tom is the little guy who always seems to be tilting his head.  😊

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Watch TOM in Pictures: A Slide Show

Watch and enjoy this touching slide show. TOM in Pictures is a 4-minute teaser about what you will find in the book, but there is SO MUCH MORE!

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A Pilgrimage: Son of TOM Returns After 50 Years

Tom's oldest son, Steve, recently made a trip to his original hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota. If you've READ TOM, you might realize the significance of that visit. Before going, he asked his dad about some of the places highlighted in the book. In particular, where did the famous "Robin Hood of Ellsworth" once roam the Wisconsin woodlands?

During Steve's visit he snapped various photos of the places he visited and sent them by text message to his dad. Tom sent replies back ...

• "Been there many times! I've fished it!" Referring to Lake Pepin, near Lake City, MN.
• "I used to play softball there. Me and your mom spent many hours there. Great fish restaurant there too." Referring to the town of Wabasha, MN.
• "Little Steve wasted no time!" Referring to the old St. John Hospital building where Steve was born.
• "That top window is the kitchen ... where Danny gave you the pacifier ... that yellow lounge chair where you slept on my shoulder and sometimes puked on me!" Referring to the old house on Wilkinson street that Tom and Isabelle lived in so long ago.
• "Brings back so many old memories."

There were several other text exchanges, but after that last one Steve chose to give it a rest. After Steve left the Red Wing area he posted a few photos and a message to his private family group. This is now being shared here ...

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It was truly a joy exploring the area my mom and dad called home when they were just a young couple starting out in life from 1966 - 1968. It was sort-of medicinal to drive along the same roads and imagine my mother so vibrant and full of life in 1967, 20 years old, with the windows down in the 1962 Ford Falcon, wind in her hair, dad was probably whistling a 4 Seasons song ... makes me smile, and also miss her a little more.

Here are a few photos from places I visited ...

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A recent conversation between Tom and Steve went something like this ...

Steve:   "What would you like to tell people about your book? Something specific."

Tom:  "Hope. There is great hope for your kids. Parents who find themselves in impossible situations with their children still have hope. Even when the odds or so great, your fear is overwhelming, and you feel like you're going to lose your son or daughter, don't give up. Even if you have to sit back and watch them fall hard, continue to pray."

Steve:  "Like you did with David when he got in trouble with the law?"

Tom:  "Yes. I knew in that moment God was the only help left for him. I could do nothing more. I knew in my heart he was going to jail for a long time and there was nothing I could do. So I gave it to God."

Steve:  "It all turned out pretty good, didn't it?"

Tom:  "And then some. I'm amazed at how all my kids have turned out. It's such a blessing, and it speaks to the hope I'm talking about for all parents. When you surrender your kids to God and let His grace and mercy rule, great things will happen. Believe it!"

Get TOM's story on Amazon, or through Covenant Books.

Watch TOM's Official Trailer, or Salvation Story.

                                                                   David, Tom, Steve

Full Circle Moment - Tom's Salvation Story

Watch as Tom shares his salvation story from 1962 and the full circle moment he experienced nearly 50 years later ...

Learn more about TOM here ... TOM's Covenant Books Page

Get a copy of TOM here ... TOM's Amazon Books Page

From the book ...

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Tom turned 20 in July of 1966 and had just been promoted into a Foreman position at his job with Riviera Kitchens. He was doing such a good job for them that they offered to move him to their brand-new facility in Minnesota. This was unheard of at the company. Promotions and management-level re-locations were reserved for tenured, senior staff. This was a just a kid who was moving up the ladder quickly. Tom moved across four states, with his even younger wife Isabelle (18), and infant son Danny (about one).

Tom recalls the first couple of weeks there, “We stayed with one of the plant managers, Bill … another Bill! He had 11 kids! Can you imagine? Talk about a ‘Peyton Place”!

Those of a certain age will get that reference, but that was Bill’s home. Tom and Isabelle shared a couch. With only one bathroom in the house, Bill made sure to tell them, “Do yourself a favor and get up early before the girls do or you’re not going to get in there”!

Tom recalls with a laugh, “I sure learned how to hold things”!

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Who remembers "Peyton Place"?