The Coleman Conversion
The results of my email to Peg

Peg,

Could you do me a favor?  I was wondering if you could give me a history of what you remember of mom and dad taking the missionary lessons?  Mom and Dad didn’t have the lessons before we were baptized.  Dad said he wanted us to all belong to the same church and he was a Mormon.  So Mom agreed to be baptized into the church when it was time for me to get baptized.  The only thing I remember was that I went to the Methodist Bible School in the summer.  I don’t know if it was just that summer before I turned 8.  It might have been more.  Then when Mom decided we would be Mormons Jack and I went to (weekly Primary.)  He cried and I tried to comfort him.  Mom taught in Primary before we were members.  I only remember going a few times before we were baptized. 

Do you remember taking the lessons? We did not have any lessons.  That would never happen today.  However after joining the church Mom got excited about having her mom and dad join.  Since “Mac” as she called him wouldn’t agree to having missionaries come, she tried to learn the lessons and she went over and gave them the lessons.  She told us as soon as you could feel the spirit of the Lord, Grandpa would “hear something outside” and would go check on it.  This always broke the spirit and this would always make mom very upset.  She would bear her testimony that it was Satan who was doing that.  But learning the missionary lessons really converted mom.  Church was not just a social event anymore, it was true and she went forward with all her heart.  Mom would be upset because Grandpa wouldn’t pray about it.  He had promised the Lord sometime before that if the Lord would help him, he would never ask for anything again, and he didn’t.  Grandma just wanted to keep the peace and didn’t want to break up the family by joining another church.  As you know, Frank and Polly and kids joined the church.  Both sisters joined without the other’s knowledge. 

 Who were the missionaries?  

I know the home teachers were involved.  I remember this Brother Wallace (he was from England) coming by and telling Dad he would have him through the temple in one year.  Dad wasn’t ready for all that and was very much backing up.  They had a friend who helped her with the lessons.  Might have been the person that taught Polly’s family.

Any discussions during that time about mom joining the church?  

I don’t remember.  She just did it.  And she never looked back.  I liked Primary much better than the Methodist bible school.  Caroline Biggs was Caroline Cox at the time worked in the Primary.  In fact later she let me help her.  We use to teach dancing to boys and girls in Primary.  I helped her do that.

How grandma & grandpa McCormack reacted, as well as any of dad’s relatives. 

I’ve often wondered if their problem with the church wasn’t from their ancestors.  Once a Methodist always a Methodist theme ran strong with them.  I don’t think it made too much difference to Dad’s family.  His dad died when they were on their honeymoon (they had to come back for the funeral) and the rest of the family was already very inactive. 

Yours and mom’s baptism. 

I remember getting out of the car on the West side of the Temple.  I don’t remember any fence in that day.   We had to walk around to the other side of the temple.  I remember the tiles on the floor were black and white checked.  I remember dressing in a white jump suit.  I also remember Dad had brought Virgil Merrill (His partner who was very active.) to baptize us.  I do remember the argument between Dad and the temple personnel.  I don’t know if I was there the whole time, but I remember distinctly Dad telling that he wasn’t worthy, he had just thrown out the cigar as he walked in…which he had just done.  Then the Temple President I think it was the president told him that he would never forgive himself if he didn’t baptize me.  Dad told them he had brought his partner to do that.  He was just there to watch.  He was very frustrated, but Virgil must have gone along with the President as Dad was the one to do our baptism plus the baptism of Dora Glazier.  Dora’s dad had blessed me and for some reason Dora was there to get baptized without her dad.  So he baptized the three of us.  He claims that he’s sure Dora’s mom thinks the reason Dora wasn’t active later in life was because he did the baptizing and it didn’t take.  I do remember standing there at the top of the stairs and watching mom go into the water and get baptized.  Then it was my turn.  Then Dora’s.  We weren’t the only three though but I don’t remember how many there were or if we had to wait a long time.  I hated Dad’s cigar smoke and whenever we were in the car I would hang my head out the window…like all the way to California one time.  It just made me so sick.  He would get mad at me thinking I was just being a brat.  So I really hoped he would get active so he would stop smoking.  I was really excited with Brother Wallace the Home Teacher.  I wanted Dad to quit smoking and was excited the Brother Wallace wanted to help him.  It just made dad mad.

Dad’s conversion.  I really think Dad always knew the Church was true.  Sometimes it makes me sad for him what he went through.  His mom died when he was only 2.  His dad remarried a lady who didn’t like Grandpa Coleman’s kids and would do mean things to them (Like hide their toys or break them, and other mean things.)  I remember when I found out he had a step mother.  I couldn’t believe he never went to see her or had any ties with her, but basically they never bonded.  He lived at his sister Lute’s home.  Dad said if anyone in the church had asked him if he wanted to go on a mission he thinks he would have gone.  But no one in the church seemed to care about the Coleman family.  When Jack died he told me it was better for the Lord to take the father than the mother.  He felt a real void in his life.  So if you realize he was always converted, the little bit he knew about the church, then you will realize his real problem was activity in the church.

I remember they always sat on the very back row in church and left as soon as amen was said.  He was embarrassed for anyone to smell the smoke on his clothes.  And I remember when he was trying to quit smoking.  That was when the Bishop asked him to be the Teacher’s advisor.  He told the bishop he couldn’t because he smoked, what kind of an example would he be?  The bishop told him he would quit smoking, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.  Reed could tell you more about dad with the boys.  They loved him.  Church ball was really really big then and Dad went to every game with them.   Anyway just like when mom would put him on a diet in later years, mom helped him through quitting his habit.  He chewed gum all the time.  He was very cranky.  But he did it. 

I will never forget going to the church before sacrament meeting to do something with the girls in the ward.  Then everyone was excited to get into the sacrament meeting because the bishop was going to get a new counselor.  I was excited too.  I sat with my friends because I couldn’t find my parents.  Should have known sooner or later he would be sitting on the back row, but he wasn’t there when I went into the chapel (he was in a meeting).  Then they got up to announce the new counselor.  I wondered who it was going to be.  When they announced Daddy’s name, I just said real loud “Daddy”.  I couldn’t believe it.  And I turned around and someone said that would be the only way to get him off the back row.  I watched him walk to the front of the chapel and take his seat on the stand.  I feel like crying just remembering this.  My dad who had a real struggle with Santa Fe Cigars in the bishopric
 

But you know, he had conquered this and was worthy and the people loved him because he was so humble.  He was so considerate.  I think his childhood made him very concerned that others not be left out as his family had been.  And once in a while when people brought up that he had smoked it hurt him.  He told me once, doesn’t repentance mean you repent and are forgiven and you don’t have to keep remembering it?  I was the one the smoking made the sickest and I hope I never brought it up to him.  I was so proud of him that he was able to give up smoking and I was so proud that he was worthy to be in the Bishopric.  What a blessing.  Not that I wasn’t proud of him before, but everyone else’s parents were active and I was sad mine weren’t. 

 Anything that you can remember. 

I remember when they were sealed that we weren’t sealed at the same time.  In those days the endowment took a long time and the sealing and they didn’t want us 4 kids to be there at the temple that long.  So we were to be sealed another day.  We kept asking when we were going to be sealed.  He would tease, as soon as I know I want you guys forever.  I knew he was teasing.  Then the day came.  We were all in white and all around the altar.  It was just like what you see when you see families sealed.  The same wonderful feelings. 

 I realize you were only 9, but you are now the only person I can ask.  I know you’re busy, so whenever you can.  Thanks!

Sorry it took so long. 

Love,   Michael Coleman

Love you back,  Peg

Addendum - An additional Email I sent.

Mike: I remember this guy that had an English accent and I'm pretty sure his last name was Wallace.  He sold suits at the Main St. LeSuers for years.

Peg: I think his name was Walter Wallace.  I didn't know where he worked, but he was really a go getter.

Mike:  Also I was under the impression that dad had quit smoking cold turkey after your baptism, but it sounds like he kept smoking for quite a while after your baptism.

Peg: I was baptized on October 1, 1949.  I was 8 years old.  He didn't quit smoking until he was called to work in the YM.  That was about 1951.  Did he write the years in his life sketch?  I don't have that.  Anyway he had told the bishop he couldn't teach because of his bad example and Bishop Merrill told him he would just have to quit.  He did quit cold turkey, and it was tough.  I remember one time we were talking about smoking and the effects on ones body.  Readers Digest had an article that after 7 years the body has completely sloughed off all the ill effects of smoking.  He was comforted to know the body repents.  (Grandpa McCormack got him into smoking the cigars and as you might remember he died of throat cancer.  We had tried to get him to quit but he was a stubborn old boot.)

Mom and Dad went through the temple in '54 and were sealed.  We were sealed in 55.  I think the temple might have been closed for Christmas holidays.  Anyway it was only a couple of months but it was a long wait for me.  I was excited.