Dreams

When I approached Lawrence Sanders in June of 1981 about the possibility of buying out the Mobile 2-Way Service Company Conroe facilities he indicated some interest, but when Bob Slaughter, who was hoping to participate in a three member partnership with Martin (Tiny) Chambless and I, talked with him he would never give him a purchase price nor make a commitment to come up with terms of purchase of the company.

After several contacts with Lawrence, Bob suggested to him that he hire me to manage the shop for Mobile 2-Way while we were in negotiations for the purchase. Such an arrangement would be of benefit to all concerned. Lawrence needed a manager and time to make a decision, and I would get some very valuable experience and insight into the workings of the company while we waited.

As it worked out Lawrence never came up with a sales price and I stayed on as manager with the understanding that I would be able to buy stock in the company when it became incorporated later. When the company was incorporated, I was offered stock but told that there would be no dividends paid for at least ten years, but the money would be plowed back into the company. The money that Lois and I had was in certificates of deposit paying good interest, so I declined the offer.

When I took over the operation of the Conroe shop, we had two technicians and one installer. Nothing was organized and the records were in horrible shape. I set out to make a complete set of files including an inventory. I had the work areas cleaned up and rearranged so that equipment could be kept up with and used to full advantage.

As I sat up files and inventory here in Conroe, Lawrence's wife Rae, followed suit in the Beaumont and Liberty shops. Within a year all three shops were able to keep track of work to be done, work completed, accounts receivable, and each had a completely documented inventory. To that point in time Rae had kept up with everything at all three shops, in her head.

In 1981 Loraine became pregnant and spent quite a bit of time in bed and some time in the hospital. She had changed doctors and was using the facilities at Texas Women's Hospital in Houston. In spite of her difficulties with carrying the baby, the prospects were good that she and the baby would be all right.

James Deane called me at work in mid afternoon of January 6, 1982 and asked how to spell "Kimbell". That was the lead to letting me know I was a grandfather. Jonathan Kimbell Ray had been born and although he was to be transferred to the Neonatal Care Unit of Texas Children's Hospital with breathing difficulties, the outlook was good. Loraine was doing fine.

Jonathan lived until January 26, 1982. The doctors and nurses had done all they could. God took him to be with his brothers and his Grandpa Ray.

When I left work on Friday January 7, 1983 I was looking forward to going to Friendswood and helping Stephen celebrate his fourth birthday. His birthday was on January 9th and he was to have a party with his friends.

I had been waking up in the middle of the night, off and on for about a year, with a pain in my chest. I would take a Gaviscon tablet, smoke a cigarette and would usually get easy and go back to bed to sleep the rest of the night. At 2 a.m. January 8th it was a different matter. I took one tablet, smoked one cigarette, took another tablet, smoked another

Cigarette and the pain got worse. I called Lois when I began to feel cold, sweaty and weak. I had smoked my last cigarette; I was having a heart attack. I have recovered from

the heart attack but its effects will remain with me the rest of my life.

In May of that year Loraine and James Deane came to spend the week end in Conroe and James Deane made the announcement that Loraine was pregnant again. I had the video camera on getting pictures of Lois and Estelle cutting a watermelon when he told us. The surprise is quite evident on Lois's face when we look at the tape.

Loraine began to have problems and spent the last three months, for the most part, in Texas Women's Hospital. She was there when Lois had surgery at Doctor's Hospital in Conroe to remove her gall bladder.

I was able to get video of the baby's heartbeat and bring the tape for Lois to see Loraine, and hear the baby's heart. I had never heard an unborn baby's heart beat before and I am still amazed how fast it beats, when I listen to the tape.

We received a phone call late on December 5, 1983 from James Deane that Robert Garrett Ray had arrived. We could come see him the next day. He was in good health and so was Loraine. Come to think of it all of us suddenly had improved health. Stephen was a proud and happy "Big" brother.

In 1985 James Deane was notified of the cancellation of the contract NASA had with the company he worked for in Clear Lake City. Although he received some offers in the Houston area, he received a much better offer in Garland with E Systems. He accepted their offer and began work there on January 20, 1986. He, Loraine, and the boys moved to Garland on the last day of February.

Lawrence's wife Rae had a heart attack in 1983 and died in early 1984. He lost interest in the business and turned the operations over to his son in law Jerry Meyers.

We opened a shop in Huntsville in 1984 and the business began to grow there and at Conroe. We now have two full time employees and one part time employee at Huntsville, and five full time and three part time employees at Conroe. The paper work for the two shops keep my secretary and me busy.

It is now approaching Summer of 1986 and I have started to make ready my retirement around the first of 1987 as I promised when I took the position of manager for Mobile 2-Way in Conroe.

In Psalms 126: 1 & 3 the writer said, " ...like them that dream. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." I, like the dreamers of old, am glad for the great things the Lord has done for me.

I am in a time of life when I can dream of the past, present, and future. The past is worth reflecting on and if I had the power to change it, there is little I would change. The present is today, God gave it to me, and I accept it. The future, if there is one for me, is wherein my hope lies. I am still shooting for a star.

If it be God's good pleasure, I will try to see a little bit of this great country from the window of a motor home that I have seen from among the clouds as I flew by. I hope to spend some time with my grandsons, maybe do a little fishing with them, and take them with me to see things I dream of.

I hope that these reflections of my past have not bored anyone and truly hope that my grand children will have learned a little about me to remember.