Aran Lee Arndt was born April 21, 1898 in the Blue community (Indian Territory), the daughter of William Marvin Arndt and Mary Ellen Jones Arndt.
This Story was written at the request of family members before Aran passed away.
This is the Record of the Christian Life of Rev. James Cully Stevens and his Wife Aran Lee Arndt Stevens
In the year of 1921; we lived west of McAlester, Oklahoma in a little community called "Blue." We had three lovely little children, J.C., John A., and Mary Lee. We had a nice home and everything we thought that would make us happy.
The Lord sent a family into our community by the name of Spurrier and we became real friends. Sister Effie Spurrier was the first Pentecostal Holiness person that we had ever met. She would come to our home and visit with us and
talk about the Lord. We had never been saved and I would wonder why she was so faithful to come and visit with us. My husband would play the violin and her son, Edgar, would play the guitar. They would just play worldy music but each
time before they would leave to go home, Sister Spurrier would ask them to play "In the Sweet By and By" and "When the Roll is Called up Yonder" or some other Christian song and she would sing. A few months later, Sister Spurrier's mother and father, Brother and Sister Luna moved to our community, too. He was a Pentecostal Holiness preacher. They
held church services in the Blue School House and prayer meetings in Sister Spurrier's home. We would go to the services. In February of 1921, a young preacher, Rev. George W. Brown from Fort Smith, Arkansas, came by and held a revival in the Blue School House. We were wonderfully saved. It was the greatest experience that had ever taken place in our lives. In fact, it just seemed like we had just begun to live. Old things had passed away and all things had become like new. We lost all desire for the worldy things that we had once enjoyed.
In July 1921, Husband was sanctified in a camp meeting in Oklahoma City and The Lord called him to preach The Gospel. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost one afternoon at home in January 1922 while we were praying for a message to preach in his first Revival. I was sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost in December 1921 in a little Pentecostal Holiness Mission in McAlester, Oklahoma.
We had our home and about 600 acres of land with cattle and horses but we began to sell them and go out in revivals for the Lord. We saw many people saved and sanctified and filled with The Holy Ghost. Many sick people were healed.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful family. We had seven sons and two daughters. The Lord took one of our little sons home to Heaven. Little Willie Abraham Stevens when he was only sixteen months old. We were in a revival at
the Cabiness School House when the Lord called him home. We couldn't understand why we had to give him up but we knew that The Lord does all things well. We went right on working for The Lord and raised our children in service for
The Lord. Eight of our children are still living, J.C., John A., Mary Lee, Leon, Monroe, Pearla Mae, Woodrow, and Joe. They are all saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost and working for the Lord, helping to finish the work that their father started in 1921 when he was busy preaching and talking to everyone he met about The Lord and His saving power.
Husband had his first heart attack in 1948. We had moved back to McAlester from California and he was sick the next five years. He was unable to preach revivals but he never failed to attend services and witness for The Lord.
We moved back to California in 1953. Our children were all married then and some of them live in California and some lived in Oklahoma. The last Camp meeting he attended was in Madera, California. Rev. George Byus was the conference superintendent and Rev. Nash was the Camp meeting speaker. We attended the Richmond Pentecostal Holiness Church where Brother and Sister Slater were Pastors. They both were so nice to us. I will always love them. We went to prayer meeting on Thursday night and he was really sick when
we got home. We began to pray and the power of The Lord was so great and the Holy Ghost began to speak. The scripture came to me where the leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord if Thou wilt, Thou can make me clean." Jesus said, "I will
be thou clean," and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. I was so sure that The Lord had healed Cully. I said, "Honey, The Lord has given me a witness that He has healed you tonight." He arose from his knees and said, "I do feel a lot
better," so we went to bed and he slept all night. The next morning he felt sick again so in the afternoon I called the children. They came and called the doctor. The doctor thought we should take him to the hospital but he didn't want to go then. That night he got really sick so we took him to the hospital. In the afternoon, August 8, 1953, The Lord took him Home to Heaven from the Richmond hospital. We were all so broken hearted. The children all came and we took his body back to McAlester, Oklahoma and laid him to rest in the Blue Cemetery until the day of the resurrection when Jesus returns for His Bride.
I felt so alone and depressed. I couldn't understand why I felt so sure that The Lord had healed him the night we prayed. So one night as I prayed, The Lord just seem to speak to me and say, "Don't worry anymore, I healed him for all eternity. I had his reward ready. Would you want someone else to get his reward? He has finished his work for Me and now he is at rest with Me in Heaven. Would you want to call him back into that world of trouble and sorrow?" I waited a few minutes and said, "Oh, no Lord, Oh, no, I wouldn't want to call him back into this old world
if I could," and from that night until now, I have never felt bad and sorry for myself. Oh yes, I get lonesome at times and feel all alone but I just begin to pray and
praise The Lord. He always blesses and encourages my heart to go right on and work for Him, until He has my reward ready. As the song I am listening to right now, "I want to stroll over Heaven with you," will be real then.
We were married on July 2, 1916 and he went home to be with Jesus on August 8,1953. We had 37 wonderful years together but now I am looking forward to the life eternal where we will be together again with The Lord. My children are all such a blessing to me. They have all shared their homes with
me. My six Daughters-in-law, Pauline, Joan, Cora Lee,Donna, Pat, and Georgia are just like my own daughters and my two Sons-in-law, Fred Griffith and Eugene Browne are just like my own sons. I have 35 grandchildren. The Lord took one to
heaven. Little John Cully Stevens. He was born March 31, 1940 and went to be with Jesus on October 12, 1944. Our other grandchildren are all so precious to me, Charlotte, David, Paul, Michael, Samuel Jay, Danny, Brenda, Cully, Freddie, Frankie, Linda, James, Mary Lee, Leon Dee, John, Priscilla, Douglas, Carolyn Jo, Timothy, Joe David, Janice, Gary, Kathy. Karen, Freddie, Steven Jay, Kenneth, Patti, Peggy, Pamela, Padgett, Rita Jo, Connie and Mark. I have 13 great grandchildren, Shari Dee, Brent, Johnny, Aran Lee, Wayne, Kandy, Shauna, Frankie Leon, Kimberly, Lori, Michelle, Tricia, Heidi, Jeffery Todd and Jamie Beth.
I have a full time job visiting and helping my children and grandchildren. Twelve of my grandchildren are married so I have twelve grandchildren-in-laws, Gary Schneider, Don King, Betty Griffith, Judy Griffith, Jolene Stevens, Sharon Stevens, Ted Froese, Courtney Light, Harley Tinnin, Gary Rhynes, Donna Stevens, and Lavonda Stevens. Each night as I pray, I call them all by name and ask The Lord to let the Guardian Angel protect, keep them, and work out every problem in their lives. They all have been taught about The Lord all of their lives so I have the wonderful promise in the Word of God that not one will be lost. Proverbs 22:6
says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." St. John 15:7 says "If ye abide in Me and My Word abides in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." St. John 14:13 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that The Father may be glorified in The Son." St. John 14:14 says, "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do
it." So what more could we ask for than the great promises in The Word of God? I am so happy for the wonderful life The Lord has blessed our family with. I can never thank and praise Him enough. I have been blessed with good health and the desire of my heart is to be in service for The Lord. I would love to be in church services every night to testify for The Lord and listen to singing and preaching of the Gospel and help pray for lost souls to be saved.
Aran Lee Stevens
Transcribed by; Charlotte Stevens Schneider, Granddaughter of Aran Arndt Stevens
This Story was written at the request of family members before Aran passed away.
This is the Record of the Christian Life of Rev. James Cully Stevens and his Wife Aran Lee Arndt Stevens
In the year of 1921; we lived west of McAlester, Oklahoma in a little community called "Blue." We had three lovely little children, J.C., John A., and Mary Lee. We had a nice home and everything we thought that would make us happy.
The Lord sent a family into our community by the name of Spurrier and we became real friends. Sister Effie Spurrier was the first Pentecostal Holiness person that we had ever met. She would come to our home and visit with us and
talk about the Lord. We had never been saved and I would wonder why she was so faithful to come and visit with us. My husband would play the violin and her son, Edgar, would play the guitar. They would just play worldy music but each
time before they would leave to go home, Sister Spurrier would ask them to play "In the Sweet By and By" and "When the Roll is Called up Yonder" or some other Christian song and she would sing. A few months later, Sister Spurrier's mother and father, Brother and Sister Luna moved to our community, too. He was a Pentecostal Holiness preacher. They
held church services in the Blue School House and prayer meetings in Sister Spurrier's home. We would go to the services. In February of 1921, a young preacher, Rev. George W. Brown from Fort Smith, Arkansas, came by and held a revival in the Blue School House. We were wonderfully saved. It was the greatest experience that had ever taken place in our lives. In fact, it just seemed like we had just begun to live. Old things had passed away and all things had become like new. We lost all desire for the worldy things that we had once enjoyed.
In July 1921, Husband was sanctified in a camp meeting in Oklahoma City and The Lord called him to preach The Gospel. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost one afternoon at home in January 1922 while we were praying for a message to preach in his first Revival. I was sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost in December 1921 in a little Pentecostal Holiness Mission in McAlester, Oklahoma.
We had our home and about 600 acres of land with cattle and horses but we began to sell them and go out in revivals for the Lord. We saw many people saved and sanctified and filled with The Holy Ghost. Many sick people were healed.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful family. We had seven sons and two daughters. The Lord took one of our little sons home to Heaven. Little Willie Abraham Stevens when he was only sixteen months old. We were in a revival at
the Cabiness School House when the Lord called him home. We couldn't understand why we had to give him up but we knew that The Lord does all things well. We went right on working for The Lord and raised our children in service for
The Lord. Eight of our children are still living, J.C., John A., Mary Lee, Leon, Monroe, Pearla Mae, Woodrow, and Joe. They are all saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost and working for the Lord, helping to finish the work that their father started in 1921 when he was busy preaching and talking to everyone he met about The Lord and His saving power.
Husband had his first heart attack in 1948. We had moved back to McAlester from California and he was sick the next five years. He was unable to preach revivals but he never failed to attend services and witness for The Lord.
We moved back to California in 1953. Our children were all married then and some of them live in California and some lived in Oklahoma. The last Camp meeting he attended was in Madera, California. Rev. George Byus was the conference superintendent and Rev. Nash was the Camp meeting speaker. We attended the Richmond Pentecostal Holiness Church where Brother and Sister Slater were Pastors. They both were so nice to us. I will always love them. We went to prayer meeting on Thursday night and he was really sick when
we got home. We began to pray and the power of The Lord was so great and the Holy Ghost began to speak. The scripture came to me where the leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord if Thou wilt, Thou can make me clean." Jesus said, "I will
be thou clean," and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. I was so sure that The Lord had healed Cully. I said, "Honey, The Lord has given me a witness that He has healed you tonight." He arose from his knees and said, "I do feel a lot
better," so we went to bed and he slept all night. The next morning he felt sick again so in the afternoon I called the children. They came and called the doctor. The doctor thought we should take him to the hospital but he didn't want to go then. That night he got really sick so we took him to the hospital. In the afternoon, August 8, 1953, The Lord took him Home to Heaven from the Richmond hospital. We were all so broken hearted. The children all came and we took his body back to McAlester, Oklahoma and laid him to rest in the Blue Cemetery until the day of the resurrection when Jesus returns for His Bride.
I felt so alone and depressed. I couldn't understand why I felt so sure that The Lord had healed him the night we prayed. So one night as I prayed, The Lord just seem to speak to me and say, "Don't worry anymore, I healed him for all eternity. I had his reward ready. Would you want someone else to get his reward? He has finished his work for Me and now he is at rest with Me in Heaven. Would you want to call him back into that world of trouble and sorrow?" I waited a few minutes and said, "Oh, no Lord, Oh, no, I wouldn't want to call him back into this old world
if I could," and from that night until now, I have never felt bad and sorry for myself. Oh yes, I get lonesome at times and feel all alone but I just begin to pray and
praise The Lord. He always blesses and encourages my heart to go right on and work for Him, until He has my reward ready. As the song I am listening to right now, "I want to stroll over Heaven with you," will be real then.
We were married on July 2, 1916 and he went home to be with Jesus on August 8,1953. We had 37 wonderful years together but now I am looking forward to the life eternal where we will be together again with The Lord. My children are all such a blessing to me. They have all shared their homes with
me. My six Daughters-in-law, Pauline, Joan, Cora Lee,Donna, Pat, and Georgia are just like my own daughters and my two Sons-in-law, Fred Griffith and Eugene Browne are just like my own sons. I have 35 grandchildren. The Lord took one to
heaven. Little John Cully Stevens. He was born March 31, 1940 and went to be with Jesus on October 12, 1944. Our other grandchildren are all so precious to me, Charlotte, David, Paul, Michael, Samuel Jay, Danny, Brenda, Cully, Freddie, Frankie, Linda, James, Mary Lee, Leon Dee, John, Priscilla, Douglas, Carolyn Jo, Timothy, Joe David, Janice, Gary, Kathy. Karen, Freddie, Steven Jay, Kenneth, Patti, Peggy, Pamela, Padgett, Rita Jo, Connie and Mark. I have 13 great grandchildren, Shari Dee, Brent, Johnny, Aran Lee, Wayne, Kandy, Shauna, Frankie Leon, Kimberly, Lori, Michelle, Tricia, Heidi, Jeffery Todd and Jamie Beth.
I have a full time job visiting and helping my children and grandchildren. Twelve of my grandchildren are married so I have twelve grandchildren-in-laws, Gary Schneider, Don King, Betty Griffith, Judy Griffith, Jolene Stevens, Sharon Stevens, Ted Froese, Courtney Light, Harley Tinnin, Gary Rhynes, Donna Stevens, and Lavonda Stevens. Each night as I pray, I call them all by name and ask The Lord to let the Guardian Angel protect, keep them, and work out every problem in their lives. They all have been taught about The Lord all of their lives so I have the wonderful promise in the Word of God that not one will be lost. Proverbs 22:6
says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." St. John 15:7 says "If ye abide in Me and My Word abides in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." St. John 14:13 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that The Father may be glorified in The Son." St. John 14:14 says, "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do
it." So what more could we ask for than the great promises in The Word of God? I am so happy for the wonderful life The Lord has blessed our family with. I can never thank and praise Him enough. I have been blessed with good health and the desire of my heart is to be in service for The Lord. I would love to be in church services every night to testify for The Lord and listen to singing and preaching of the Gospel and help pray for lost souls to be saved.
Aran Lee Stevens
Transcribed by; Charlotte Stevens Schneider, Granddaughter of Aran Arndt Stevens
Aran Lee Arndt was born April 21, 1898 in the Blue community (Indian Territory), the daughter of William Marvin Arndt and Mary Ellen Jones Arndt.
This Story was written at the request of family members before Aran passed away.
This is the Record of the Christian Life of Rev. James Cully Stevens and his Wife Aran Lee Arndt Stevens
In the year of 1921; we lived west of McAlester, Oklahoma in a little community called "Blue." We had three lovely little children, J.C., John A., and Mary Lee. We had a nice home and everything we thought that would make us happy.
The Lord sent a family into our community by the name of Spurrier and we became real friends. Sister Effie Spurrier was the first Pentecostal Holiness person that we had ever met. She would come to our home and visit with us and
talk about the Lord. We had never been saved and I would wonder why she was so faithful to come and visit with us. My husband would play the violin and her son, Edgar, would play the guitar. They would just play worldy music but each
time before they would leave to go home, Sister Spurrier would ask them to play "In the Sweet By and By" and "When the Roll is Called up Yonder" or some other Christian song and she would sing. A few months later, Sister Spurrier's mother and father, Brother and Sister Luna moved to our community, too. He was a Pentecostal Holiness preacher. They
held church services in the Blue School House and prayer meetings in Sister Spurrier's home. We would go to the services. In February of 1921, a young preacher, Rev. George W. Brown from Fort Smith, Arkansas, came by and held a revival in the Blue School House. We were wonderfully saved. It was the greatest experience that had ever taken place in our lives. In fact, it just seemed like we had just begun to live. Old things had passed away and all things had become like new. We lost all desire for the worldy things that we had once enjoyed.
In July 1921, Husband was sanctified in a camp meeting in Oklahoma City and The Lord called him to preach The Gospel. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost one afternoon at home in January 1922 while we were praying for a message to preach in his first Revival. I was sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost in December 1921 in a little Pentecostal Holiness Mission in McAlester, Oklahoma.
We had our home and about 600 acres of land with cattle and horses but we began to sell them and go out in revivals for the Lord. We saw many people saved and sanctified and filled with The Holy Ghost. Many sick people were healed.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful family. We had seven sons and two daughters. The Lord took one of our little sons home to Heaven. Little Willie Abraham Stevens when he was only sixteen months old. We were in a revival at
the Cabiness School House when the Lord called him home. We couldn't understand why we had to give him up but we knew that The Lord does all things well. We went right on working for The Lord and raised our children in service for
The Lord. Eight of our children are still living, J.C., John A., Mary Lee, Leon, Monroe, Pearla Mae, Woodrow, and Joe. They are all saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost and working for the Lord, helping to finish the work that their father started in 1921 when he was busy preaching and talking to everyone he met about The Lord and His saving power.
Husband had his first heart attack in 1948. We had moved back to McAlester from California and he was sick the next five years. He was unable to preach revivals but he never failed to attend services and witness for The Lord.
We moved back to California in 1953. Our children were all married then and some of them live in California and some lived in Oklahoma. The last Camp meeting he attended was in Madera, California. Rev. George Byus was the conference superintendent and Rev. Nash was the Camp meeting speaker. We attended the Richmond Pentecostal Holiness Church where Brother and Sister Slater were Pastors. They both were so nice to us. I will always love them. We went to prayer meeting on Thursday night and he was really sick when
we got home. We began to pray and the power of The Lord was so great and the Holy Ghost began to speak. The scripture came to me where the leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord if Thou wilt, Thou can make me clean." Jesus said, "I will
be thou clean," and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. I was so sure that The Lord had healed Cully. I said, "Honey, The Lord has given me a witness that He has healed you tonight." He arose from his knees and said, "I do feel a lot
better," so we went to bed and he slept all night. The next morning he felt sick again so in the afternoon I called the children. They came and called the doctor. The doctor thought we should take him to the hospital but he didn't want to go then. That night he got really sick so we took him to the hospital. In the afternoon, August 8, 1953, The Lord took him Home to Heaven from the Richmond hospital. We were all so broken hearted. The children all came and we took his body back to McAlester, Oklahoma and laid him to rest in the Blue Cemetery until the day of the resurrection when Jesus returns for His Bride.
I felt so alone and depressed. I couldn't understand why I felt so sure that The Lord had healed him the night we prayed. So one night as I prayed, The Lord just seem to speak to me and say, "Don't worry anymore, I healed him for all eternity. I had his reward ready. Would you want someone else to get his reward? He has finished his work for Me and now he is at rest with Me in Heaven. Would you want to call him back into that world of trouble and sorrow?" I waited a few minutes and said, "Oh, no Lord, Oh, no, I wouldn't want to call him back into this old world
if I could," and from that night until now, I have never felt bad and sorry for myself. Oh yes, I get lonesome at times and feel all alone but I just begin to pray and
praise The Lord. He always blesses and encourages my heart to go right on and work for Him, until He has my reward ready. As the song I am listening to right now, "I want to stroll over Heaven with you," will be real then.
We were married on July 2, 1916 and he went home to be with Jesus on August 8,1953. We had 37 wonderful years together but now I am looking forward to the life eternal where we will be together again with The Lord. My children are all such a blessing to me. They have all shared their homes with
me. My six Daughters-in-law, Pauline, Joan, Cora Lee,Donna, Pat, and Georgia are just like my own daughters and my two Sons-in-law, Fred Griffith and Eugene Browne are just like my own sons. I have 35 grandchildren. The Lord took one to
heaven. Little John Cully Stevens. He was born March 31, 1940 and went to be with Jesus on October 12, 1944. Our other grandchildren are all so precious to me, Charlotte, David, Paul, Michael, Samuel Jay, Danny, Brenda, Cully, Freddie, Frankie, Linda, James, Mary Lee, Leon Dee, John, Priscilla, Douglas, Carolyn Jo, Timothy, Joe David, Janice, Gary, Kathy. Karen, Freddie, Steven Jay, Kenneth, Patti, Peggy, Pamela, Padgett, Rita Jo, Connie and Mark. I have 13 great grandchildren, Shari Dee, Brent, Johnny, Aran Lee, Wayne, Kandy, Shauna, Frankie Leon, Kimberly, Lori, Michelle, Tricia, Heidi, Jeffery Todd and Jamie Beth.
I have a full time job visiting and helping my children and grandchildren. Twelve of my grandchildren are married so I have twelve grandchildren-in-laws, Gary Schneider, Don King, Betty Griffith, Judy Griffith, Jolene Stevens, Sharon Stevens, Ted Froese, Courtney Light, Harley Tinnin, Gary Rhynes, Donna Stevens, and Lavonda Stevens. Each night as I pray, I call them all by name and ask The Lord to let the Guardian Angel protect, keep them, and work out every problem in their lives. They all have been taught about The Lord all of their lives so I have the wonderful promise in the Word of God that not one will be lost. Proverbs 22:6
says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." St. John 15:7 says "If ye abide in Me and My Word abides in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." St. John 14:13 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that The Father may be glorified in The Son." St. John 14:14 says, "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do
it." So what more could we ask for than the great promises in The Word of God? I am so happy for the wonderful life The Lord has blessed our family with. I can never thank and praise Him enough. I have been blessed with good health and the desire of my heart is to be in service for The Lord. I would love to be in church services every night to testify for The Lord and listen to singing and preaching of the Gospel and help pray for lost souls to be saved.
Aran Lee Stevens
Transcribed by; Charlotte Stevens Schneider, Granddaughter of Aran Arndt Stevens
This Story was written at the request of family members before Aran passed away.
This is the Record of the Christian Life of Rev. James Cully Stevens and his Wife Aran Lee Arndt Stevens
In the year of 1921; we lived west of McAlester, Oklahoma in a little community called "Blue." We had three lovely little children, J.C., John A., and Mary Lee. We had a nice home and everything we thought that would make us happy.
The Lord sent a family into our community by the name of Spurrier and we became real friends. Sister Effie Spurrier was the first Pentecostal Holiness person that we had ever met. She would come to our home and visit with us and
talk about the Lord. We had never been saved and I would wonder why she was so faithful to come and visit with us. My husband would play the violin and her son, Edgar, would play the guitar. They would just play worldy music but each
time before they would leave to go home, Sister Spurrier would ask them to play "In the Sweet By and By" and "When the Roll is Called up Yonder" or some other Christian song and she would sing. A few months later, Sister Spurrier's mother and father, Brother and Sister Luna moved to our community, too. He was a Pentecostal Holiness preacher. They
held church services in the Blue School House and prayer meetings in Sister Spurrier's home. We would go to the services. In February of 1921, a young preacher, Rev. George W. Brown from Fort Smith, Arkansas, came by and held a revival in the Blue School House. We were wonderfully saved. It was the greatest experience that had ever taken place in our lives. In fact, it just seemed like we had just begun to live. Old things had passed away and all things had become like new. We lost all desire for the worldy things that we had once enjoyed.
In July 1921, Husband was sanctified in a camp meeting in Oklahoma City and The Lord called him to preach The Gospel. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost one afternoon at home in January 1922 while we were praying for a message to preach in his first Revival. I was sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost in December 1921 in a little Pentecostal Holiness Mission in McAlester, Oklahoma.
We had our home and about 600 acres of land with cattle and horses but we began to sell them and go out in revivals for the Lord. We saw many people saved and sanctified and filled with The Holy Ghost. Many sick people were healed.
The Lord blessed us with a wonderful family. We had seven sons and two daughters. The Lord took one of our little sons home to Heaven. Little Willie Abraham Stevens when he was only sixteen months old. We were in a revival at
the Cabiness School House when the Lord called him home. We couldn't understand why we had to give him up but we knew that The Lord does all things well. We went right on working for The Lord and raised our children in service for
The Lord. Eight of our children are still living, J.C., John A., Mary Lee, Leon, Monroe, Pearla Mae, Woodrow, and Joe. They are all saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost and working for the Lord, helping to finish the work that their father started in 1921 when he was busy preaching and talking to everyone he met about The Lord and His saving power.
Husband had his first heart attack in 1948. We had moved back to McAlester from California and he was sick the next five years. He was unable to preach revivals but he never failed to attend services and witness for The Lord.
We moved back to California in 1953. Our children were all married then and some of them live in California and some lived in Oklahoma. The last Camp meeting he attended was in Madera, California. Rev. George Byus was the conference superintendent and Rev. Nash was the Camp meeting speaker. We attended the Richmond Pentecostal Holiness Church where Brother and Sister Slater were Pastors. They both were so nice to us. I will always love them. We went to prayer meeting on Thursday night and he was really sick when
we got home. We began to pray and the power of The Lord was so great and the Holy Ghost began to speak. The scripture came to me where the leper came to Jesus and said, "Lord if Thou wilt, Thou can make me clean." Jesus said, "I will
be thou clean," and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. I was so sure that The Lord had healed Cully. I said, "Honey, The Lord has given me a witness that He has healed you tonight." He arose from his knees and said, "I do feel a lot
better," so we went to bed and he slept all night. The next morning he felt sick again so in the afternoon I called the children. They came and called the doctor. The doctor thought we should take him to the hospital but he didn't want to go then. That night he got really sick so we took him to the hospital. In the afternoon, August 8, 1953, The Lord took him Home to Heaven from the Richmond hospital. We were all so broken hearted. The children all came and we took his body back to McAlester, Oklahoma and laid him to rest in the Blue Cemetery until the day of the resurrection when Jesus returns for His Bride.
I felt so alone and depressed. I couldn't understand why I felt so sure that The Lord had healed him the night we prayed. So one night as I prayed, The Lord just seem to speak to me and say, "Don't worry anymore, I healed him for all eternity. I had his reward ready. Would you want someone else to get his reward? He has finished his work for Me and now he is at rest with Me in Heaven. Would you want to call him back into that world of trouble and sorrow?" I waited a few minutes and said, "Oh, no Lord, Oh, no, I wouldn't want to call him back into this old world
if I could," and from that night until now, I have never felt bad and sorry for myself. Oh yes, I get lonesome at times and feel all alone but I just begin to pray and
praise The Lord. He always blesses and encourages my heart to go right on and work for Him, until He has my reward ready. As the song I am listening to right now, "I want to stroll over Heaven with you," will be real then.
We were married on July 2, 1916 and he went home to be with Jesus on August 8,1953. We had 37 wonderful years together but now I am looking forward to the life eternal where we will be together again with The Lord. My children are all such a blessing to me. They have all shared their homes with
me. My six Daughters-in-law, Pauline, Joan, Cora Lee,Donna, Pat, and Georgia are just like my own daughters and my two Sons-in-law, Fred Griffith and Eugene Browne are just like my own sons. I have 35 grandchildren. The Lord took one to
heaven. Little John Cully Stevens. He was born March 31, 1940 and went to be with Jesus on October 12, 1944. Our other grandchildren are all so precious to me, Charlotte, David, Paul, Michael, Samuel Jay, Danny, Brenda, Cully, Freddie, Frankie, Linda, James, Mary Lee, Leon Dee, John, Priscilla, Douglas, Carolyn Jo, Timothy, Joe David, Janice, Gary, Kathy. Karen, Freddie, Steven Jay, Kenneth, Patti, Peggy, Pamela, Padgett, Rita Jo, Connie and Mark. I have 13 great grandchildren, Shari Dee, Brent, Johnny, Aran Lee, Wayne, Kandy, Shauna, Frankie Leon, Kimberly, Lori, Michelle, Tricia, Heidi, Jeffery Todd and Jamie Beth.
I have a full time job visiting and helping my children and grandchildren. Twelve of my grandchildren are married so I have twelve grandchildren-in-laws, Gary Schneider, Don King, Betty Griffith, Judy Griffith, Jolene Stevens, Sharon Stevens, Ted Froese, Courtney Light, Harley Tinnin, Gary Rhynes, Donna Stevens, and Lavonda Stevens. Each night as I pray, I call them all by name and ask The Lord to let the Guardian Angel protect, keep them, and work out every problem in their lives. They all have been taught about The Lord all of their lives so I have the wonderful promise in the Word of God that not one will be lost. Proverbs 22:6
says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." St. John 15:7 says "If ye abide in Me and My Word abides in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." St. John 14:13 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that The Father may be glorified in The Son." St. John 14:14 says, "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do
it." So what more could we ask for than the great promises in The Word of God? I am so happy for the wonderful life The Lord has blessed our family with. I can never thank and praise Him enough. I have been blessed with good health and the desire of my heart is to be in service for The Lord. I would love to be in church services every night to testify for The Lord and listen to singing and preaching of the Gospel and help pray for lost souls to be saved.
Aran Lee Stevens
Transcribed by; Charlotte Stevens Schneider, Granddaughter of Aran Arndt Stevens
Bio by: Charlotte Schneider
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