Going from Austin, Texas to Baltimore, Maryland is like going to another world.  Here we were in a modern, suburban, ranch-home--in what we thought was the world in that day.  The children were in new, contemporary schools with the latest, I thought, teaching methods.. We were settled in with family, grammy, good neighbors, friends and church. We attended the beautiufl Cathedral of St Martin's which was just a block from the Texas State Capitol. Paul was doing well in the first grade and walked both to school and  cub scouts. Everything was there.  The family was entrenched.  However, Paul's Dad had completed the work he came to do and now it was a matter of choosing to move to the National Office in Chicago or go back to a Church Ministry.  He choose an Intercity Minisitry---in Old Baltimore.

We packed up in a few days with the help of a packing service.  Paul celebrated his seventh birthday with all the neighborhood kids.  The next day we waved to the movers and said, ""we'll see you in a couple weeks". Of course, we went out to see, grandma and grandpa Hacker in Tucson, Arizona. Paul enjoyed seeing the burros in the desert and even had pictures with brother John and kids in the area. As we traveled on our way we went to the Grand Canyon, I can still see the boys little burr heads as they peeked over the rim.  It didn't take long for them to realize the White Sands Proving Grounds were too hot for thier bare feet.   Over the National Divide and into the Great Plains. Motels and eating at restaurants were a novelty to the children.  Mile upon mile passed as we watched the ribbon roads ahead.-.  The boys enjoyed sitting in the back seat of our 9-passenger suburban--it faced backwards.  Often I would find them asleep.   We didn't know where we were going, we had never seen the house, and had never been to the East coast.  Many questions such as, "Will I have my own room?"  "Will we have kids next door?" Can we get another dog?"Will we be in cubscouts?"  A new experience was about to enter all our lives..

A week and a half later, we pulled up in front of a large, old, brick home with a huge front porch.  It was on a street with similar large homes, huge trees and flowers everywhere. In front of the house was a pink Dogwood Tree, and the porch was surrounded by large Azalea and Rhododendron bushes.  Sitting there, too, in his truck was the mover with a big smile on his face.  We all had made it safely.  Paul jumped out of the car, ran up the steps to the porch and yelled "Were Home!".





 

When Paul was a little past two his father decided to take a position at the University of Texas. This was a big decision and big move.  We packed up the three kids and off we went to unknown lands,far from family and friends. 

In Texas Paul was exposed to a new climate, new environment, and a new home where he and his brother John shared a room.  They shared most everything else including the fun of spending days outside in the open air and playing in the canyon just across the street. The dog "puddles" always went with them and managed to protect them from any harm. Next door there were four children just about the ages of our three and so the two joint yards became one as they daily played in the pool..Our second summer there we went back to Chicago, ill where his father continued further study..While there, Paul's grandmother, who lived in Ohio, had a stroke. Paul and I took her to Texas by train. Consequently, Paul spent a lot of hours with grandma. Paul was happy there and when six years old would daily walk to a nearby school. Cub scouts, Sunday School,and school were all part of his weekly activities. Almost every weekend we would go to the U of Texas football games and the children would sit in what was known as the "knothole"  After the game they ran the whole field. He loved this though always a little behind the older children. The most fun was around the big kitchen table where we gathered each evening sharing the happenings of the day.. Living in Texas was a great time in Paul's early life.

BIRTH OF PAUL 

It was a hot day that June 3rd in 1952.  We lived in an upstaiirs apartment in Parma Heights, Ohio. I had been having false labor four nights.  My husband was about to go off to work and there I was caring for a 2- and 4-year old.  The baby I was carrying had dropped; I wasn't navigating very well.. I guess my husband could see the situation was getting out of hand and suggested we go on a picnic. "A picnic?".  Well, anything to get out of that  upstairs. So we packed a lunch and took off for the park. . 

That night as usual I started to have false labor. It was 11 p.m and we were tucked in for the night. This time it was different and I knew we needed to get to the hospital.  Carl quickly called a friend to care for the children and rushed me into the car.  It was raining hard, the hospital was 15 miles, and we were held for 10 minutes while a train passed. The pains were getting stronger and finally my water broke .By the time we reached the hospital the baby was ready for delivery..The nurses came running and cut off my clothes on the way to the delivery room. A hospital physician delivered Paul Alan Hacker a few minutes after midnight on June 4th. Yes, God had blessed us with another child and now we had given life to three healthy children in four and one-half years.When my physician arrived he said, "I guess I didn't earn my greens this time." He hadn't, but he was paid anyway.