Born at Newton Hospital, April 30, 1962, Allen Wayne Amis was delivered by Dr. Austin P. Boggan. He was the second oldest of four boys, with their parents being Edsel Maurice (Reese) Amis and Ola Mae Amis. Though his father has passed away, Miss Ola Mae, is almost 84 and, I’m happy to report, is doing well.
Kimberly Bender was born in Michigan but was brought back to the home town of Decatur by her parents when she was three or four. As freshmen in Decatur High School, Allen and Kimberly started their courtship on a double date, and never dated anyone else from then on. Kimberly was a year older, so she attended ECCC a year after she graduated, while Allen finished high school.
He graduated in May, and they were married soon after in 1980. Before long, they had begun their own family of boys! First was Kristopher, or “Kris.” Next came Corey, then Colton, who was nine years younger.
Though others of his classmates entered college or the military, young Allen decided to go to work. He did work in various places for a few years, but 24 years later he received his B.S. degree in inter-disciplinary studies from Charter Oaks State College in Great Britain, Conn. He had finished East Central Community College and attended Mississippi State by taking night courses, including 18 hours of upper-end math at State, which really impressed me, since math has never been my strong suit!
Allen learned about Charter Oaks and how they give credit for what you have studied, worked at, or accomplished in life, such as military or job experiences. He said this was a great help, and we agreed it could be helpful information for some readers of this column.
In talking about his decision to enter the National Guard, Mr. Amis said, “The Lord knows what is best for you, and you’ve just got to make yourself available.” He joined in 1984, when they had two children. He worked in the Newton unit but did not go full time in the Active Guard and Reserves until 1987. Kim has worked as a secretary at Naval Air Station Meridian for 28 years, since January 1990, serving as the Wing 1 Commodore secretary for the last five years.
In 1994, he was promoted and transferred to Forest, where he stayed for almost 11 years. The year 1995 is a “marker” for him, useful in remembering when things happened, because that was the year they built their house on Muley Road.
After the Forest stent came a number of years of promotions and new assignments back and forth in Jackson and Camp Shelby. He was also deployed to Washington, D.C., for a CONUS (Continental U.S.) for 15 months in 2003-2004. The first year he served at Camp Shelby he recalls as being a hard time in their family life for several reasons, one being the fact that he had to be away from home so much.
He recalled an incident that blessed him and Kim as they were going through this difficult period. They were at Hardee’s one morning, when a stranger walked over and struck up a conversation, before asking if he could pray for them. The man said he did not know their situation but felt like the Lord wanted him to pray for them. God really knew what they needed, as he remembers that, with emotion, to this day.
For the second time he considered retiring, as he had long planned to retire and become a public school teacher; but he received another promotion and was sent to Kuwait to be in charge of the Noncommissioned Officer Academy there, teaching a leadership course to our troops. He had also been in charge of that academy at Camp Shelby.
He left for Kuwait in Jan. 20, 2017 and returned Oct. 31, 2017. The retirement that he had put off several times is finally becoming a reality on Feb. 28, 2018. He says, “You know when it is time, and it’s time.”
We enjoyed visiting and talking about God’s hand on our lives. He said they have had several blessings this past month, in that, “The Lord has answered some prayers.” These were very needed answers concerning some good friends and their serious health problems.
Naturally, I asked about his salvation experience and heard some very interesting recollections. His parents primarily taught him about the Lord at home, since their family custom was going to all-day gospel singings held at different churches every Sunday! His mother played the piano and his parents, with a friend, formed a trio, singing “specials” at these “singings.”
When Evangelist James Robison came to Newton County and preached a crusade at the football stadium at East Central Community College, 10-year-old Allen Amis was there to hear the call of God. He responded in faith and went to the front to be saved. He was met and prayed for there by the late J.W. Thrash, and he has never doubted his salvation since.
Not long after Allen and Kim were married, they began attending Clarke-Venable Baptist Church. Rev. Gus Merritt, pastor at that time, baptized him in water when he joined the church. Not long after that, he was elected deacon and has continued in that office ever since then, rotating off at prescribed intervals. He says he enjoys being able to serve, helping people in the church.
When I asked about their greatest miracle, Allen replied, “Just the many answers to prayer in family situations.” But he went on to say, “God has blessed me and my wife so much in many, many ways. We have had good health, good friends, a good church, good jobs, and on and on. I’m just a blessed man!”
