The Hoy Family
"As for me and my house we will serve
the Lord." - Joshua 24:15
About Us
Ron Hoy was born in 1968 to Clinton (CT) and Jeannie Hoy in Belle, WV. Coming from a musical background- CT’s Family sang as the Missionaires from Esta Baptist Church in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, and CT led Esta’s choir at age 14- music was a way of life at the Hoy’s house. Jeannie’s family sang around the piano every Sunday, also and at age nine, Ron began playing the bass notes on the piano sitting beside his Mom. They got him a 1965 Gibson SG bass guitar, and between the ages of ten and thirteen, Ron lugged his TNT 100 bass amp and played the bass all over the Kanawha Valley for the Magic Valley Quartet. At age twelve, he also began playing an acoustic guitar, and then broadened his horizons to the mandolin and eventually banjo and fiddle (which he insists he could play better if Peggy would just allow him more practice time!)
Ron was saved at his parents’ bedside when he was six years old after hearing his then pastor, Harvey Fleck preach a sermon titled “Who Crucified Jesus?”. Ron realized that even though he was a child, it was his sin that caused Jesus to die, and he asked the Lord to forgive him that night. After thirteen years of public school had passed and Ron decided like many young men that he knew what was best for himself, he began a quiet rebellion against everything he had ever been taught and against the Biblical separation standards that had always been a part of his home. The only one thing that he determined in his heart was that if God ever allowed him to get married and have children, he would do his best to keep his children out of the public school system. He longed to be free.
There was this girl that everyone kept claiming would be his wife, but he thought of her as a little sister. Peggy Riddle had been a part of his church since she was eight years old! She had chased him in the past- she really liked how he played that bass!- but now, he began to see her a bit differently. He fought against any thought of any other type of relationship with her, though, mostly because everyone already teased him about her. Ever since her mother died when she was thirteen, she’d been spending a lot of time at his house, nurtured and comforted by his mother. He really tried not to show his feelings, but one evening at a church skating party, he asked her to skate with him. That night he couldn’t sleep, and he wrote her a letter telling her his heart.
Peggy had been fighting battles of her own with the loss of her mother to cancer and other issues, and was completely overwhelmed and surprised to receive this letter. Scared to say yes, but even more scared to say no, she responded with a wounded heart and troubled mind and spirit. Even though Peggy had also been saved when she was six years old, and had attended Esta faithfully from the time she was eight (when her parents were saved) the world, the flesh and the devil had drained her, and had stolen away whatever they could to keep her from serving God. She told Ron that she didn’t love him, but that she had lost so much recently that she was hanging on to whatever she might have left –including his friendship. If he said he loved her, then she was going to accept that love. It wasn’t long however, until they were planning a wedding. Even though their courtship lasted three years – until Peggy graduated from high school- they counted the days until they could be husband and wife. On June 16, 1990, this wish was granted and they started their long and sometimes painful climb back up the mountain of God’s grace and mercy; back to the Savior of their childhood. Although they never stopped attending church, they weren’t always there in mind, still fighting against the pricks.
They soon welcomed Leah Ellen Hoy to their family. The impact of having a child brought them to their senses, and they both began to commit their lives fully to Jesus. Bit by bit, He began to purge the dross from his vessels of mercy. When Leah was two and a half, they welcomed her little sister Sarah Grace to the home.
Pausing the story for a moment, Sarah sings a song called ‘God Makes No Mistakes’. To her parents, it is a powerful testimony of God’s mercy, for when Sarah was seven weeks old, she nearly died. One morning, Peggy thought the baby had slept through the night for the first time, and reached over to find her cool and still, and not breathing. On the way to the ER, “God Still Answers Prayer” was on the radio as they begged God for their baby daughter’s life. Not only did he allow Sarah to live, but Sarah was saved at the age of four years old and has a love for Jesus unlike most teenaged girls her parents know. “God Makes No Mistakes” begins with the words, “My life I give to you, O, Lord. Use me, I pray…” As Sarah sings and plays the piano, it’s evident; she means what she is singing. God surely answered her parents’ prayer for her life and she is glorifying God with it.
After a couple of moves from one house to another, Ron and Peggy moved into a trailer behind CT’s house, and they had their third child- the boy they had asked God for! The stress of being up every two hours wondering if the baby was okay, and other health issues had caused migraine headaches and Peggy had been on high dosages of medications for a few months when she realized she might be expecting a baby. They talked to the doctor, and he warned that if the pregnancy continued that the baby would no doubt be born blind, deaf and retarded. He advised terminating the life that God had given. Ron and Peggy took a stand in faith and said that if God chose to give life, it would be He alone who took it away. That night, Peggy prayed that if the baby was to be born with special needs, that God would let it be a girl, but if it was healthy, to be the boy that Ron longed for. Weeks later, as tests all came back fine, the ultrasound showed a perfectly healthy baby boy! Logan Thomas was born at nine pounds, eleven ounces, completely healthy with a great set of lungs, eyes that could see and ears that could hear. Logan is yet another testimony of God’s grace, and answered prayer.
Ron had surrendered to preach in January of 1996, six months before Logan’s birth, and along with preaching, he and Peggy sang with the Hoy Family Quartet all over the Kanawha Valley. Between 1991 and 2000, they cut four albums – Supper Time, He Didn’t Have To, I’m Not Ready To Surrender, and Here At Last. Ron and Peggy wrote many of the songs including the last three title songs on the recordings.
As the kids grew Ron began introducing them to instruments. Now, the Quartet sings, but more often than not, the fourth generation of Hoy’s carry the load with Leah playing the mandolin and sometimes bass and guitar, Sarah on bass, accordion, piano, tin whistles and mandolin, and Logan on harmonica and bass. Logan is also learning banjo, and Sarah is learning the dobro.
The Hoy’s cannot begin to relate all the blessings sent to them from their God who is their best friend, Redeemer, Master, Lord and King. He is worthy of all praise and honor and glory. He has opened many doors for service, especially recently in North and South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. He has blessed them with sources of good music as well as helping them write some of their own. On the home-front, they have their church, Esta Baptist Church – to thank for their prayers, and their wonderful Pastor, Randal Wilson who has nurtured them through many rough valleys, giving wisdom and sound advice time and again along with uncompromising preaching with a life of character and wisdom to back it up.
There are many, many people and preachers who have inspired the Hoy’s along the way, but if they began to name names here, they would inevitably leave someone out. There are so many who have helped them and spurred them on when they felt like quitting, reminding them that there is a Heaven to Gain and that it’s more than a cliché, God’s Been Good!
Ron found his freedom in surrender to the Lord Jesus and Peggy found the love she needed by accepting God’s will.
Do you know the peace that Jesus’ love can give? If not, pray to Him today- for He is God- and let Him free you from the shackles of sin that hold you fast, realizing that :
- All have sinned and come short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23, and because of this, we deserve death and hell. Romans 6:23
- There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, it is a free gift. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast - Ephesians 2:8-9
- Jesus wants to save us not only from hell, but from sin – Romans chapter 6 and chapter 8.
Will you ask Jesus to forgive you and save you today? There is no incantation or spell or special words to say. There are not preachers or priests to confess to. In a humble heart and contrite spirit confess to Him your sin and accept Jesus’ sacrifice for you. It’s that simple, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.( Romans 10: 9-13) If you know you are a sinner, and you ‘hear’ God speaking to your heart, you are ready to be saved. 2 Corinthians 6:2b …behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)
When Jesus saves you, you become a new person inside. You will have a desire to know more about Him and His Word. You will have a desire to be around other Christians at church and as you tell others, you will want Christ to live through you. Allow him to. There is nothing better than Jesus!
On April 30th, 2011, Leah Hoy and Kelcey O'Neil, her long-time intended, were united in holy matrimony at Ripley Baptist Tabernacle in Ripley, WV. As the O'Neils have started their new life together, they have continued singing and playing with the Hoy family at local meetings, but due to Kelcey's work, are unable to travel to out of state appointments.
Chris Davis is Sarah Hoy's intended (since they prefer not to use the term "boyfriend" in their courtship) who is currently traveling with the family to a lot of their in-state appointments, as well as some out of state meetings. He helps out the family by playing several different instruments, singing a little, as well as acting as the "roadie", helping pack and unpack the van.
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