Meeks/Hoover (Season 3, Episode 15)

June 30, 2022

PREMISE

Once upon a time in Texas, Tish Meeks was a conservative Christian who has done missionary work and attended a Christian university. Husband Tony was a pastor. Now their religion is Rock n’ Roll. Tony, a hospice administrator who has both his nipples pierced, cashed out his retirement, life savings and stocks to support their passion of playing music and their band 3 kisses. Tish is the lead singer and guitarist. The kids Benji (6) and Hannah (5) are free to do whatever they want. The couple doesn't believe in censoring their kids video games, and the kids sometimes stay up till 3 AM. Tish spends 10-12 hours a day booking gigs. The family often have loud parties with alcohol, and Tish and Tony converted their refrigerator into a Keg.

In Missouri, Kristin and Steve Hoover are conservative Pentecostal Christians and god is the center of everything they do. The kids, Emily (7), Grace (5) and Alivia (3) are homeschooled and the bible is on the curriculum. Traditional Christian values means the father is the primary breadwinner. Steve, a certified chimney sweep with his own business, was raised in as an old order Mennonite in a family with 9 children. He would like to have 9 children, but would be happy with 8. Kristin, the daughter of a Pentecostal minister and formerly a nurse is a stay at home mom who does the baking and cooking. In the bible, Peter and Paul say a woman should dress modestly, so the women and girls in the family choose to wear skirts and dresses instead of pants as an expression of that modesty. Kristin has never had a sip of alcohol in her life, and the family does not allow alcohol into their home. Steve believes it's his responsibility to shelter his children from outside influences.

BACKGROUND MUSIC

Amazing Grace – Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Western Home - Harry Bluestone Emil Cadkin

Prairie USA - Brian Bennett

Airfix Model - Terry Wrist

UPDATE

After the swap, Tish and Kristin became friends. They stayed in contact and watched each other’s kids grow up. Here is quote from her Facebook.

"Someone just liked a bunch of pictures of me and Kristin Hoover that we took when we met up recently. Doing “Wife Swap” with the Hoover family was one of the best experiences of my life. We’ve kept up with each other almost 15 years from when filming started. We’ve watched each other’s kids grow up. We are from two entirely different worlds, yet we are so much the same. We have more differences than you can count. However, we have some very important shared running themes in our lives. Love, kindness, acceptance, trust, respect, encouragement, forgiveness, compassion. That list goes on, too. We don’t share religious or political or lifestyle beliefs. We disagree on a great number of topics. But we check all the boxes on all the ones that matter and that’s what I learned from being on “reality” TV."

On April 5 2019, Tish and Kristin met up at a Panera Bread in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Tish says the reunion was awesome. Here are some Facebook comments.

"I adore this family. They are so kind and accepting and loving. I appreciate everything they are."

"the Hoover family are truly wonderful people. It was so great to see them. Even though we live very different lives, I hold them in the highest regard."

Kristin's daughters became taller than Tish, and the Hoovers had two more children, who were boys. Tish and Tony divorced, while Kristin and Steve are still together. Steve owns Lucky Sweep Chimney Services and as of 2022, has been a board member of Midwest Chimney Safety Council for 27 years. From August 2011 - March 2014, he was the president of that organization according to his LinkedIn. Kristin Hoover is an office manager for Steve's business.

Tish is a special education teacher. Here is a video of an interview presentation where former students and colleagues say positive things about her. "She would put her last dollar down for anybody" said a former HS student. "They connected with her o na level that is rarely seen among teachers and students" said a former colleague.