Not to get familiar or anyting, but...Yes, Dear.
Some much needed rest later...FIXED!
Just for everyone's benefit:
I actually had everything in place and installed correctly right from the start...except for one error that caused all my troubles. I had copied the theme's index.php to /public_html/ and I just kept on looking to fix the error in the wrong place. Go figure.
Thanks for sparking a renewed process of elimination, Milo. Wouldn't have found my error without your guidance!!!
PS: Trust me, people - ADHD and Hyperfocus is not for sissies. It's my biggest gift and worst enemy all at once!