Edith

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Graveside services

I do this as if mother will read it, even though I know better. She was laid to rest next to my dad with a shared headstone in a little cemetery outside of Glen Rose next to the golf course.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books Family put a few things in the casket just to express their love one more time. We added petals from her rose garden to rest beside her body. Her garden was at its peak at the Clairmont while she was in the hospital and that garden was one thing she really loved.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books We went to Chaci's Mexican Restaurant afterward for more visiting and to eat together.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Church Service Monday Evening in Leander

We have short excerpt videos below amidst the photos. I am not annotating them all. The service at the Leander Texas ecclesial hall was very nicely done. Joe Banta presided, George Booker spoke on his memories and Seba Faye played the piano. The young people's voices were a surprise to us, and we really appreciated their effort and nice voices.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books Gift from the youth of the ecclesia with a special hymn.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books Joe Banta talking about Leonard Passmore, his impact on mother and his writings. Leonard was my great grandfather.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books Second on Leonard Passmore.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books George Booker's memories of mother

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books Kitchen of ecclesial hall

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books Seba Faye's husband Jim on left in the rear graduate one year earlier than I did from Flour Bluff High School in Corpous Christi. He went to Hamlin Junior High at the same time I did and was in the band there with me. Small world!

Sarah's Spiritual Experience

About 8:25PM on Thursday 10/02/08, Sarah my daughter was at home working in the kitchen. Her husband was out of town at the time on business. She could not attend the evening family farewell to grandmother as did her siblings. Her son had been put to bed and assumed to be asleep.

She heard a faint sound of crying. It continued. Thinking it was coming from her son, she went to his bedroom, but she discovered he was sound asleep and resting peacefully. Returning to the kitchen, she still heard the crying. She checked in the rest of the house and outside for its source. There were no sounds except where she was in the kitchen. Then a minute later, she received a text message from Russ, my son at the hospital, sitting beside his grandmother who had just breathed her last breath. "Grannie just passed away".

Sarah was startled and could only conclude that in passing, her grandmother had made a visit to console her and made it known that she would miss my daughter, who loved her dearly. I was taken back. Perhaps God had sent her a message, because Sarah's grandmother was a devout worhipper of Him and the message could have been "Please join the faith and be with me in the Kingdom of God."

We are far from having the answers to all things. This is one of them. There is no denying that it happened. My mother was a teacher and a mother until she could no longer be one. She desired her whole family to share the same faith she so dearly loved and trusted.

International electronic church friends - Group Eulogy

From some of Edith’s Sister- Friends
(A world-wide Christadelphian small women’s’ email group)

She was a big help to me in her understanding of anxiety and her encouragement to take medications. I have the letters she wrote to me last year, which are very special now. There is really no one quite like Edith, and she will be missed on sister-friends. I can hardly wait to meet her in the Kingdom.
Love,
Cindy (in Indiana)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm so sorry to hear about Edith, and on following my mother's death, it's hitting me hard. It is very sad. I enjoyed her letters and comments.

love, Donna (in Ontario, Canada)
====================================

Dear Maritta,
What a great picture of our sister Edith! She was quite a lady - interested in everyone, game for an adventure, and actively supporting others in their journey of faith. A heroine of the Faith ... how blessed we are to have our lives touched by her.

You and her family are in our thoughts and prayers.

With love in our Lord,
Yvonne (in British Columbia, Canada)
++++++++++++++++++++++++

Me too, dear Cindy and all my sister-friends.

Edith was such a beautiful woman, full of spunk and full of wisdom. We will sure miss her company, and you said it perfectly when you said you can't wait to meet her in the Kingdom.

I think we all need to gather in a group hug today and grieve for our dear sister Edith whom we will all miss, and whom we all confidently look forward to seeing again in the Kingdom. Tears of sadness for ourselves in our loss, but joy for the hope we share.

Love and hugs
Jude
(lives in Australia)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Edith is asleep.

We are so sad because we shall miss her company, but then I look at the photo Maritta sent and I have to laugh. What a sister!

May God comfort all of her family, and may we all be blessed to be together , with her, in the kingdom.

Love Phyllis
(Lives in Litchfield, England)
====================

Dear Jude and sisters, I, too, love the picture of Edith on the ATV. From what I hear, it epitomizes her life—Nothing deterred her, she must have been game for anything. A very plucky woman.

I join you in the group hug, thanks to our Father for her example and prayers for those who grieve

Love in our Lord,

Carol 3
(in British Columbia, Canada)
=============

She will sorely be missed. I had come to know and love her. I, too, hope it won't be long till we meet in the Kingdom.

Love, Lois
(in Baltimore, Maryland)

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Traditional Public Funeral - Glen Rose

In one of the foyers, several displays were made available to demonstrate her life of 87 years. In the other foyer, a DVD of photos displayed to the hymn "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" was cycled on a TV for visitors to watch.

Her sister Sharon and my first cousin, the son of my late uncle and mother's brother Russell Tinsley.

Randy (Me) jabbering, my wife Josefa and her son Miguel in the background.

My four children by Linda: Kelly, Jeff, Sarah and Russ

There were plenty of beautiful flowers. Mother loved flowers and plants.

Mother considered Barry on the left as her fourth child. He almost lived at our home in Corpus Christi. Wayne and Russ

Beth considered mother as a second mom. She flew in from Houston.

We arranged to have the family put rose petals from mother's rose garden in her casket after the ceremony. Additionally, her frail body did not permit her to live long enough to see Wayne's induction into the Texas Broadcasters Hall of Fame later this month, so Wayne added a gift she was to receive.

We are very thankful for Joe Banta's help. He presided over and spoke on behalf of family and friends about her life.

The Glen Rose funeral was full of friends and family. We have included a few photographs here. Additional photographs can be found at dropshots.com. Her funeral was a celebration of life rather than a tear jerker. This is the way it should be. God made death a part of life, but he also made life a part of death. We cry because we miss our loved one, and we celebrate because of her accomplishments and our loved one has moved on to a better place. Our family's beloved Joe Banta oversaw the well organized funeral establishing the appropriate tone as he led the prayers, readings and gave his life observations about my mother.

I wish to thank Russ in helping me to make this all happen. His tireless efforts were very appreciated amidst his work obligations. Kelly was a huge help as well;he was by my mother's bedside for hours and hours during her fight for life. Neither have family obligations, but both are quite taxed for time in their jobs. I have four great kids. Sarah read a poem that she wrote for Grannie. I will publish it separately. Russ gave his memories of Grannie and Kimberly also gave her "first memory of Grannie" in addition to eulogies by Gail, Wayne and I.

Mother was dearly loved by her family. That has evident!

I realized at her funeral that despite my mother's sometimes elusiveness, she made many friends and helped raise the spirits of many at church, home and elsewhere. I realize some of her friends have not even been notified of her death, but I tried. We hope to find them over the next week or so.

Many photos were taken. We will make them available as soon as we get them uploaded from the cameras.

Video at Chachi's restaurant
Video of Kimberly and Gail conversation