Friday, February 21, 2014
January 23 was a glorious day for our mother and your friend, Kathryn. She looked upon the face of Jesus, the one with whom she has walked since she was 12 years old - for nearly 76 years - three quarters of a century. But she also saw for the first time in 27 years her beloved husband, Bob, as well as her parents, and so many others who have gone to heaven before her.
As all of you who knew her know, Mother was a homemaker. Except for a very few years when she worked outside the home from necessity, she spent her life caring for her home and attending to her family. Nearly every morning she was up preparing breakfast for us before we left for work/school/or whatever. At the end of the day, we all returned to supper prepared for our family meal together - or in the later years, for Mother and Daddy together. Outside the home, Mother's life revolved around her church. She was active in all of the churches she and Daddy attended, involving herself in the music ministry, in Sunday School, in church governance, and certainly in the services. When Mother and Daddy would relocate she would sometimes say they weren't going to get so involved in the new church - but they always did! And she loved it and the many, many friends she made through the years through the churches. Up until Mother's recent decline over the last two years, I can safely say she spent nearly every Sunday morning in church. My earliest church memory is Mother driving our car, picking up her parents, and all of us going to Sunday School and Church.
Most of you are aware of Mother's personality and demeanor. She was friendly, kind, helpful, willing. She was a good listener - especially on telephone calls from her friends - and she kept confidential what was told her in confidence. These traits developed from a childhood that was described to me as one of perfect behavior! If I was told once, I was told at least several dozen times by my father that "your mother never talked back to her mother!" You can imagine the infraction I had committed that elicited that statement!
Many of you are aware that Mother gave piano lessons to students up into her 80s. While there were several years when she took a break from that, I have early memories of students coming to our home for their lesson. It was sometime shortly after we moved into our first home in 1949 that Mother got her piano (the same one that is still in the home where she lived with our sister Debby) and she gave lessons in order to make the payments on it.
The last 27 years without her beloved Bob were difficult for Mother. She depended on him in so many ways and having to take responsibilities he had formerly handled was not easy for her. But she adapted and we were proud of her for that. Many of you in her church family - and some who are now in heaven - helped Mother from time to time. I especially remember Foster Welch putting in her window air conditioner each summer and removing it each fall. Several of you men assisted when Mother moved from Lemont Furnace to Industry Lane. Libby, Debby, and I thank you dear friends who helped Mother along the way.
But we also thank all of Mother's friends - men and women - who made Mother's life so meaningful in the activities of which she was a part. You included her when you went out to dinner and when you ate in your homes, you introduced her to dinners at the Grange, you took her to various community plays and musicals, and you were there for her for conversation. We thank you for the 30 plus years of friendship she had in Uniontown and the wonderful memories she enjoyed.
Yes, January 23 was a glorious day for Mother. Her memory is now clear, her infirmities are removed, and we look forward to seeing her again when we finish our life here and God calls us home.
