2 Posts...

from the past. These are two emails that I received after Shirley passed. The first one is from Aunt Connie and the second is from my Uncle Dan....just thought I would share...


Happy little angels layed down their harps one day,
As word arrived that Sister was coming up to stay.
All the little angels and all the big ones too,
Remembered how they watched on earth, things that Sisters do.
Many a little angel had tales he could tell,
Of the many little hurts that Sister somehow made all well!
And Sister's lips were smiling and her eyes were full of mirth---
For she knew she'd be as happy in Heaven as on Earth!

As some of you know, we've been monitoring our (Carolyn's) neice's deteriorating condition as she battled bile duct cancer which is deadly. Her sister Teresa maintained an award winning blog to keep all informed. On Friday 1-23 about 9 months after being diagnosed, Shirley crossed the great divide into the arms of the Savior. We left Sunday 1-25 at 6am to join the family to say our goodbyes to this once bubbly freckel-faced red headed beauty whose life was sadly cut short at 42 by the thief known as cancer. It was impressive to see how many lives she had touched. At the funeral home on Mon night, the line was long as people filed past the family without pause for 2 hours. Back at the house the air was filled with smells of food, and sounds of laughter over stories recalled. The family bond was strong. The following day saw the gathering of some of the same as well as new folk at the country church on Hwy 7 where it passes between Lansing and Bonner Springs (Kansas) in a rural kind of way. Tears were not in short supply as we listened to Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton sing 'When I Get Where I'm Going' and Elvis' rendition of 'Peace in the Valley'. Funny stories about our girl. A moving tribute from her brother. And then the trip to the cemetery. Roughly 50 cars. They don't use flags on the cars there. Everyone turns on their 4 way flashers. Funeral escorts and local police stop traffic at the stop lights. No cars passed us as we were on the southbound side of this 4 lane divided stretch of highway. But when we turned onto Parallel Rd, a 4 lane undivided road I was touched by how everyone in the on coming lanes pulled over and stopped till we passed by. I vaguely remember seeing that kind of respect as a kid. If you did that here today you'd either get honked at or hit! At the gravesite we huddled as close as possible around the tiny tent as the wind took the meager 10 degrees and transformed them into far less. The final words were short and we shivered our goodbyes touching the bronze ornate box one more time. Back to the church for a very nice lunch with family and friends. Later that afternoon back at the house (Debbie & Tom's-Shirleys parents-Carolyn's sister) family gathered and once again the air was filled with aromas and laughter recalling good times and memories which are the treasures of life and we were sure Shirley was listening in.