Thirty years ago today, about five weeks shy of her thirty-ninth birthday, Mom took her last breath. I'm fine emotionally on this milestone day, but it just boggles my mind that it's been three whole decades. That's crazy.
This picture is one I found at some point after she died, just a random shot she'd taken of some sunflowers on the roadside when she was nineteen. I don't have any idea where it was taken, but it makes me smile. I've used it as a bookmark in my Bible for many years.
About ten years ago, out of the kindness of their hearts, some men from church took a cassette tape recording I had of her memorial service and converted it to more modern formats for me. Then Dad surprised me by taking the audio and adding a slide show to it, a video which he then loaded to YouTube. Tonight, as I work on a puzzle and hang out with the Ws who are home, I'm going to play that video.
If you knew Mom and would like to listen as it plays in the background while you go about your business or want to sit down and watch the slideshow as you remember her, or even if you didn't know her and just want a little glimpse of who she was, here's a link to the video.
In order of appearance, here are the talents and voices you'll hear.
* Nancy Myer - friend & pianist
* Michelle Ostendorf - friend & pianist
* David Shankle - our pastor at the time
* Harold Keech - song leader from our church
* Rick Stevens - a radio DJ we'd gotten to know & whose staff prayed for us regularly, singing "Welcome Home"
* Kathy Ward -friend & co-worker
* Judy Zelmer Smith -friend & boss
* Sandi Heitz - friend
* John Dean - college friend who, along with his wife, were friends with my parents
* Shirley Rettke - friend
* Faye Jurisich - college friend
* Dona (Shankle at the time) Hamilton - friend who had been in the Sunday School class my mom taught, singing "Home Free"
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