Saturday, March 8, 2003

Saturday, March 8 Back home and doing better after an emotional trip to AL to bury my mother. Going home to AL was a “wrinkle in time” where the past, the present and the future all came together for just a moment. It was a whirlwind trip, filled with many emotions, and a chance to see many people we had not seen for decades. But the Lord helped us and I’m glad we went. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us. It was an honor to officiate at my mother’s graveside service. Something I will always treasure and a memory that will last for a lifetime.

Wednesday, March 5 We made it safely to Florence, Alabama, arriving about 10 AM, after spending the night in Nashville with Mark and Ruth Wolery, Marlene’s brother and sister-in-law. Nick is with us, Josh and Mark are currently en route from Oak Park to AL. Lots of family members we haven’t seen for many years are coming in from many locales for the visitation tonight and the service tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, March 4 I’m getting better but slower than expected. But I am improving little by little. My brother Andy called this AM with the news that our mother died early this morning in Florence, AL. She would have been 82 next month. The last few years had been difficult for her and she had declined recently, so the news was not entirely unexpected. She has gone home to be with the Lord forever. We’re leaving today to travel to Alabama for the visitation tomorrow night in Florence and the graveside service on Thursday morning in Russellville, the town in Alabama where we grew up. She will be buried next to our father in the plot we picked out when he died in 1974. It’s a beautiful spot on a hillside near some trees.