March 10, 2022

Two Random Thoughts

1 Corinthians 15:54-58
 
My Mom died on February 9, 2021 of old age….yeah, 97 years old qualifies. My three older brothers and I were able to don PPE garments and were allowed to be with her just before she passed in the night. She and my Dad (who passed in 2013) got excellent care for decades at a facility in Oberlin, OH (just south of Cleveland) called Kendal, one of many locations with the same name around the country run by a Quaker-based organization. Years ago they started living there in an independent “cottage” and migrated at the end with 24/7 nursing attention. They moved there to be geographically centered between the mostly Midwestern homes of the four brothers.
 
Mom was comfortable with life, and always said she would be ready and at peace whenever the Lord called her name. She was a strong person who believed and lived daily in a Christian and loving manner. She tried as much as possible to pass that approach to her four boys, and generally successfully “made the mark” (yeah, I will not list our “bad” stories here). One of her life quotes was: “I was born happy and try to continue that throughout my life.” That mantra certainly would be good for anyone who listens to their own advice and admonishments. Note: She always enjoyed coming to Grosse Pointe, attending GPUMC and meeting all our church friends.
 
With many COVID-19 precautions, we were able to hold her interment service on October 2nd, outside on a gorgeous Autumn day, and all of her 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren were able to attend. The interment was held in a beautiful upper NY State town called Auburn (I was also born there) where her ashes were laid next to Dad’s in the family plot.
 
She was a great athlete (so was Dad) and excelled at skiing, sailing, tennis, ping pong, and enjoyed beating my brother Peter in cribbage. She was avid gardener, dog lover, and regularly sat down at the piano and played using various song books. At times in her life she was a bookkeeper, schoolteacher, church goer, traveler, active volunteer and always a strong family person.
 
I was lucky to have a loving mom like her.

My other random thought was to thank Pastor Ray for his service to GPUMC, at many levels, but particularly with our church’s Endowment. I had worked over the years with Joe Bromley and Carson Grunewald talking about how to make our methodology more successful. Ray’s background and expertise was crucial to assist and help direct our committees’ processes to the next appropriate stage (also thanks to former, now deceased, Endowment chair Larry Deck in the transition and for his years of faithful service). Ray also met regularly with Carson, and those personal meetings were helpful in encouraging Carson to follow through with an ongoing annual donation to GPUMC from his estate at the time of his passing. Thanks again on both accounts!

David DeWitt