In Memory

Steve's grandmother Ruby Howell passed away on October 9th, 2010... just 1 day after her 89th birthday. We had been down to Georgia to visit her in August, so we were able to get some pictures of her with her 2 great-grandchildren; our son Nathan, and our niece Hannah:


Steve and I traveled to Georgia this past week for the funeral. Though it was a sad occasion that brought us all together, it was so nice to spend some unhurried time with that side of the family. It was amazing some of the things we were able to learn about Grandmother Howell. She had written out her life story in 1999, and one of the cousins read it out loud at the meal after the funeral. I was fascinated by the stories of Ruby as a young girl growing up on various farms throughout Georgia, of her childhood adventures, of the tragedies in her life that I never knew about, of her courtship and love for her husband of 45 years (who passed away 20 years ago!), of the values they sought to instill in their children and their grandchildren, of the sacrifices they made along the way. Grandmother Howell was a woman of quiet dignity and strength, and her touch on our lives continue to have an effect on us.

It was a time to celebrate a life well-lived, and to pay our respects to a woman who had such a profound affect on us all. We will miss her, but we rejoice in the fact that she is happy and whole with the Jesus she loved, and that we will see her again one day.

Goodbye, Grandmother. We love you very much.