An elderly JW lady that I love dearly passed away this week. I didn't find out until today when I called my mom. My father knew but didn't tell me when I spoke to him on Wednesday---nothing to do with JWism, he's just forgetful.
She was already cremated, and I believe that her youngest daughter will take back the ashes to Maryland so she can bury her mom next to her dad. I feel bad that I couldn't see her one last time. I hear her hearty laugh over and over again in my head. She was a very warm and loving lady, larger than life. She was the last in her family to become a JW; she was previously a Catholic. I'm not sure of the exact year that she got baptized, but she was 79 years old when she did it, so it must be just about 9-10 years ago.
I remember that day. She needed a bit of help getting into the pool and out again but she was fine. It was really special, even I thought so.
She was the type of person whose door was always open. She didn't need an advance phone call. You could just drop on in and say hello, and she would always greet you warmly, wearing her flowered aprons and beaded necklaces. She would always have a fresh pot of coffee on and some cookies and donuts. She would never let you walk out of her house without a bagful of something, be it books, old cassettes, clothing, costume jewelry, food. Throughout the years that my mother would pick her up for the meetings she always handed over a bagful of some food for me and my brother as soon as she got into the car. She got me wayyy into pork rinds for a while . That was the only thing that made me look forward to Tuesday night meetings.
She stuggled to go out into field service, but whenever she could she did. She was over 80. She usually accompanied my mother's book studies. Occassionally she would read something out of the bible. I didn't know at first, but I found out that she had only learned to read when she was in her 40s. So she kind of struggled a bit with the reading but she did her very best. At the WT and bookstudy too.
I cant believe she's gone.
So tomorrow I guess there will be some kind of service for her at the local KH. I invited myself over. My mother didn't at all suggest that I should be there, I just asked her what time was it and she said 2:00pm. I said "Im going" and that's that. I think I should arrive maybe 45 min to 1/2 hour early in case my mother is forgetful. Not that she lies, but she "forgets."
Oh and I'm not interested in what the JWs from my old congregation think or say. I DA'd over 5 years ago. I'm going because I want to, for a moment, remember this remarkable lady. She was the EMBODIMENT of true Christian spirit. I hope noone forgets that. She was not judgemental of anyone. She never shunned anyone. She welcomed everyone into her life, especially the ones that everyone else rejected. She KNEW what it meant to be a true follower of Christ, and she LIVED it.
May she rest in peace. Te quiero siempre Marina.
PS I may never look at a bag of pork rinds and not think of her for as long as I live!