The title of this blog post pretty much sums up the last year or so for us. My dad passed away on June 13th, our son Chris was married to Amanda on July 19th, and Sabrina's mom passed away on February 13th, 2009, a little more than a month ago. Her service at Beaverton Foursquare Church was beautiful, with the emphasis on her faith in the Lord, precious and kindhearted things she did for one and all, and cherished memories held by friends and family members. One of the high points for all of us was hearing Pastor and Uncle Aaron--a patriarch and anchor of faith in the family--read this poem he composed for his sister. He is considered a Poet Laureate of sorts in the family and always comes through with wit, charm, and creativity.
Muriel
A Lady of Grace
On the twenty-eighth of October, the year nineteen thirty nine,
Came a very special infant girl, by God's unique design.
Albert and Elsie Knapp, her parents, felt pure delight,
And they chose the name, Muriel, and it fit her just right.
Archie and Randall greeted their new sister that day,
Aaron, Edith, and Frieda came later along the way.
Still later came step-siblings, Irwin, Ginger and Gayle,
That was way before microwaves and Internet e-mail.
Muriel was a very good student, head of her class at school;
At home, laundry and dishes she did as a rule.
And life was quite difficult in her growing up years;
Occasionally there was laughter, more often there were tears.
Muriel decided as a young lady it was time for her to wed,
And in God's providence came a young man named Fred.
In a short time it seemed marriage the "Noble" thing to do,
And they formed a union of one, from those who were two.
From their union God blessed them with children, count five;
In spite of a flurry of activity, they all did survive.
Desiree, Sabrina, Derek, Rachelle and Elissa, that's all;
In Muriel's eyes each of her children truly stand tall.
All of her grandchildren (grand and great) are the best on earth,
All created by God and have incredible value and worth.
Some of her best times were with them at her side;
Her love and pure enjoyment were impossible to hide.
Muriel excelled in many ways as an employee at the bank;
As a servant and a leader at the top she would rank.
It was said of her integrity, she was "honest to a fault,"
As a teller at the window or with a customer in the vault.
Traveling with Fred was an adventure to be sure;
For almost any troubles it seemed a welcome cure.
They often shared weekends at a beach nearby,
And for an appointment in London, they took to the sky.
We'll miss the good conversations, hot coffee by the fire,
And the warm plate of brownies, the appetite to inspire.
The holiday meals were always fit for a king;
In Muriel's preparation, she never missed a thing.
In her last days, Muriel's life took a rough turn;
Of her courage and faith, we were all certainly to learn.
She held fast to her hope, when hope seemed to take flight,
She wrote, "God's in control" and everything is all right.
Her suffering is all over; she fought the battle and won;
Muriel's having a celebration with Father, Spirit and Son.
She has a brand new body, perfect in every way,
And in her forever new home she has decided to stay.
(By Aaron Knapp, Muriel's brother)
A Lady of Grace
On the twenty-eighth of October, the year nineteen thirty nine,
Came a very special infant girl, by God's unique design.
Albert and Elsie Knapp, her parents, felt pure delight,
And they chose the name, Muriel, and it fit her just right.
Archie and Randall greeted their new sister that day,
Aaron, Edith, and Frieda came later along the way.
Still later came step-siblings, Irwin, Ginger and Gayle,
That was way before microwaves and Internet e-mail.
Muriel was a very good student, head of her class at school;
At home, laundry and dishes she did as a rule.
And life was quite difficult in her growing up years;
Occasionally there was laughter, more often there were tears.
Muriel decided as a young lady it was time for her to wed,
And in God's providence came a young man named Fred.
In a short time it seemed marriage the "Noble" thing to do,
And they formed a union of one, from those who were two.
From their union God blessed them with children, count five;
In spite of a flurry of activity, they all did survive.
Desiree, Sabrina, Derek, Rachelle and Elissa, that's all;
In Muriel's eyes each of her children truly stand tall.
All of her grandchildren (grand and great) are the best on earth,
All created by God and have incredible value and worth.
Some of her best times were with them at her side;
Her love and pure enjoyment were impossible to hide.
Muriel excelled in many ways as an employee at the bank;
As a servant and a leader at the top she would rank.
It was said of her integrity, she was "honest to a fault,"
As a teller at the window or with a customer in the vault.
Traveling with Fred was an adventure to be sure;
For almost any troubles it seemed a welcome cure.
They often shared weekends at a beach nearby,
And for an appointment in London, they took to the sky.
We'll miss the good conversations, hot coffee by the fire,
And the warm plate of brownies, the appetite to inspire.
The holiday meals were always fit for a king;
In Muriel's preparation, she never missed a thing.
In her last days, Muriel's life took a rough turn;
Of her courage and faith, we were all certainly to learn.
She held fast to her hope, when hope seemed to take flight,
She wrote, "God's in control" and everything is all right.
Her suffering is all over; she fought the battle and won;
Muriel's having a celebration with Father, Spirit and Son.
She has a brand new body, perfect in every way,
And in her forever new home she has decided to stay.
(By Aaron Knapp, Muriel's brother)
