A Tale of Two Ladies

This week sealed the fate of two women from my past.  They weren't really friends, rather godly women that I looked up to.  We never hung out, went shopping together or had play dates with our kids.  But the news of their lives still had a impact on me.

The first is Willie Dupree.  She is a lady I befriended while we lived in Halls.  Over the course of several months & years, we developed a special friendship.  She feel in love with each of our boys after they were born.  I think she considered them her grandchildren.  You see, Willie never had children.  Talk about unfair.  She had a heart of gold & would have been a wonderful mother.  Her husband died 20+ years ago, so I can't imagine the loneliness she has felt.  But so strong in her faith in the Lord.

Her birthday was at the end of July.  I tried to call for several days.  No answer.  I finally called the church secretary at our old church.  She couldn't find out anything either.  I was in distress and had come to the conclusion that she must have finally died.  So on Wednesday, I started calling the funeral homes.  I couldn't think of any other way to figure out how to find her.  After the 3rd funeral home, I finally found her.  Alive!  She had set up a plan with the funeral home, but hadn't used it yet. :-)  They gave me her next of kin's number and I was able to learn where she was.  She was moved this summer to an assisted living center (finally! She just turned 95!) and I was able to get her name and address.  Yay!  I pray that I will get to visit with her again on our next trip back to TN.



Mrs. Willie and baby Gideon

 The second story has a happy ending, just of a different sort.  Dottie Danley, rather suddenly, went home to the Lord.  Even though I haven't seen or talked to her in years, I was still shocked and deeply sad when I learned the news.

Dottie was the wife of the pastor at the first church that Jason served at.  Talk about a godly woman.  She was such an encouragement to me and a model of what I could only hope to become when I grow up (because I'm certainly not there yet!).  I know she had faults, as we all do, but she always displayed grace, elegance and wisdom when I talked to her.  And a great sense of humor!  I remember a story she told me once of trying to clean up a spot from her carpet.  She scrubbed & scrubbed at that spot only to discover that it was a shadow cast from the window pane.  I can still see her laughing at herself over it.

Mrs. Dottie (stolen from my friend Jennifer's FB page).  All my pictures with her are pre-digital. :-(

Even though these two ladies really have no effect on my day to day life, they still have affected who I've become.  And that's exactly what I would like to be remembered for.  As a woman that loved the Lord and encouraged others to do the same.  So thank you Dottie & Willie for doing just that.