Today, our mom passed away and has joined her first daughter Janice behind the gates of heaven. She won’t be returning to us but her imprint to what she has given us will ALWAYS remain. We know she’s watching over us and resting in peace. God Bless you mom, we love you, and already miss you.
As a family, we have a grieving process to go through and arrangements to make. We can tell you that our mom’s final farewell will be a celebration of her life at Saint John’s Lutheran Church, 959 Valley Road in Arroyo Grande on Saturday, September 29th, 2007 at 11:00 AM. Further details of our mom’s service including a map and written directions to the church will be soon forthcoming on this website along with additional information and pictures in the very near future. Thank you once again for the incredible outpouring of love, support, sharing and giving from all of you.
As a family, we have a grieving process to go through and arrangements to make. We can tell you that our mom’s final farewell will be a celebration of her life at Saint John’s Lutheran Church, 959 Valley Road in Arroyo Grande on Saturday, September 29th, 2007 at 11:00 AM. Further details of our mom’s service including a map and written directions to the church will be soon forthcoming on this website along with additional information and pictures in the very near future. Thank you once again for the incredible outpouring of love, support, sharing and giving from all of you.
9 comments:
Dear Mel, Andrea, Jeff and Matt,
May God give you rest, peace and strength as you find a way to cope through the coming weeks. I am crying with you, but am happy for Joan as she has shed her cocoon and flown away to see God and Janice.
My love to all of you
Della
Dear Paul Family,
It is with a heavy heart that I'm posting this message - my God give you comfort at this sad time. But know that Joanie will ALWAYS be with each one of you. What a special woman she was and how she had the wonderful talent of making everyone around her welcome and loved. I will miss her engaging smile, infectious laugh and that "devilous" twinkle in her eye! What a wonderful wife, mother, sister and friend she was to everyone. She will truly be missed.
May God grant you peace and comfort in the coming days just knowing that she is with Janice and finally resting in the loving arms of our Lord.
With heartfelt sympathy and love,
Robin & Family
To the Paul family:
Having known Joan since she was 14 years old, I know what a special person she was (even back then.) We graduated in the summer of 1957. Knowing how much she was loved by not only her family, but her friends as well, surely must have helped her in her final days. She leaves behind a loving family who is filled with a lifetime of good memories. May she rest in peace. God bless you all.
Mary Temple
God saw you were getting tired
And a cure was not to be.
So He put His arms around you
and whispered "Come with Me"
With tearful eyes we watched you suffer
And saw you fade away
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands to rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best!
We Love You and Miss You.
This is something I found that I thought might bring comfort to all.
Weep not, weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.
Heart-broken husband – weep no more;
Left-lonesome daughter – weep no more;
Grief-stricken son – weep no more;
She’s only just gone home.
Day before yesterday morning,
God was looking down from his great, high heaven,
Looking down on all his children,
And his eye fell on Sister Joan,
Tossing in her bead of pain.
And God’s big heart was touched with pity,
With the everlasting pity.
And God sat back on his throne,
And he commanded that tall, bright angel standing at his
right hand: Call me Death!
And that tall, bright angel cried in a voice
That broke like a clap of thunder:
Call Death! – Call Death!
And the echo sounded down the streets of heaven
Till it reached way back to that shadowy place,
Where Death waits with his pale, white horses.
And Death heard the summons,
And he leaped on his fastest horse,
Pale as a sheet in the moonlight,
Up the golden street Death galloped,
And the hoof of his horse struck fire from the gold,
But they didn’t make a sound.
Up Death rode to the Great White Throne,
And waited for God’s command.
And, God said: Go down Death, go down,
Go down to Nipomo, California,
Down in Nipomo,
And find Sister Joan.
She’s borne the burden and heat of the day,
She’s labored long in my vineyard,
And she’s tired -
She’s weary -
Go down Death, and bring her to me.
And Death didn’t say a word,
But he loosed the reins on his pale, white horse,
And he clamped the spurs to his bloodless sides,
And out and down he rode,
Through heaven’s pearly gates,
Past suns and moons and stars;
On Death rode, and foam from his horse
Was like a comet in the sky;
On Death rode,
Leaving the lightning’s flash behind;
Straight on down he came.
While we were watching around her bed,
She turned her eyes and looked away,
She saw what we could not see;
She saw Old Death. She saw Old Death
Coming like a falling star.
But Death didn’t frighten Sister Joan;
He looked to her like a welcome friend.
And she whispered to us: I’m going home.
And she smiled and closed her eyes.
And Death took her up like a baby,
And she lay in his icy arms,
But she did not feel his chill.
And Death began to ride again -
Up beyond the evening star,
Out beyond the morning star,
Into the glittering light of glory,
On to the Great White Throne.
And there he laid Sister Joan
On the loving breast of Jesus.
And Jesus took his own hand and wiped away her tears.
And he smoothed the furrows from her face,
And the angels sang a little song,
And Jesus rocked her in his arms,
And kept saying: Take your rest,
Take your rest, Take your rest.
Weep not – weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.
Dear Mel, Andrea, Jeff and Matt,
My heart breaks with yours as I type this, but through the pain and sorrow, I rejoice in knowing that Joan is finally well and in a better place with her Lord and her precious Janice. I have to smile as I think of a special band of angels who were surely at the gates to welcome her Home...
May you all feel God's love surrounding you as you move through the coming days/weeks/months...
I wish so much, sweet Andrea, that I could be there ... but know that all of you are in my heart, my thoughts and my prayers.
Love,
Cheryl Cummings
Dear Mel, Andrea, Jeff and Matt: My heart is breaking for you as you grieve the death of your wife and mother. But I am rejoicing to know that Joan is at home with our Lord and Savior and is free from pain and suffering. I am sure that Joan and Janice had a very sweet reunion in heaven! I pray that God will wrap his loving arms around each of you and give you comfort and peace.
Sending a big hug to each of you!
Love, Neva C.
My Pauls; I posted a photo and the story of how your mom and I met on my blog:
http://martas-art.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-friend-joan.html
I keep picturing her today in the kitchen cutting up fruit for us, at the LB house making chcolate chip oatmeal cookies for my kids and my heart fills with joy as I remember my friend Joan. How I love her and all of you. We will come up to celebrate with all of you on the 29th...love you, marta and rudy
Dear Paul Family,
I'm very sorry to hear of your loss. Nina Joan was a very special angel on Earth. I keep picturing the old house in Long Beach and what great memories I had growing up with her. I love you all.
Dear Paul family...my heart goes out to all of you over the loss of your wife and mother, dear Joan. I have known Joan since we were at Banning High school together. She was a good friend all these years and a wonderfully kind person...
she was truly very special. I am comforted to know that she is with our Heavenly Father and having a wonderful reunion with her precious Janice.
The prettiest and best
has gone to rest.
Love & Blessings to you all,
Ruby Hendrix
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