On January 29 2014, The Jesus bus pulled up and Bill was driving. He whistled and said Eddie Beth, it's time to go-just like he had years ago when the kids--Debi, Jim, and Jerry--were little and we would take them to summer camp. Oh the adventures the two of us have shared since we met at 16 in a Nazarene Sunday school class. Bill was always the impulsive one telling me that very day he was going to marry me and take care of me for the rest of my life. True to his word he took care of me, oh how he took care of me, devoting the last 17 years of his life to our fight against Alzheimer's. I know it's wrong to jump to the end of a story leaving out all the stuff that happened in the middle, but the word of hope, comfort and reassurance I want everyone to know is that during those years, I felt safe in Bill's loving and protective care. I had fallen in love with and married a man who took his vows seriously and treasured me above all else. And the word of hope for today is I've lived a life rich and full and to the very end. I've had too many blessings to count! We married April 15, 1949 and enjoyed honeymoon status in Kansas City as Bill studied to be a railroad engineer for the Santa Fe railroad and cooking our first Thanksgiving dinner in aluminum ice trays! By the next Thanksgiving, we had Debi, followed by Jim 21 months later and Jerry 19 months after that. Young and in love, with three kids in tow, we determined early on to raise our kids in the way they should go so that when they were old they would be close to the Lord; the bonus blessings became they loved and cherished us and forged lasting bonds not only as siblings but best friends along with their spouses, Dwain, Robin and Teresa. Our grandchildren came in two waves, first the rough and tumble stage with Scott and Brad, then our precious little angel, Jaramie, followed by the three princesses, Amy, Jordann and Ashley. During these years, God's word to us was, "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers." We experienced too many blessings to count! Honeymooning the second time around found us spending time traveling, enjoying our grandchildren's activities and frequent sleepovers where Bill always delighted the kids with his customized version of Bible stories. I once overheard the boys remarking "Memommie laughed and you know what a Christian she is." Too many blessings to count! Bill's love was so deep. He never wanted me to be upset or worried, so he never told me I had Alzheimer's; he simply kept adjusting our world to meet my needs, making sure I was always safe, secure, loved and protected. Realizing our traveling had stopped, Bill took over the cooking and cleaning--every woman's dream! I decided to give every one of our grandchildren a Bible I had personally read through. Bill supported, encouraged and applauded my efforts, allowing me to feel productive. During the phase of our lives we became great grandparents to William (named after Bill), Audrey, Jack and Blake. Too many blessings to count! Because of Bill's great love for me, knowing he could trust our kids to care for me, he went to heaven on June 2, 2013 to make sure our mansion was perfect for my homecoming. Over lunch one day, Debi and I were discussing the blessings of our lives, including the deep places of my heart, steadfast in Bill's love, the devotion of our children, and secure in the word of God planted firmly in the recesses of my mind allowed me to proclaim: Too many blessings to count! Visitation will be Thursday, February 6, from 8am-9pm at Mercer Adams. Funeral services will be at 2:00pm, Friday, February 7 at Mercer Adams Chapel, Bethany, OK. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Bethany First Church of the Nazarene or St. Ann's Nursing Home employee fund. Funeral Service Friday, February 7, 2014 02:00 PM Mercer-Adams Chapel 3925 N. Asbury Bethany, OK 73008