In Memory...

Brian's grandmother, Louella Katherine Katterhenry, passed away last Sunday, January 4th. We went up to St. Louis for the funeral, and my mom was able to come down to watch the kids (with Jason's help). It was a sad time, but also a celebration of a life well lived. She was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in August 2002, and was given 6 - 12 months to live. Her Dr. said he had never had or heard of a patient living as long as she did (6 1/2 years) with the same prognosis. She accomplished so much in that time, and lived a fairly active life. They visited us in Louisiana and also in Houston a couple of times. She was able to see Jacob on several occasions, and she met Gwyn last summer when Brian flew up with her (by himself and a bag of frozen breastmilk) to St. Louis, so his grandma could meet Gwyn in person.

I was kind of amazed at how much she accomplished in those years. She stiched by hand (a sewing machine was used only for the borders) quilts for every grandchild, she knitted several baby hats for premmature babies at the hospital, and knitted I think 88 stockings (we have 4 of them). I also learned she was in charge of counting the offerings from her church on Mondays (and was a member of her church for 54 years), and gave of herself constantly to those in need in her church in the form of meals or whatever was needed.

I had always really considered myself so different from her since we grew up in different times, but we just finished the Love and Respect study in our Sunday school class by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Check it out if you get a chance (www.loveandrespect.com). The basis is biblical principle that a man should unconditionally love his wife and a woman should unconditionally respect her husband. It just got me thinking how much Brian's grandpa so visibly unconditionally loved his grandma, and how much she respected him. She embraced her role as a wife and mother, something I strive to do as well.