Nan was remembered in a special service this afternoon.

Dear Friends and Family,

The service for Nan this evening was wonderful. Pastors John and Karen Cress from Denver SDA had the service. The church was full of friends and family. The service was a tearful reminder of a remarkable woman. I've got to admit when I start to think deeply about we've lost I can hardly bear it. If Nan had been ordinary this might have been slightly easier but she was a very unusual person who loved her family, friends and church and knew how to love well. In her declining time she showed such outstanding courage and serenity, such passion for a cure and such tender love for Keanna and Timothy

We had spent a very enjoyable day with Nan's family from Texas. Our house and the house next door are both occupied by loved ones. Ken and LeAnn have been kind enough to offer a place to sleep to our overflow guests. How kind is that?

We loaded all the beautiful flowers that were sitting around the house into vans and drove to the church. the choir was just getting through with their practice session and we moved in to take over. We greeted friends and family as they arrived.

The service opened with our pastor Jim setting the tone with his prayer. Then Dorothy sang a beautiful special number, then the pastor team began to speak. I was being overwhelmed with emotion. Their words were comforting and deeply meaningful. Karen struggled with her own grief but was able to carry on. Then it was time for the power point presentation. What a beautiful job Karen had done in preparing it. It traced Nan's life perfectly from early childhood through teen years, then when we got together, had babies, moved to Tracy to our first church and then the adult years, the travel years, the good years and then the beginning of the declining years of fighting with the disease, then photos showing a more serious decline and finally photos of Nan in her last brave days. The presentation was a wonderful reflection of her life and really tore me up, I was there for it all and oh how I wish I could relive even a day of it. What a precious woman to live with and work with and grow with.
John and Karen then team preached the rest of the message which was very helpful in looking forward to the future.
The Adoration Singers completed the program with two beautiful numbers. then it was over. I had the honor of sitting with Nikki, Steve, Jason and Jo. What a good crew to be with, we took turns handing tissues back and forth between us.
The church family had a meal prepared and it was excellent. I think every chair in the Better Living Center was filled. Thank you Tracy Church for that.
As I look back over the services I am very satisfied that Nan would approve of what we have tried to do, to reflect on her beautiful life, to celebrate her goodness with fitting music done in a professional manner. We have all tried to do our best for our precious Nan and I think we have succeeded.
Now comes the hard part, adjusting to life without the most precious and special person I have ever known, to live each day with just myself to talk to, to not have phone calls from home, to have a huge void in my heart where Nan has resided for the past 37 years. I wonder sometimes how I can go on, why I should go on but the answer comes through the playful smiles of Keanna and timothy, through Jason and Nikki, Steve and Jo.
I will have more to say when I'm not totally sleepy. With all the family here and most leaving in the morning we made the most out of tonight we could. This is a precious family with no weak links. How I love these people and they promise that I can still be a part of the family. They miss Nan like I miss Nan.
Well now its time to conclude and rest. Tomorrow I will have photos of services and events to share. Right now its bed time and I'm about to put my head back in this chair and go to sleep for the next 5 hours.
So dear friends and family, I thank you for the beautiful flower arrangements, most beautiful I have ever seen, for gifts and cards with tender thoughtful messages, for hugs and kisses and for times to just talk about Nan and remember what kind of person she really is and was. You my friends and family have made this horrible week possible and acceptable. How can I ever thank you for your great kindnesses to Nan while she was with us.
I truly love you all, thanks for doing the kind things for us all.
love from

tim and dana and ronnie and sharon and marilyn and jan and david and joe and linda