with Patsy Nobles Jones
“A raindrop landing on your cheek is a kiss from someone that lives in Heaven and is watching over you. “
Our community extends sympathy in the loss of Jennifer Lynn Moore Jones (5-2-68 to 3-20-20), wife of Paul Jones of Henderson and daughter of the late Travis Gene and Evie Maybelle Coffman Moore – Davidson Chapel Cemetery in Trenton; Elvie Lee Patterson Sanders (8-30-27 to 3-27-20), mother of Pam Sanders Clayton; James Larry Koranka (6-15-71 to 3-26-20); Gladys Lucel Funk Greer (12-26-36 to 3-30-20) from Beech Bluff; and James J. Peacock (12-28-23 to 3-30-20).
From Henderson County, a great loss to family and community – Lois White Yates (2-21-13 to 3-29-20) widow of Olvie Yates, and oldest beloved resident of Lexington, living 107 years of a full life. Lois worked for Salant and Salant and became an excellent seamstress, winning many blue ribbons and awards at local fairs. She lived alone and managed her home while cooking and driving until she decided to give up her keys. Only of recent time did she have “help” staying with her; she had been that strong, dependable and workable. She was not the type to ever give up on life or a job. She enjoyed family experiences together from going cross country to research genealogy back to 1400s. The antiquing trips with keepsakes for many was fun as she understood the word “antique.” Establishing a tradition of slumber parties with four granddaughters, the day before Thanksgiving is a memorable treasure she left those precious girls. Lois had her first manicure at age 105, and her bucket list was to try a new recipe weekly.
Murdell Barker and I had planned to visit Lois Dec. 2018, but double-checking her schedule, she was simply too busy cooking at that time. Regrettably, we never rescheduled a visit. Blessed I was to have visited Tommy and Janice Yates Patterson recently, and while there, Janice shared her mother’s last birthday party on her 8×10 tablet. Wow! I saw a real living treasure celebrating 107 years of a good life with her family and friends. She was a calm pillar of strength during her family’s health crisis several times; that calm was healing in itself. Lois did have an enriched life because she was a positive person, good wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to her beloved family and community. She knew how to encourage because she was a role model. At age sixteen she and her family lived through The Great Depression of 1929-1939. Like many people said during hard times, “Dinner was beans and taters, and supper was taters and beans.” Lois instilled good positive attitudes and work ethics to her daughters, Janice (Tommy) Patterson and her late daughter Joy (Harold Maness) and those same ethics passed down on and on, which reminds those who knew her well that her quote was, “Keep on, keeping on.” Her work was done on this earth. Now her life is better – enriched and full of life and love surrounded by her heavenly family and friends. Yes, let us do it the Lois Yates way – “Keep on keeping on.”
From the book, Animalkind by Ingrid Newkirk (PETA president), I learned five animal tidbits – squirrels bury nuts by the position of the stars; pigeons navigate by low-frequency radio waves; fish sing under water; elephants use their trunks to send signals to other herds miles away of pending danger; and geese fall in love and partner for life. God makes no mistakes.
Tidbits: Charles Dickens had a pet raven named “Grip.” Grip died in 1841 and was preserved in Philadelphia Free Library. Edgar Allan Poe published his poem, “The Raven,” so many people get the two men mixed-up. Poe lost both parents by age four and was adopted by a rich tobacco merchant. Poe was excluded from his adopted daddy’s will, but this rich merchant included his illegitimate child never having met him. Poe suffered great tragedies and frustrations in his life. “Nevermore cried the raven.”
During the “C-Virus,” many have died and will die during this year. President Trump said to STAY HOME unless you had to restock groceries. Now some mayors are saying the same. I have noticed less traffic by our home on Hwy. 100. We are blessed to have two local stores to purchase groceries. Over 150 countries are suffering, so think of the number of people who will suffer. We must continue to be vigil in prayers for the President of the United States of America and his staff and leaders and officials in all local and state government; plus the military, medical staff, sanitation workers, first responders and many others with their lives on the line daily.
This is NOT the time to be negative and find fault with decisions made (“Great minds discuss ideas”). We need UNITY – “A nation that prays together will stay together,” should be our motto during this serious troubling time. God bless the WORLD and those who are trying to help keep us alive. God is the highest physician, so we wait for His healing Hand and will. Together is the only choice we have — GOD AND MAN and in that order!
I remember Mama Beck saying to me five years before she died, “Patsy, the United States has had it too good for too long. There will come a time when she is brought to her knees. It will not be in my lifetime (1911-2005), but it will be in yours. I only wish I could be there with you.”
I think the following quote describes the event we are going through now, so fit into the right mind and do YOUR part. Never ever forget to be the voice for the helpless who depend on us – children, elderly and animals.
2020 VISION: “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
