Mom had agreed to move to Knoxville in November 2019 to spend time with her "southern family", which consisted of "kin" in Tennessee, Florida, and Missouri.
Mom, aka Lillian Mae Barnes was born in Wheatland, Wyoming July 22, 1926, and moved to Heaven on February 2, 2020, at age 93.
She was a recent resident of Knoxville. living here three wonderful months in a quad-plex with 5 generations under one roof! (Great-great grandson, Elijah is three and loved giving his "GG Mama" hugs every morning! Angelica, Mom's Great-granddaughter enjoyed my Mom's recipes and making tea for her. Starlie, Mom's Granddaughter, loved Mom's stories and jokes! And of course, me!) I loved every part of Mom, especially her attitude always positive and gracious. She was faithful in her prayer time and Bible reading even when she was not able to read her prayer list or scriptures. The legacy of faithfulness, seeing the good in every situation and always being gracious, is another legacy I choose to receive! It is very evident in my Sister, Shirley's life too as she is faithful, trustworthy and one you can count on.
We were raised in a Christian home where our parents did lay-missionary work in each place our father was stationed as a part of the United States Air Force. This put the desire in my heart to travel and to share the gospel and widow's ministry with different cultures and countries. I see that legacy also lived out in our family. Our brother, Len, as a past paratrooper, and commercial truck driver fearlessly crossed the land. Several of Moms' great-grandsons and great-granddaughters also love to travel and several have been a part of mission trips to different countries. Others in the family are involved in ministry in their churches and communities. You see the legacy of "good ethics" flow through the family!
What legacy are you leaving? None of us know when we are saying "goodbye" down here and "hello" up there...so we need to make every day count!
Mom stayed "thankful" to the end! She worshiped the Lord to music with her hand raised and a word rarely spoken. The presence of the Lord was evident, and I knew God had given us a precious gift not only in her but in the legacy she was leaving!
