17 Aug 2023, Thusday

 17 Aug 2023, Thursday

Prioritized Daily Task

Chapel at Crosspoint

1477 CR-393

Santa Rosa Beach, FL  32459

Thursday, 8/17:

10 AM - Burial with family @ Gulf Cemetery across the street from the Chapel

11 AM - Receive Friends 

12 PM - Service in the Chapel

Reception to follow at the Chapel end this text to Jason, Eric, and Blake

Chapel at Crosspoint

1477 CR-393                                                                                               Santa Rosa Beach, FL  32459

10 AM - Burial with family at Gulf Cemetery across the street from the Chapel

11 AM - Receive Friends 

12 PM - Service in the Chapel

Reception to follow at the Chapel 

I was up at 7 AM; had prayer, washed, shaved, and got dressed.  I went outside and trimmed my fingernails.  Jeannet called last night asking for directions to the church and cemetery.  I called Michael; he is going by and pick up Elain.  I called Jeanette and gave her the directions; I gave her our location but it will be better if she and Steve were supposed to follow Michael to the church. Avery called Dan and asked him to bring a picture of her and her Mama Ora.  I had some toast for breakfast before Dan and I drove to the cemetery.  David Huffman, Ora, and Dan's minister welcomed everyone and conducted the graveside service and the Remembering Ora service.   Michael brought Rae Lynn, Robyn, Lori Lynn, and Elain.  Jeannet and Steve were not ready and drove to the church services at The Chapel at Crosspoint, 1477 CR-393, Santa Rosa Beach, FL.  The minister, Charles Wilson, is a friend of Dave Huffman.  Charles did not charge Dan for the use of the church, the chapel, or the dining area.  I met him after the services.  He was on the second floor painting the rooms and hall by himself.  Dan's nephew, Wesley's youngest son, Ben Truitt, gave the opening prayer.  The songs Great Are You Lord, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, and others were on the large screens in the chapel so everyone could read the lyrics.  They had a friend who was very talented and sang and led the congregation in singing.  Sarah-Kate Strange, a young girl about 9 years old, sang and played the guitar.  She and her mother, Faye, gave up their Christmas;  brought dinner, and presents.  They spent the day with Ora and Dan in 2019.  Susan, Amy,  Ally, Avery, and Truit spoke telling about Mama Ora in a type of eulogy.  David W. Huffman, their pastor, made some closing remarks and offered the benediction.  Susan and Amy provided food, salads, and sandwiches for everyone.  I thought I was going to help Dan pay for the catering but it was already paid.  Spencer Kimball, Max and Debbie's son who live near Ora and Dan came to the services.  Ally and Spencer are cousins.   Afterward, we drove about 3 blocks or more to the public beach.  Susan and Brian arranged for about 20 first-class folding cloth beach chairs and umbrellas, a fire pit, and wood for us to sit, visit, and the children to make smoors.  We took pictures and had a great day celebrating Ora's life.   Elain, Jeanette, and Steve went back to the La Quanta Inn.  Amy and her family went to Susan's.  Dan and I came home.  I called and talked to Debbie.  She and the Jelicics were in the Grant's pool.  I listened to the scriptures on YouTube and had my personal prayer before going to bed.                                                                             

          Leonard and Heidi Grant Cox - Del and Linda Grant Halling                                    Mirko, Bojana, Ljubica, Jelicic, and Debbie 

                                               
                                                              Uncle Dan Truitt's loving family

                                                                Charles Wilson, Pastor

                                               The Chapel at Crosspoint,  1477 CR-393                                                                                               Santa Rosa Beach, FL  32459

                                                                                                                                                          the  chapel

                                                                                                                          David W. Huffman, Ora and Dan's Pastor

                                                   me, Rae Lynn, Spencer Kimball, and Michael

                  d L-R, Spencer Kimball, Michael, Ben Truitt, Robyn Johnson, and Rae Lynn

                                                        Firepit at the Sana Rosa Beach

                                                      Rae Lynn, me, Michael, and Elain

                                                       Amy and Susan at their mother's grave

MOTHER’S EULOGY  by Susan      8/17/2023

Words are certainly difficult considering the magnitude of my affection for my dearest Mother, my closest confident, best friend, and most wise counsel. She was my biggest cheerleader throughout my life but most of all she was the one who would and could speak Truth to me. I loved her frankness. She spoke often of her life after her real spiritual transformation in 1997. She was so surrendered to her Savior that He became her favorite topic. If you loved Jesus Christ, you would have had an instant sisterhood with her.

Mother loved to do things with excellence, even if subconsciously. She could sew anything. She would even draw her own patterns. She made our prom dresses, curtains. She and her sister, Elain, made a lot of their own clothes growing up. Mother set a beautiful table at holidays and decorated our home spectacularly. She loved to make us feel special and she cared a lot for details. I think that’s why a latte served in a china cup still tastes so much better to me. I can still hear her say that.

My Mother’s family, the McAlpins have also greatly shaped my life. They are passionate, they love well and have dynamic personalities. They put the “F” in FUN.  Mother and her brother, Leonard, and sister Elain have a bond, a closeness that is enviable. I wholeheartedly believe you could search the world over and not find a better brother and sister. And they each have the art of story-telling. Amy, my cousins, and I got to hear thrilling stories about their childhood, stories of the pranks they played on Granny’s customers in her home beauty shop, stories about the Sunday school teacher who faked his death and possibly hid in their basement. (Which btw, I have an audio of Mother’s account of this, I think it’s the best movie-script ever). Stories of Aunt Veener, the pal kids, stories of their best friend Jeanette, the little rich girl with a pony who lived in the brick house. Mother often said she never knew they were so poor growing up; she said when she asked her mama why there were no baby pictures of her, Granny replied, “honey, we were just happy to feed you.” They lived on a working farm, ate a lot of pinto beans, cornbread and buttermilk, and kept a slop bucket in the kitchen for the hogs. She always said they had the richest childhood. They didn’t have toys, they had to be creative and they had each other. I love my memories of the annual homecomings at the Pleasant Hill church they grew up in with the all day gospel singings and southern casserole dinner on the grounds.


My Mother married into the Truitt family, whom she loved so dearly. We had the privilege of growing up in the same church, First Baptist of Bremen, with most the Truitt clan. We had blissful holidays with our Truitt cousins, aunts and uncles, and loved to pick blueberries at their orchard, make home-made ice cream in the summers, Mother loved salt on her watermelon and we had the best Easter egg hunts. Mother always said we got the gentle-kindness from Daddy’s side. I think it was the perfect balance. 

Mother loved to study Theology and rightly dividing the Word of God. Many years ago she began to study reformed doctrines of the Christian faith and apologetics. She would say that the tenants are worth investigating deeply as doctrine highly affects your view of a Holy God. She often said, you can’t have a relationship with someone you don’t know. Even at the end, she instructed us to “stay in the Word and not to add to Scripture.” She taught me so much. If she were here she would say, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8 For He is worthy of all your affection, all your praise and all your surrender.”

I want to take a moment to thank my father for being the example for us all, for sacrificially loving our Mother, for honoring and cherishing her all the days of our lives with total joy. Thank you to my husband, Brian, who loved my Mother so well, thank you for making her laugh and always lifting her spirits. When she was homebound she looked so forward to you coming up to her room to share what was going on out there…

As time marched on and Mother’s health declined, she had much time to contemplate life. More and more she turned her eyes upon Jesus and while doing so, the things of this world grew strangely dim…in the light of His glory and grace.

My shattered heart is for my enormous loss, not hers. We know that it is well with her soul and she has received her “well done, good and faithful servant.” 

L-R, Jeannet Smith Hugh the little rich girl with a poney that lived in a brick house, and Elain