Vol. 2 # 11, Oct 24, 2003

Julia Shepherd Has Achieved the Victory Prize of Being Put Right with God

After a long struggle with so many medical-surgical problems our friend and SSBS classmate Julia J. Shepherd expired on Wednesday afternoon, October 22. It was only four months ago in the PHA # 47 of June 20th that Julia was named Shepherd of the Month. Below is a reprint of that honor.

"Julia Shepherd celebrated both a birthday and a wedding anniversary this month (June). Julia is a native Virginian originally from Roanoke, Virginia. She attended the Roanoke Public Schools and graduated from Jefferson Senior High School. She was baptized in the First Baptist Church of Roanoke and like a good young female Baptist she entered a good Baptist Women's college, Westhampton College of the University of Richmond. She graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1959. She and Teacher Bob married a year later on June 18, 1960. She taught high school English and history in Roanoke from 1959 to 1960 and taught the same subjects at Lexington High School from 1960 to 1961 while Bob was completing law school at Washington and Lee University. Two children soon followed (Rob and Sharon) and a few years later daughter Stephanie was born. After the children were older Julia found time to teach at the Riverside School and the Rudlin Torah Academy here In Richmond. She has had medical problems in recent years including a fractured hip after the Maundy Thursday service of 2002 and she has also suffered a mini stroke. She has had to adjust to a wheelchair and Teacher Bob has had to adjust to the caregiver role. The "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health" is a difficult challenge for any marriage but love can endure. As Paul has written: "Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail."

"Julia is a bright, faithful, patient, and warm person. She is a wife, mother of three adult children, and grandmother of four boys. PH hopes that all Shepsons will honor her as Shepherd of the Month."

Julia did the right things. She honored her parents. She married the love of her life. She raised three children and was proud of her four grandsons. She endured the perils of biological depression, medical illness and the adversities of aging. She was an avid reader and had a subtle wit enhanced by her intelligence. She has faced what we all will face. As portions of Psalm 44 express:

"All of this has happened to us, even though we have not forgotten you
Or broken the covenant you made with us. We have not been disloyal to you;
We have not disobeyed your commands. Yet you left us helpless among wild animals; you abandoned us in deeper darkness.
If we had stopped worshiping our God and prayed to a foreign god, you would surely have discovered it, because you know our secret thoughts. But it is on your account we are being killed all the time, that we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered."

These words about sheep being slaughtered appear again in Paul's words in Romans 8. Paul writes: "As the scripture says, 'For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered.'
No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love; neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below - there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Julia's soul is now free from her broken body. Attached to this PHA is a small group photo, which includes Julia, taken at the farm social on June 28. Julia's funeral service will be at 1 PM on Saturday afternoon. Internment will be at the Westhampton Memorial Park. The Shepherd Family will receive visitors at the Woody Parham Chapel from 5 to 8 PM today (Friday).

The Thomas Children Make Great Leaps

Earlier this week, Carolyn and George Thomas became grandparents at age twenty-nine. Their first grandchild, Laura Castleton Byrne, arrived safely weighing in at 8 lb. 3 oz. Both mother and baby are doing well. Also Carolyn and George's son David earned his Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. Carolyn wrote PH the following:

"His thesis had to do with a synthesis process for polymers that are water tolerable. The actual name is long and quite" chemical. He has been at the University of Southern Mississippi in the school of polymer science and engineering, one of the top schools in the country for this topic. Apparently not too many years ago, there was a "pot of money" available from oil companies for the establishment of schools of excellent in this subject. There was a political compromise and the money was split between Mississippi and Mass. David looked at both programs and also at Cal Tech and in Ohio but decided his stipend would go farther in Mississippi. He also liked warm weather...so choices are made. He has done well and George and I have changed some of our preconceived notions about Mississippi. It is actually a magnate for retiring snowbirds and that has changed some of its character. He has a job with Mississippi Polymer Technologies on the Mississippi/Louisiana border and plans on living near Gulfport. His ultimate plan is to teach in a university but he wants the industry experience first."

Do any of you wonder what Carolyn and George's "preconceived notions about Mississippi" might have been? Maybe Trent showed them real Southern hospitality? Carolyn and George certainly deserve SSBSC congratulations.

Kathy Wade Is Once Again A Boomer Sooner

Kathy Wade is returning home to Oklahoma. She was a wonderful talented addition to our class. She wrote the following letter to all of her friends, including the SSBSC:

Dear All,

This will be my last correspondence with you for a while. I'm disconnecting my PC tonight-just part of the process of getting ready for my move to Oklahoma.

For many of you this will be quite a surprise but not to most. I've had quite a send-off today from my incredible church here in Richmond, Virginia and I go with an armful of mementos and lots of love from Sunday School class members, my fantastic choir and our incredibly faithful WMU (Woman's Missionary Union) group. I also include in there my wonderful, fantastic former co-workers but ALWAYS current friends whom I worked with while on The Commission magazine staff at the International Mission Board.

I'll be living in the family home in Seminole, Okla. where my next-door neighbors will be all family members. Not many people can say they actually live in a family compound unless they're some of my missionary friends overseas!
Some of my closest friends on earth are waiting for my arrival so as much as I will miss my dear, dear friends here in Richmond, this is the best and right thing for me to do.

I will have a new Internet service when I reach Oklahoma and I will likely use my old Yahoo e-mail account, which is: kgaylew@yahoo.com. If you write to me after tonight, the 19th, please use the Yahoo account. I can check it at the library if I have time before the movers come next Saturday, the 25th. My telephone here in Richmond will be disconnected on Oct. 24.

I'll not be using AOL anymore so please take the KathyJeeW@aol.com address out of your address books
Now for the physical address. My new mailing address is: Route 3 Box 272 J-1, Seminole, Okla., 74868.
My new telephone number will be working as of Nov. 1, 2003. It is: (405) 303-2491. I will also have a cell phone number, but I won't be setting that up until I organize the house.

When I'm back online, I'll notify everyone.

God bless,

Kathy

The RRCB Denominational Affairs Committee Does Exist

As the result of an inquiring article in last week's PHA, PH has learned that the Denominational Affairs Committee DOES exist. The membership of this committee reads like a Who's Who of RRCB. The members of the Denominational Affairs Committee are:

Hilton Almond, Dan Bagby, Sandra Bowen, Donna Brown, Russ Collins, Skee Goode, Bill Gray (chair), Tom Graves, Rob James, Bob Musick, Mary Pankey, Stuart Seaton, Connie Showalter, Dan Stevens, Carolyn Thomas, Jean Woodward.

With so many clergy types, doctor types, and lawyer types, one would think that this committee could meet at least once a year. However there is a glimmer of hope as one doctor type Shepson wrote PH:

"Well...perhaps one issue is that no one other than perhaps Bill Gray knew that they were still on this committee! I will see if I can get Bill off his seat and have a committee meeting called."

Principal Ed Expelled from Martinsville Motel

Shepson Ed Pruden wrote PH the following:

"I took the computer to the shop the day of the hurricane. Then the cable laid in the front yard for two weeks. Then Peg's mother had a stroke, paralyzing her left side. We went to Martinsville and stayed there until the motel put us out for the NASCAR race last weekend. (The reservations had been made two years ago!) So, that's why we haven't been heard from or seen for a while. We hope to bring Peg's Mom to Richmond next week for rehab and nursing care. She's 92 and fighting very hard to get her speech and swallowing back. She has an incredible will to live."

Ed

Prayer Rounds

Remember in your prayers the family of Julia Shepherd, Peggy Pruden's mother, the family of Woody Hasty, Dot and Cecil Sherman, Nancy Gayle Smith, the Church staff, the Pastor's Search Committee, and those only known to you.

The Memorial service for Woody Hasty will be on Saturday, November 1 at 11 AM in the sanctuary.

"A Gift of the Heart" Commitment Sunday Is Almost Here

This Sunday all of us will have the symbolic opportunity to walk forward and present our pledged financial hopes for our church for the calendar year 2004. Remember that Cecil is watching.

Shepson Gene Damon will be teaching our class this Sunday. Bring your favorite Bible.

Sue Hodder will be twenty-nine on Monday and Rob Brown will reach the same age on Wednesday.

Where Is Union Mills?

Those of you who heard Randy Fitzgerald on Wednesday night and read his column of the same day now realize that Randy and Dick Morris are related via Randy's wife Barb. Randy's column described a vivid tale of the Morris family hiking to Union Mills. Union Mills is the location of a once thriving river community of the nineteenth century. Where was Union Mills? It was located in northern Fluvanna County on the Rivanna River. There is a certain wonder and freshness of a rippling small river. Ask Shepson Dick Morris to provide more details while he is strumming his guitar.

He who hears the rippling rivers in these degenerate days will not utterly despair.
Henry David Thoreau

Attached to this PHA Addendum is a photo of Julia while listening to Bob as he recognizes Jim and Lee on the occasion of Jim's retirement.

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