JESSIE PAULINE WHITE CALDWELL 1911-1993 A SAINT DEPARTING

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
July 22, Mother would be 102 years old. I have so many memories I don't where to begin. 
             My mother had beautiful hair which she cared for by herself. She rarely wore a hat, except for EASTER. She made this hat, herself, and wore it once year, then she would carefully put it away for a year. picture of hat disappeared from blog?!
                

The summer of 1993 was hot in Orlando. I went down there to visit Mother who had moved there from Memphis, where she had lived more than sixty years.  Her health was declining and she thought a fresh start in Florida would help. 

 The older of my two little brothers and his wife begged Mother to live with them and their teen age son. Such a hopeful idea! They were wonderful to her. Still her health continued to worsen.

 Because her great personality was still so alive, we couldn't see how really bad she felt even though she rarely left her bed; we had such sweet times together. 

 She asked me to read the Bible aloud...we started with Romans and read straight through Jude. 

We also watched a lot of Christian Television. Two songs sung every day were new to me. This one got a "holt" of me. And it stayed in my head long after the music stopped.

 Mother and I declared this as OUR SONG!! So it was, and so it is and will be. 
We would sing, "I've gotta feeling..." Then we'd give each other the high sign. and clap our hands to the beat. I treasure the memory of those days, when we both got to say just about everything we wanted to, needed to.

 One day she said, "Ann, I am lonesome  to go on to heaven now. But I hate to leave you and your brothers."

 I could see how earnest 

 she was. I answered, "Mother, if that is what you want, it's all right with me and we'll meet again one day."

I can't believe I said that.  Still I am glad I did. She needed to hear it. This is such a sweet and somehow happy memory.  

The other song I heard for the first time that week was BEULAH LAND. Although Squire Parsons wrote this song and sings it so beautifully, Mike Purkey is the one we heard every day while I was with Mother.

The day after I left,the younger of my two little brothers

came to visit Mother with his wife and children. They brought her such joy.

 It was her last birthday, July 22, 1993

Just a few weeks later my sister in-law called from the hospital. I went right away.

A week passed as she grew weaker.  Then with three of us there & as she lay in a coma, Mother indeed departed for  SWEET BEULAH LAND.  

Be all right, be all right, be all right!! 

  

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This isn't a song I associate with this particular memory, but it is one our family loved. So will close with it.   Love from memphis annie

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