Today was another day of mixed emotions. I attended a funeral of a wonderful woman Dolores DuBois, a family friend and best friend to both of Jut’s sets of grandparents. She was a stylish woman who loved to laugh, with a family and husband that loved her dearly. I gather from her family sharing she was feisty (which I admire) and full of life. The last few years, Dolores started fading way as alzheimers began robbing her memory. It always touches me in a deeper spot when I hear alzheimers, because many people say Sanfilippo is like ADHD and Alzheimers combined. I understand from our brief experience with “the light not always being on” with Jayden, and a few people who have cared for loved ones, it is a difficult journey and personally hurtful when loved ones fade away….
Chet, a man Justin and I deeply admire, never left her side and loved her and took care of her like no one I have ever seen. One of my favorite things in her slide show was the pictures of them together. From the time they dated, until their last pictures together, there was this look…like newlyweds, they had in their eyes when they looked at one another. It moved me to tears.
The other thing that grabbed me was a scripture reference Dolores herself had underlined in her Bible. I know I have read it before, but it never hit me like it did and I underlined in in mine. Can I share?
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Hope of the Resurrection
13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[a] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[b] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died[c] will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.
I am reminded this is where my hope is, not in a cure, or a long life, or any other earthly desires, but in Christ alone, and eternity with Him. Lord-help me to always remember this.
DuBois, Dolores M. Age 76, went to be with the Lord on June 30, 2011. Dolores was born to Floyd and Hester Scogin on April 18, 1934 in Detroit AL. She lived in Zion most of her life, graduated from Zion Benton High School in 1952 and married Chester DuBois on July 30, 1955. Dolores worked as a Paralegal for attorneys Inglis, Will & LaBelle for about 15 years and 10 years as a secretary for Laserage Technology. Dolores was a member of Beach Bible Church of Zion for many years. She loved traveling, camping and sewing. She was preceded in death by her parents Floyd and Hester Scogin of Zion and a brother Dow Scogin of Hamilton AL. She is survived by her husband Chet, two sons, Denis (Debbie) of Winthrop Harbor IL and Dean (Theresa) of Pleasant Prairie WI, five grandsons Dustin, Michael, Trevor, Nathan, and Nicholas. Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 5, 2011 from 5:00 until 8:00 PM at Beach Bible Church, 3520 21st Zion, IL. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday July 6, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at Beach Bible Church. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park, Zion, IL. Memorial donations are suggested to Beach Bible Church. Please sign the online guest book at www.congdonfuneralhome.com.
