Hope Among the Living

Anyone who is among the living has hope - Ecclesiastes 9:4
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength - Isaiah 40:31

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Home at Last

At last Mom is free of melanoma and pain. At 8:30 tonight, Mom went to sleep in this world and woke up in heaven. Of course we're thrilled for her to be in the presence of Jesus Christ, but it doesn't make it any easier for the rest of us. What a beautiful life we have to celebrate, though.


But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31


We know many of you want to know what you can do to help. We will let you know soon. Thank you for what you have already done. Thank you especially for your prayers. We have felt them.

posted by Steve Coan @ 9:37 PM  

14 Comments:

  • At Sun Jul 24, 10:44:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Steve, Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. We will miss her and give thanks to God for knowing her. We are glad we got to see her this morning.

     

  • At Sun Jul 24, 10:45:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Steve, the 10:44 PM post was from Kelly Williams. Sorry I didn't sign it.

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 04:23:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    In remembering Susie--

    Your entrance into this world was a gift from our Father above,
    Your exit from this world is because He is calling you Home.
    He lent your presence to us so we could learn how to love--
    To gain patience, and to accept differences between us all.
    He allowed us to know you to see the better in everyone--
    You showed us tolerance for things that we cannot change,
    And encouraged us to change those that we could.
    You warmed us with your smile, your heart, and your touch.
    You taught us more things than one could hope to learn,
    And you were patient when we didn't.
    Your courage has been awe-inspiring--
    It is now that we pray your journey Home be gentle--
    As you shall be welcomed by our Father and missed by us.
    -Shannon Stone

    Our prayers are with you as we send our sincerest condolences. We are comforted in the thought of her being in the arms of our Lord.

    Love--The Stone Family--
    Rick, Gail, Jay, and Shannon

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 06:58:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    A BIG HUG FROM THE “SPANISH COANS” (If you allow us to say so)

    Not only in English but in Spanish as well, words are insufficient to say what Mom/Grandma has meant to all of us (and we expect to keep on meaning now that she is in heaven). We feel, above all, very grateful for the privilege of having known her and for her love. Even without these last months, our admiration for her has always been enormous. We firmly hold that Mom and Dad, individually considered and specially together, are on top of the list of all the human beings that we have had the opportunity to know so far in our lives, and are a concrete example to us, because of the way you live life and because of the way you behave with other people. Your generosity and wisdom are truly an inspiration to all of us. And from now on, we will ask Mom (we already do) for her intercession before God so that we are able to live our life fully and she may feel “proud” of us. We keep on praying, especially so that those that remain here are comforted by God and feel all His love and grace.
    With all our love

    Lucía and Nicolás (+ Sofía, Carmen, Nicolás Junior and Lucía Junior)


    "Do not cry if you love me"

    "Death is nothing at all.
    I have simply slipped away into the next room.
    I am I and you are you.
    Whatever we were for each other, that we are still.
    Call me by the old familiar name.
    Speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
    Put no difference into your tone,
    Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
    Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
    Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
    Let my name be ever the household word it always was,
    Let it be spoken without effect, without the ghost of a shadow on it.
    Life means all that it ever meant.
    It is the same as it ever was: there is absolutely unbroken continuity.
    Why should I be out of mind,
    Because I am out of sight?
    I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner....
    All is well.....
    You will find my heart again, you will rediscover its pure affection.
    Dry your tears and do not cry if you love me."

    Saint Augustine

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 11:05:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dear Don, Steve and Leslie,
    I'm Lucia's sister. As you remember, my mother and I went to visit your family when Lucia was living with you some 23 years ago. That visit will be always in my memory because your family is a very very very special one. We felt so very well welcomed...! I have no words to describe how well we felt between you.
    Susie is one of the best persons I've ever known. She is really a Saint. You must feel very happy for having shared your life with her, as a husband, as a son and as a daughter. I'm sure her memory will be alwalys with you and will give you peace and comfort through all your life.
    A big big hug from Spain,
    Rocio (López de Castro)

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 11:31:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dearest Aunt Susie:
    Thank you for all the memories that I have of you from childhood to adulthood. I will always see your smile and will never forget how you loved not only family but strangers as well. You were a walking example of Christ and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. My life has been forever changed by having you in it.
    I love you very much

    Jodi

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 11:44:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dearest Susie,

    I just wanted to say thank you for the way you loved others. The very first moment I met you, you made me feel like I was always part of your family and always welcome. It is an inspiration when people such as yourslef keep Gods word and love one another, as we are all his children. I know that you are smiling down on us all this very moment as you always have. I look forward to the day when you welcome me in again in heaven as you did on earth. So I won't say good by, only until we meet again. With love and affection.

    We love and miss you dearly Aunt Susie.

    God Bless!

    Thomas, Jaxx & Jordan

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 02:04:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dear Don and family

    We have been following with love the evolution of Susie´s illness.
    In these moments of this unreplaceable loss, we thank the Lord for having met her, so marvellous, so special, so much that God´s will has been to take her very soon with Him.
    We are together with you in the sorrow, and in the hope that -from the place that God has reserved for her- she will take care of our children and grandchildren, that she will pour her love upon us and she will help us in this so difficult world.
    She will be our angel.
    We send you our condolences, with the promise of our humble prayers to be able to endure with peace this huge loss.

    Vicenta and Nicolás

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 03:41:00 PM, Blogger Steve Coan said…

    Lucía and Nicolás & family, and Rocio, Vicenta and Nicolás, and all our Spanish kin,

    Yes, you can call yourselves Spanish Coans. We are only sorry that you aren't all able to be with us in person. We all feel blessed to have been joined to you, even across an ocean. I know Mom is special to you just as she is to us, and she will continue to enrich our lives by her memory rippling through our souls. God bless all of you, and thank you for your prayers. I am glad we can keep in touch through the internet, but hopefully we can see each other face to face someday soon.

     

  • At Mon Jul 25, 04:10:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Steve, I knew Grandma and I know she's now in heaven. I've prayed the Lord (before she died)for a few things:
    1. Susie could get well
    2. God's plans were done
    3. She didn't pain
    She was a wonderfull person and I loved her a lot: she was kind, and happy, and generous, and nice....
    She was marvellous. I loved her.
    I think we can't be sad, because she's now in heaven, without pain and, the most important thing, with God.

     

  • At Tue Jul 26, 04:40:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dear Steve,
    The post from the 25th, 04:10:23 PM was from Sofía( the daughter of Lucía and Nicolás )
    Sorry I didn't sign it.
    With love,
    Sofía

     

  • At Wed Jul 27, 10:20:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Steve,
    Our prayers are lifted over you and your family for healing, hope and longing for reunions.

    Pat
    (The Fox from the War Room)

     

  • At Thu Jul 28, 10:32:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Dear Don, Aunt Polly, Steve & Leslie,

    We were on vacation when we heard the news of Susie's passing. We are so sorry. She was so special and it was wonderful to listen to her and Polly's stories (especially with the Southern accent). We loved having Susie and Polly visit us 2 years ago for Amanda's wedding. That was a special visit ... it let Jessi know her Aunt Polly and what she thinks of "Aunt" Susie as well as Becky did from the visit Gene and Becky had for the 50/60th wedding anniversaries. Susie was a courageous and kind person who will be missed by many.

    Love and strength to all of you from Gene, Barb, Rebekah & Jessica Horner

     

  • At Mon Aug 08, 09:51:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I know it's been over a week since Mrs. Coan's passing. I just now found this link and wanted to say something small but sincere.

    I refer to her as Mrs. Coan because that's all i ever knew her as. Living in Stephenville from 1st through 3rd grade, Steve and I were close/best friends in those years--cutting up in Cub Scouts and church, riding our bikes, etc.

    As I think back to my memories of Mrs. Coan, I cannot think of one time she didn't have a genuine, loving, accepting smile on her face.

    Even if the conversation was about something she didn't know or wasn't privy to (mainly because it was some corny nothingness boys and men are prone to), she always had a positive, jovial "I don't know this, but I'm curiously interested to know if you share" expression and countenance.

    I'm sure there were times Steve and I deserved scolding while I was over playing at his house during our childhood, but Mrs. Coan's overriding love and smile are so vivid in my mind I can't recall any specifics of those other moments.

    I lost a very close relative to stomach cancer this past December 2004. I know what it's like to despise cancer as you see what it does to a loved one, but just as with my relative, I will always remember Mrs. Coan how she was for her lifetime and not at the end. Warm, loving, smiling, genuine.

    Thanks for the memories, Mrs. Coan.

    My love to the Coans and Stones,

    Clayton Copeland

     

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