On Losing a Friend, the comfort of Faith

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; (26 )and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"" John 11 25-

One of the very worst things about life is losing people that have touched you, made a difference in your life and in general had influence on shaping who you are.

I have a deep abiding faith that Judy lived and died as God intended, her life ended unexpectedly and left a void for those left behind but she she left her heart and soul in all of us that knew and loved her.

We shared the bloom of our teenage years, first loves and the mysteries of life that only young girls can find to talk about.  We were raised in a different time and place that would seem strange and almost alien to the young women of today, yet our hopes for life were no different then than they are in the young now.  We were excited to be alive, had no fear and no concept of mortality.  We dreamed of our futures never thinking that we would really go far from the lake we loved.  She moved and stayed in Iowa, in a small town I have never seen and yet know about.  I told her of my adventures as we moved from place to place.  I think that on occasion we envied each other.  I don't know anyone that I know that I haven't thought about what would it be like to be him or her.  Just fleeting thoughts because we were both Blessed to have good lives and wonderful friends and families.  We have had the opportunity to raise our boys, (interesting fact we both thought when we were teenagers we wanted at least 5 or 6 kids and certainly girls) well , we each had two boys and got our girls as daughters in law. 

Judy touched many people, more than I shall ever know.  I know she will live on in her children, grandchildren and all those she knew and loved.

"Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."
1 Thessalonians 4 13-14

Judy Kay Klemp Davis 1946-2011 An Unknown Hero

by Chris Rosenthal on Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 1:07

Judy, Albert and Chris in Butte des Morts, WI

I have known Judy for nearly as long as I have been alive.  I have been Blessed in the recent years to have had many opportunities to talk and laugh with her, share silly e-mails and renew a bond that went back before these photos.

Judy was my first friend, we drifted apart over the years as people do, but when we did talk that old bond was just  as strong as ever.  We both love our boys with a fierceness that is rivaled in the wild, we share a strong belief in God.  My first church memories were shared with her in Winneconne, trying to be quite and not get her Mothers attention.

There are many memories and they are strong, but Judy was my hero for the strong woman she was.  She grew up with a disease that in our time was snickered at, and people whipsered the word epilepsey.  She was determened to be like everyone esle and she did just that, married, had her wonderful boys and now daughters-in-law that she loves deeply and her Blessed Grandchildren.  She had her career and life and never lost her love for the water.

The water was source wonder and enchantment for us.  We would sit in the boathouse and watch the storms come across Lake Butte des Morts, we ice skated on the frozen water, we floated in the row boat and talked of our dreams for life.  We solved a lot of the worlds problems on that lake, in our boat and in the back yard tent where we held sleep overs.  We even caught and cooked fish over an open fire pretending to pioneers or something we dreamed up.  We loved our roses and would play with petals for hours, I know neither of us has ever love our love for the roses or the water.

Judy met her future husband John in my back yard, I remember her telling me she was going to marry him, probably long before John thought of it.  Good thing he got the idea.

I am glad I made that call just days before she was stricken, I will always feel a sense of loss, she was one of those people that leave handprints on the heart and I am certain I am only one of countless others that she touched

May she rest in peace and now Walk with God at home.  You will be missed, your time with us was too short.

For today that is all I have to say.