This was Clint and Effie's house back when I was a child. This photo was taken in 2016

Mom, daddy came to join you on February 12th, 2012.  I hope you are real happy being with each other again.  I sure do miss both of you so very much.  Life, is just a vapor and I will see you soon.

Your presence I miss,

Your memory I treasure,

Loving you always,

Forgetting you never.

Mom you have been gone a year-there is not a day goes by that I don't think and miss you alot.

It's hard to believe a year ago today you left earth to be with God in Heaven. Why it had to be your time to go I don't know, but I know that you are in a better place now and watching over me. Til this day I still carry your picture with me. And there is not a day or night that goes by that I don't think about you.  I can't explain how much I miss you and I would do anything to be able to give you just one more hug, one more kiss, and to see you smile. I Love You! 

 In my Rose Garden of memories

I see you standing there

An angel in disguise Who taught me how to care I long to hear your voice for real not in my dreams I am missing you so much these days how empty my world seems People say time heals all wounds that someday the pain will subside But Grandma I can tell you I think they must have lied The emptiness I am feeling now is strong and I am weak These days go by without you so dreary and so bleak In my Rose Garden of memories I know you'll always be for though you're gone from this mortal world In my heart you'll always be  

Mom, Where are you?

I cann't see you any more

I don't know what to do

I feel so insecure

you were always there

to mend my every pain

broken hearts and despair

and bruises all the same

Thought I knew sadness

I never had a clue

My pain close to madness

Now that I lost you

Not a day goes by

You're not on my mind

On, this you can rely

I'll love you for all times

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

Happy Birthday Grandma.

We love you and miss you. 

    There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about grandma.  I still carry her picture in my wallet and I have pictures all through the house so I see her all the time, but it's not like being able to hug her.

   I think to myself all the time of why God had to take her away, but I know that she got sick.  I didn't actually come real to me until the day that she passed away that I would never be able to see her again, I just didn't think that I would lose a grand-parent.

   I must have part of grandma's green thumb.  I planted some flowers in front of the house and they are actually growing.  I make sure to water them everyday, unless it rains. I can't remember how old I was, but she had some kind of tree and she said it was a m money tree, so me being a kid I thought you could grow money on trees, so I got some change from my piggy bank and took up to grandma's house and we planted it right beside that big tree.  And i would keep a close eye on it, but it never grew. 

   I think about granddad everyday too cause I know that he is missing his companion.  They were together for many, many years.  I remember every year when they would leave for Arizona, everyone would cry, the car was full from top to bottom, front to back, if I could have found a spot to fit into I would have.  And since they were never home for my birthday I would always get a big box in the mail with all kinds of stuff in it.  I was always so excited.

  There's another thing I will never forget.  As long as I can remember when grandma would write my name on something she would always spell it Nena instead of Nina, and I would always tell her that it was with and i and not an e.  But from when I can remember until she passed away in December, and I was 28, she still spelled it Nena. It would always make me laugh cause she would always give me weird look, like I didn't know what I was talking about when I told her it was Nina.

    Grandma, I miss you and love you.

Mom has been recuperating at RMH in Harrisonburg from a weekend surgery, when she experienced congestive heart failure - a heart attack on Monday July 21, 2003- and a second heart attack the following day,  That Tuesday (which was also mom's birthday), was a time of tribulation for the family. 

Mom was literaly fighting for her lige and her soul.  Our family reported that she was crying  out, "I'm not ready to die. I'm scared.  A spirit of concern and urgency filled our family in the intensive care waiting room.  Gary approached daddy, You know, we had always wanted you and mom to be immersed into Christ for remission of sins. . .  Yeah, responded daddy, mom said she wanted to. . ."She did? asked  a startled Golda. "Yes, she did." "when did she say that?" "About two weekd ago."

Goldie quickly went back to the intensive care unit to ask Missouri  for confirmation, and returned in tears.  She wants to be baptized continued to say, "I"m not ready to die. . .and she was adding, "I want to be baptized.

The problem was,that only  a few hours had elapsed from her second heart attack in two days.  Mom was taking oxygen from a mask, and was in a weakened state.  The doctor in charge argued that the baptism should be postponed, that mom was in no condition to endure an immersion.  His view prevailed as he was able to persuade mom to wait. Though we disagreed with him, (believing that she eternal need of the soul outweighed the medical considerations of the body), we deferred to his judgement and contiue to pray for mom's strength, We believed that the Lord had put this doctor at the right place and time anyway on Monday to render life saving assistance to mom. If He willed, He  could grant mom time and strength to fulfill her divine appointment, (Acts 2:39)

Test results showed mom had a 99% blockage in her heart which was causing her the heart attacks; surgery was scheduled for the next morning.

 We continues to pray for mom's health and give her time to relax without unduly stressing her.  We met with Jim Krauss, a vice president at RMH, wwho affirmed the hospital's mission of service.  With the doctor's permission, they would be glad to permit their facilities for use in baptism, and Mr. Krauss called in the chaplain to assist.  The chaplain reported later to us, however, that the hospital tun in physical therapt was not of sufficient size for an immersion.

Meanwhile, mom's surgery was a success.  The doctors successfully placed a shunt in her heart to open up the restricted blood flow.  About a week later  mom was strong enough to released from the intensice care and was taken to the Harrisonburg Health and Rehab Center.  Her prospects for recovery, with all she has suffered, looked fairly good.  However, in another unexpected turn for the worse, she suffered severe chest pain ( a third heart episode) and was rushed back to the hospital for further treatment and monitorning in the fourth floor telemetry department.

During this time, we continued to visit with her and encourage her in the word of God to keep up her spirits.  With the patience of Job, mom kept her faith and continued to recover, being readmitted back to the center, where her prognosis began improving day by day.

Summoning every bit of determination from within her soul, 82 year old Missouri Rexrode sat up in her bed at the nursing home, and refused to wait, "I want to be baptized now,: she said, "I can't wait any longer, The Lord has already spared me two times, I don't want to risk waiting."

In, fact, there was now no need for Missouri to wait any longer. Michelle Deckhart, Director of Nursing at Harrisonburg Health and Rehab Center, a kind and gracious administrator, had already given permission for use of the facility's whirlpool tub for the baptism.  With  the help of church and family members, Missouri was emtombed with Christ ( Romans 6:4) in  a watery grave, and risen to walk in newness of life at 6:35 P.M., Wednesday August 6, 2003 to the joy and exultation of the immediate family and Christian family who had gathered to witness and participate in the dramatic delivery.

 The women prepared mom in a special white robe and she was placed on  a sheet in a wheel chair, and wheeled beside the tub.  They took her confession that Jesus is the Christ and made the pronouncement of her baptism, "in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38) before baptizing her.

They had four strong men including Gary and Shane Rexrode and Larry Danner supportin mom's weight with both hands along the edges of the sheet, and also granddaughter Tara helped to hold a washcloth over mom's mouth and nose, to prevent water from entering her nose and mouth. They gently lifted her out of the wheelchair and gingerly immersed her into the filled tub. 

After she was seated back into the wheel chair, there was a brief silence.  Mom filled with tears of joy, said whe was fine.  The women dried her returned her to her bed.   Mom was thrilled to receive back her visitors who hugged her and kissed her with tears of affection.  It was truly a family reunion and a spritural family reunion.

"I'm so glad I did it.! Mom exclaimed. "I'm so glad I did it."  Putting her hand up in sathe air, she said, "Now I"m ready to die.  We looked at each other shaking our heads in agreement.  We understood what she meant.  Of course, we all were praying and would coninue to pray that she would recover and not die.

  About ten years ago we meet Todd and Racheal. It turned out we became best friends.  And I continue to be friends with them to this day.  They did alot for us when we lived in Yuma.

Sharon Yvonne was born July 10th, 1955.  She was born in Harrisonburg at Rockingham Memorial Hospital.  Missouri had a real hard labor with her.  Dr. Byers was the doctor that delivered her. We always called her Sherrie. When, sherrie was born that made our family complete.

Golda Marie was born the following year May 15th, 1948.  We were so proud when she was born.  Golda was born at home with Ida Waggy as the midwife.  Doctor Mitchell delivered her at the price of $25.00. Golda was nicknamed Goldie.

Since, we loved each other the following year on June 14th, 1947 we got married.  We was married in Goldie Wimer's house in Frankin.  Rev. S. Kallam officiated at the ceremony at midnight.  He had so many flat tires it took him that long to get there.  Doctor and Mrs Charles Sites, Goldie  and her husband was there.  We went to Staunton and spent the night and continued on to White Sulphur Springs.

I came home from the Army at the beginning  Janurary 1946. Missouri was working in Franklin for Goldie Wimer.  The next day, I went to see her. She had  no idea I was coming till I knocked on the door.  She was so excited to see me.  We hugged each other for along time.

Happy Mother's Day grandma, we love you and miss you a lot.

Missouri,

   I made you a memorial garden around the tree at our house for Mothers Day.  I sure do miss you and I love you so very very much.

Missouri with Effie Mills and our children Golda Marie and Sharon Yvonne

We had lots of fun going to Munday and then going on to Parkersburg and staying at the chancellor Hotel. When we first stayed at the Hotel it didn't even had AC  and the bathrooms was down the hall.

This is a good picture on my grandparents.  Grandma we really miss you.

Grandma always had pretty flowers. I wish I had a green thumb like she did.

This picture was taken about the time that I meet Missouri

We had went to Richmond to be with Tara for her 4 D ultra sound.  We stopped at the Japanese Steak House in Short Pump.  That was mom and dad's first visit to that type of restuarant. 

   I look at grandma's picture everyday, I carry it in my wallet.  I remember when i was a little kid and I would help my grandparents in the garden and feeding the sheep about everyday.  And all the pretty flowers that she had everywhere. Inside and out.  The winters were long when they were on Arizona, but the times that we went out to visit them was great, it is so nice out there.

   I wish I could have spent more time with grandma before she passed away, but with work and living almost an hour away is was difficult, but we got up there as much as we could.  I remember the night my mom called and said she was in the hospital and was really sick, I had worked the night before and drove up to Harrisonburg and sat with her in the hospital until 2 or 3 that morning.  She wanted me to lay in the bed with her cause she was cold. She laid her head on my shoulder and fell asleep.  But in her last few days I know shw didnt talk very much and was sleepy, but she knew I was there.

    I know she is in Heaven watching over me and not suffering anymore.  She was the best grandma in the world and I miss you.

  I met Missouri in 1938 at Sandy Ridge Church in Moyers West Virginia.  We were 17 years old.  It was love at first sight.  I took her home that evening, it was really raining and it was muddy.  We had to walk  we had no other way to go.  Since, the weather was so bad I spent the night. 

  We, continued to see each other till I was out of high school.

  Then, World War 2 happened.  I was drafted into the army.  So, of course I told Missouri I had to leave and didn't know what would happen or how long I would be gone.

  I ask her to wait for me, I told her how much I loved her.

  She told me she would be waiting on me.  No, matter how long I  are gone.  Of, course she waited.

   I was gone from 1942 until 1946,

  We still love each other very much.

  Missouir had been in the hospital about nine days.  She was so excited to be coming back home.  She was sick so G & W ambulance brought her home.  When they brought her up on the deck she yelled out - "Jake I'm home- I'm home Jake. I was glad to see Missouri come home also.

   The last few weeks of mom's life.  She had a hospital bed in the living room.

That way she would be with the rest of the family.  The tv and my organ was in that room and it was also close to the kitchen. 

  It was real funny- when I would walk in the room- she would tell me to hop in bed with her.  We would sleep together some in those last few weeks. 

She would also, bite my cheek. And tell me she loved me.

As I look  back on that time, what joy I had taking  care of my mother.  I would not trade that time I spent with her for nothing.

Mom I love you so much.

Sherry