A Life Well-Lived

Bryan and I drove to West Virginia Thursday night after I gave a talk at my home on transcripts and the college admissions process. I still love hanging out with homeschool moms, and I got to catch up with some moms I had not seen for awhile.

We went to attend the funeral on Friday morning of my great-aunt, Leva Roberts Whaling. My grandmother, Velma Roberts White Lowther, was the 8th of 14th children born the mountains of West Virginia, and Aunt Leva was the "baby" of the family. She was my grandmother's "pet" when they were growing up. After a life well-lived for 103 years (yes, 103, that is not a misprint), Aunt Leva passed away on Monday, February 23rd at about 9:15 a.m. She had enjoyed her 103rd birthday party last Saturday, February 21st, but had a fall that evening from which she did not recover.

Aunt Leva was "all dolled up"; her family had dressed her in a flattering dress with a lace collar, and she was beautiful. Her worn Bible was in the casket beside her. My mom told me on a recent visit that Aunt Leva had her Bible in her lap. She could no longer read it, but she sat and held it and quoted passages from memory.

Several boards were filled with photos of Aunt Leva's life. One board held old black and white photos with her brothers, sisters, mother and father, and scenes from her early life, while later color photos showed her in her nineties at the beach and walking miles for charity in her eighties.

The service was a wonderful tribute, as two of her former ministers spoke of Aunt Leva's life and her faith. Memories were shared by my mom and my cousin, Don Banfield, Aunt Leva's grandson. After the service at the cemetery, we all gathered at Mary and Edsel Whaling's church, the First Baptist Church of St. Albans, for an exceptional meal provided by the church.

Aunt Leva was interviewed on her 100th birthday, and the interviewer asked her what was the best thing about being her age. Aunt Leva responded, "No peer pressure!" She had a great sense of humor.

It was so nice to be in West Virginia again. I had missed several trips planned during the last couple of years due to my treatments and other setbacks. I visited with cousins I had not seen in decades, but with whom I had shared childhood memories. We drove by my two grandmothers' homes where I had spent time in the summer and during holidays growing up, and memories flooded my mind. Ask Bryan - I talked non-stop about it all the way home.

Katie met us at home Friday night on our return. She brought a friend, Olivia, and we enjoyed having them both for the weekend. Sarah and Emily joined us Friday night for dinner, and Emily came back last night for dinner, a movie, and an overnight stay. We enjoyed breakfast casserole and fruit tart (Katie's requested breakfast) before she and Olivia headed back to school around noon. I always love having "my girls" around!