Remembering Vivian...

Collect (from Masses for the Dead):

Merciful Father,
hear our prayer and console us.
As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

~from Women for Faith and Family

It always was this time of year that made me wonder about her. This year, there is no wondering, just peace. Our journey began in earnest a year ago and from beginning to end, it has been a most precious experience. I had hoped to visit Vivian's grave today but with a tiny one who only tolerates the car for 3.5 minutes, I thought it better to spend those minutes getting us to her 2 month checkup today.

On this commemoration of all the faithful departed we pray eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord...
 

Vivian's Guardian

I heard from the kindly gentleman who met me out at the cemetery last week. He was thrilled to know that Vivian's marker was identified. He is now going through the process to make it official record but he had an interesting piece of information to tell me. I asked if we would be permitted to repair the old marker or possibly place a new one in front of it. He said that sadly, the old marker would have to be removed because the cemetery no longer allows metal markers. In fact, it hasn't allowed metal markers for as long as he has been president of the association.

He said, "I can't tell you how many times I have fought to keep that marker there." Every time someone asked, "Should we just throw this old metal marker away?" he personally made the argument to leave it.

"Let's just leave it there. Who knows... maybe one of these days we'll find out who it belongs to."

Finding Vivian

 ...in my inbox last night from Great-Aunt Gladys' daughter:

Mom was 4 when she saw this and said that is exactly it

That. is. exactly. it.

It's amazing how 4 little words can wash over you in a huge wave of peace and warmth like a hug.  Dear Pawpaw, we found her.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

Holy Souls Mantle

Our Holy Souls mantle looks a little different this year. I saw Barb's and decided that I liked the contained look of it; nice and pulled together instead of more spread out. I found the candle holder at Hobby Lobby but instead of wrapping the wires to the frame (I just couldn't make mine as tight as Barb's) Husband cut the wooden frames I'd used in the past in half and I placed them behind. Instead of choosing cards of people we didn't know from my grandmother's collection, we chose only those people we have a personal connection with.

Commemoration of the Holy Souls

Collect (from Masses for the Dead):

Merciful Father,
hear our prayer and console us.
As we renew our faith in Your Son,
whom You raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters

will share in His resurrection,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen

~from Women for Faith and Family

I am begging for your help. Anyone who knows how to really get results from St. Anthony, please bug him for me. Today, we are going to try to visit the grave of a great-aunt of mine. Try.

Before my Pawpaw passed, he told me that his baby sister was buried in our area back in the late 1920's. His family was only living here while his father as attending the Baptist Theological Seminary. They moved away after he graduated and never returned to this part of Texas.

I have spent a few years gathering information and today, we are going to try to physically locate her grave. However, there might be a problem. Even though all of my evidence points to a particular cemetery and a great-aunt confirms that there was indeed a grave marker, the cemetery association has no record of her name on any grave marker right now. This small cemetery has not escaped the ravages of time or vandalism. There are a few stones classified as "unreadable" and I'm hoping that with your prayers, St. Anthony's help and the name that I am looking for in hand, I might be able to recognize one of the "unreadable" markers as hers.

Please pull any heavenly strings you can! I would certainly appreciate it!