Just about a week ago, on August 23, 2011, my precious Mother ~ in law, Laurie B. Tucker, passed away into the arms of Jesus. She was 68 years old.
Mom Tucker "ran the race of her life" WELL. ~ with so much Grace and Faith and Beauty.
She was a superb mother and raised three Godly children. Her husband, Richard was her best friend and they enjoyed 46 rich, joyful years of marriage. I loved all the visiting times I have had over tea with her for it was then that I got glimpses of her heart for those who did not know Jesus, or her love for God's word, or her tenderness for her family. She loved to be around her family and her laughter was a gentle breeze around the family table. Her voice was musical. She had enjoyed years of professional opera singing and solo singing for many large churches. One of Richard's special memories of his mom growing up was hearing her singing and piano playing in his home. He also remembers rocking in her lap and resting his head on his mama as she sung his favorite song, "Jesus Loves Me." Mom Tucker was a WONDERFUL teacher. She enjoyed many years of teaching and some of her favorites were with underprivileged girls in Atlanta.
I lOVED hearing her stories! Having grown up in Atlanta,she was a southern girl at heart and could tell a colorful,tender, or funny story in a way that slipped quickly into your heart.I loved seeing all my children grouped around her as she would tell them and teach the littles....And even more, to see our children each have their turn with Mimi to sing praise songs at the piano--well it just doesn't get better than this in a family!!
She was diligent and hard working ~ quite a role model for self discipline and self denial for others. As well as a wonderful model for me when I was a young homemaker! For years, through the course of many different visits, we would hear her get up very early in the morning to get an early swim in at the Rockville, MD pool.
She also did retreat leading and was absolutely gifted at encouraging large groups of women.
She loved to be amidst her twelve grandchildren. I loved talking to her about her "tribe". I loved walking into a room and finding her with her bible or a devotional...I loved hearing the story of how when she was five she walked down to the front of the Billy Graham Crusade...and began a walk of love that day...I love that she loved people and was such a dear friend to so many women.
There is much more to be shared about Laurie Tucker.
She was a truly remarkable woman.
She ran her "race" so well.
And finished it in grace and triumph...
For the last two and a half years she had wrestled with ALS (otherwise known as Lou Gerick's disease). This is the terrible disease that paralyzes a person's body progressively. While her body gradually shut down, her spirit remained joyful. I am told she never complained, so great was her dependence on God for her strength of heart, soul, and body.
On August 23, 2011, Our mom/Mimi went to be in the literal presence of Jesus. Her passing was like her illness, a drawn out endurance of pain and struggle but threaded through with such grace. She was surrounded by her beloved Richard (senior) and two of her children and their spouses as they prayed and sung hymns over her. The entire family ~ ours especially included in this~ keep the fires of prayer and watch burning continually during this week and still now. It was very difficult to be eleven hundred miles away from our family as they suffered a travail we wanted to shoulder with them. We are immensely grateful that in another week's time we will get to journey to Maryland (Washington D.C. area) to join our family and celebrate Mimi's life. We will be joining Richard's father,brother,sister, six young cousins, and a very close extended family including Laurie's Mother, Rachel and her brother and sister and their families. Please pray for the Tucker/Bunte/Wormald families next week. Laurie was greatly beloved and will be acutely missed. Please pray for travel mercies for so many traveling from long distances. And that Jesus will be greatly glorified at her celebration/funeral service next Saturday ~ she would greatly have desired this!
And please, keep Mr. Tucker in your prayers over the next season. his love for his precious wife was an epic one and deserves much honor and thanks to God who is the only one who can pour that kind of "BRAVEHEART" love into a heart. He never left his wife's side and tended to all her needs day and night week after week until it became year after year of loving care. How we admire his endurance as well as Mrs. Tucker's. The loved well to the end... may we all.
Richard Jr., my husband, is grieving but so thankful also for this relief for his mother. I am blessed to have days to tend to him as he grieves and processes his love for his mother...and so another Tucker generation walks in the good footsteps of forever marriage vows...Thank you for lighting the way, Mom and Dad...of the walk of love.
We are having a sad and sweet time with the children. They adored their Mimi. They will each need the closure of next week and also to represent and honor their unique love for her as they stand with the other precious grandchildren of Mimi. Mom Tucker told me several times, that she loved the way her Mother~in law passed away...to the touch and the sounds of her grandchildren surrounding her bed and singing hymns all around her. She would then ask, "Don't you think that's so beautiful?" We will be gathering her grandbabies next week to honor her good and precious name...more precious than silver...more costly than gold is a good name Proverbs says.
We each in our family look forward to next week to:
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gates. Proverbs 31:31
My children came up with these descriptions of their grandmother this week (I loved being their scribe) :)...
Mimi Tucker was a
Kind
Generous
Nice
Loving
Funny
Full of Life
Caring
Lover of God
Lover of the Bible
Servant
These are some of the words that my children have shared with me this week as they have considered love for their precious Mimi. And I would say, praise such as this from the "mouths of babes" is most precious indeed!!
Please feel free to click on the "smilebox" below to listen to the love letters they have spoken over their precious Mimi. Please allow a little moment for all of Ashley's video's to load--go back to them--they are precious ;)--if you click on a video and want to see another---just click on it again to return it to its place.
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| This free scrapbook personalized with Smilebox We love you, Mimi!! We love you, Grandpa!! We love you Family!! We love you dear friends of the family! May blessings ring like bells. You are loved, You are loved, You are loved. Love, Gillian |
