Bye-bye to Bev

Please excuse my recent absence from the blog. My loving stepmom, Beverly VanAlstine Gaffney Butler, died last week in Vernon, N.Y., at age 78. (Click here for the obituary.) We’re thankful that her years of suffering from diabetes and heart troubles are over as she passed peacefully on May 24. I conducted her funeral on Sabbath afternoon. The photo is of our daughter Jenny visiting Bev last summer.

We truly appreciated and felt your prayers for safe travel to New York and back. Janet and I drove straight through both ways with no hassles. (Well, there was that one warning from a trooper in Ohio at 2:00 a.m.…)

It was a bittersweet gathering in upstate NY. The three Butler siblings rarely get together, and it was good to catch up with a niece and nephew, and to meet more of Bev's extended family. We had to speed (I mean, drive) right home after the funeral luncheon, since our own kids had started a holiday reunion at our house without us. The family singing around the fire pit on Sunday night—and playing son-in-law Greg’s hand percussion instruments—made the long drive (and trooper’s warning) worth it. Oh yeah, and there's that adorable grandson...

Back in New York, Bev’s funeral was a joyous celebration of a positive and enthusiastic retired teacher, sprinkled with her trademark yell of affirmation, “Yahoo!” (That’s a lot more fun than “Amen!”) Sure hope the Lord gets used to it! :)

Bev’s passing will leave a huge void in Dad’s life. Prayers for peace and guidance are welcomed. They shared a positive and loving 17 years together. We were all blessed by having Bev in our lives. Yahoo!!