In the quiet house I pondered what to write since it's been a long time that I have written much except the Budget letters. Even my casual letter writing has gotten sparse. I think the desire for letter writing happened after my dad passed away five years ago and my brother's passing thirteen months later. The pain of their passing isn't quite so sharp now although I still miss them much. The grief will always be there, I guess, and even though the tears still catch me off guard occasionally, it is getting easier. 

I was not ready for the snow that arrived on Halloween. Winter is a struggle for me. The cold and snow make it hard to get out and walk. But today it is 41* so I had a nice stroll in the back pasture. Later we are expecting four grandchild to come for a sleepover. Pizza is on the menu followed by pumpkin Twinkies. 

Since it's been so long that I've written I'm not sure where this will be published. I'm writing it on my desk computer, and I don't think Instagram is accessible on it. 

 

February 4, 2019

It's been two years since I wrote a letter. I won't bore you with two years of boring stuff and there will be plenty to share with just one year of happenings. Our lives have changed drastically and I will probably share “feelings” along with events.

In February 2018 John and I flew to Phoenix to drive a truck back that we had bought there. We enjoyed our time there with my parents, brother and his family as well as other family and friends. When we left I felt so uneasy, couldn't place what it was, but it bothered me. Something just seemed sad somehow.

On our way to CO we stopped at Four Corners. Forty one years ago we visited there on our honeymoon. Then it was just a marker in the ground, now they have little booths in all four states around the marker where Natives can sell their crafts, etc. We spent a long weekend with our daughter Suzanna and Dave Weaver family. Dave does masonry for a living, Suzanna home schools the four older children; Erika 14, Amy 12, Kara 10, Derek 8. The two foster children are two and one. Dave's moved from Westcliffe to Salida in January 2018 with hopes to start a church in that area.

We arrived home March 13. The next month there was only the weather and cold to report. April 15 church was canceled due to snow. April 19 at 1:30 a.m. the phone rang. My brother Cornelius told me they were on their way over to our parents, because Dad (Jake Coblentz) had a severe headache and Mom (Mary) had called the ambulance. By the time Cornelius’s arrived at the folks they were in the process of getting Dad to the ambulance. Mom went with Cornelius’s to the hospital where they were directed to admissions. They kept asking to go see Dad but were refused. One time they saw someone go into ER and followed. They saw Dad and he gave them his little smile, unable to speak because of tubes in his throat. That was the last there was any eye response from Dad. After hours of testing, etc., you know how it is, he was put in ICU with a hemorrhagic stroke.

Around 5:00 that same afternoon, John, Verena, Elliot and myself were headed to Minneapolis where we caught a plane to Phoenix. We got there about midnight. Jerry Coblentz had already picked up our daughter Laura Beth at another airport when she flew in from MT. Mom was waiting for us at home and she went with us to the hospital.

Cornelius and his family had been with Dad since he was admitted early Thursday morning. We stayed with Dad so they could go home and rest. Dad did know us when we would talk to him but he couldn't see anymore, even thought he opened his eyes. He raised his left arm when we talked to him. Gary and Tabitha arrived Friday afternoon. Saturday morning we met with the Drs. who explained what was happening to Dad and the outlook was not good. As a family we decided we wanted to take Dad home and care for him. By Saturday afternoon two more of our girls had arrived along with more of Tabitha's children and we thought we could care for Dad around the clock.

April 21 they brought Dad home and the clock played the six o'clock hour as they wheeled him in. We were taught how to give Dad his meds, how to turn him and change sheets, all that goes with it. Later that night Dave Weavers arrived from CO. Dave flew home early Sunday morning while Suzanna and the children stayed with us.

One night while John and I were on duty Mom came out and talked to Dad a bit before heading back to bed. As soon as she walked away Dad became very agitated. Even now that makes me cry. He knew the love of his life and was not happy when she walked away!

Tuesday April 24 the nurse came and showed us how to give Dad a bath. A few minutes before noon I went to Dad and told him I was going to give his meds so he would be more comfortable. Immediately he opened his eyes wide. I called for Mom and asked Dad if he could see Jesus. Everyone was called in the house and as the clock played the 12:00 hour he passed from this life to the next. All the family that was at the house was in the room when all this took place, even Dad's brother Menno. We call it a miracle that everyone was at the house because with so many around there was someone going here or there almost all the time. The funeral was April 28. One week after Dad passed May 1 was the folks 61^st anniversary. Slowly everyone left for their homes and back to work. I stayed with Mom until we flew to Minneapolis May 9.

The morning of May 7 as we were preparing to take Jacob and his two children to the airport for their flight to Africa Mom's sister Dee called and said her husband Reuben had just passed away. What a shock! They had been in Phoenix for Dad's funeral but Reuben wasn't well when he flew home April 30. He had been in the hospital with double pneumonia and COPD. They had their 49^th anniversary the day after he passed.

From MN we made our way to IN for Reuben's funeral May 12, exactly two weeks after Dad's.

In June we, along with Mary, traveled to IN for the wedding of Ben Lattin, a man from church, to Rachelle Gingerich.

The first week of July was the Mahlon Gingerich reunion. Our house was filled with guests and there were many pleasant hours of visiting, playing games and eating. Only one of John's six siblings was unable to come this year.

We attended the annual Coblentz reunion July 14 and spent our nights at Loyal and Ann Mast's.

July 12 our 23^rd grandchild was born to Jacob and Janice Gingerich in Kenya, Africa. John Michael has two sisters and four brothers. Sadly, we have not yet held this little one. We just learned that Jacobs plan to come back to the states permanently in May!!!

July 24 we learned that my brother Cornelius had a tumor on the end of the esophagus where it meets the stomach. It was three months to the day that Dad had passed. What a shock!

August 2 we took Mom and John's folks Mahlon and Laura to MN for the weekend. We stopped in Boyceville, WI for the night. Mom stayed with friends Addison Benders, Mahlons stayed with Amos Kauffman's. John and I had a gift certificate for a B&B we used that night.

Two weeks later we again went to MN. This time Mom and I were in her van and John was driving the truck pulling the camper. We met my sister Tabitha, her husband Gary and their daughter Loretta at our daughter RoseMarie and Brian Millers. August 18 Gary's and Mom left for SD driving Loretta's car and Mom's van. Loretta stayed in SD to teach school while Gary's and Mom went to TX with her van.

Brian and RoseMarie have five children, Carlin 9, Austin 8, Eva 6, Tina 4, Trevor 1½. Brian, along with his brother Karl and cousin Jeff Chupp, own a roofing business and last year started a metal business. Brian's live in the country, close to Grove City, MN, raise a few calves and a big garden.

Mary Emma and Jeff Chupp also live near Grove City on a little farm with a big yard to mow where Jeff can fly his model planes. Mary Emma is doing well. We are so thankful for her continued healing.

August 28 our 24^th grandchild was born to James and Verena Beckel that live in Spooner. James Jared Ray has one brother, Elliot. James works carpentry, framing and spray foam insulation.

October 4 Cornelius and Andrea made the first trip to Germany for cancer treatment. They have since made two more trips back for targeted chemo. The January trip they learned the tumor had shrunk more than one third. Praise the Lord! They are hoping to avoid surgery to remove it since it is a very invasive surgery with months of healing time.

The first weekend of October we took John's folks, Mahlon and Laura, to OH for a granddaughter's wedding. We stopped in IN overnight going and coming.

November 21 grandchild 25 arrived at Lee and Laura Beth Weaver's in MT. Tiffany Lou has one brother and three sisters. Lee has a grain bin business and can do masonry work also. We haven't seen this little one yet either.

December 13 I flew to Phoenix to spend time with my Mom. It was healing for me to be with Mom and Cornelius’s family, adjusting to the empty spot in our family. John joined me December 19 with Dave Weavers arriving December 21. One day Cornelius’s, Mom, and us went to the mortuary to order a gravestone. That was a tough day and we're happy to have that over with.

We flew home December 28 in time to visit with John's brother and family before they left for their homes in Canada and IN. They had come to spend Christmas with the folks.

January 5 John got the call that Millie, 96, was found outside in the snow. Oh my! They think she had gone out about five a.m. and wasn't found until about nine that morning. She was in her nightgown. She had gone out the front door, across the driveway around to the far side of the garage. John has been mowing her lawn, doing snow removal, etc for quite a few years. Her passing was hard for John.

John is still maintenance man at the local grocery store. He does everything from changing filters on furnaces and pop machines to unplugging toilets. He keeps the carts in good running condition, changes light bulbs, fixes dishwashers and puts new tiles on the floor. He can't just go into other stores to shop; he evaluates the lighting, the squeaky carts, and checks prices on food items.

Our reunion August 2017 

At Four Corners March 2018 

Hello out there,

Introducing Jediah Kenya Gingerich. Born to Jacob and Janice on February 20. Our 18th grandchild! But, he lives in Kenya, Africa with his family and we haven't held him yet. We did get to see him on skype but he didn't seem interested in looking at us! 18 mth old Joshua, 3 year old Joseph, 5 year old Mahlon, along with Heidi, 6, and Hannah almost 8 years, love little Jediah.
We are planning, Lord willing, to go to Africa in Sept! Passport applications have been sent in which makes it more exciting!

Concerns here at the farm pertain to our children and grandchildren with health problems. Mary Emma and Jeff Chupp are in Mexico since yesterday, looking for answers to her severe pain in abdomen. After spending many weeks in Mexico a few years ago to treat her Lyme disease and getting good results, it is discouraging to us that look on that she's not improving, but how much more so to them! Please continue to pray for them.

Suzanna just had a major surgery and is doing well. Monday evening they found a lump on Kara's (7) stomach, right under the belly button. She had been complaining of pain and not eating well. They have a Dr. appointment today to see what's going on in there.

My cousin Eldon learned last week that the mass in his leg is probably  a return of the cancer he had in that same leg 32 years ago. Much testing and a biopsy were done. they found two spots in the lung(s). Yesterday they found out that the lump in his leg is NOT cancer and is probably an aneurysm or blood clot. Today they are doing more tests on the lung and seeing for sure what's going on in the leg. It has been extremely painful. they live in Stone Lake. Eldon had thyroid cancer two years ago and was treated successfully. His mother, Esther, had cancer in 2005 and died of a heart attack or stroke during treatments.

Just talked to Jake and Mary. They are doing fine. Seemed in good spirits. Living far away from one's parents is not easy. Somedays I'd like to run over and visit a little or maybe have supper with them. Skype is nice and of course phones are a blessing, but there's nothing like being right there with them!

The birds are busy at the feeder today. John must have put food out again. The food is soon gone, especially with busy bluejays continually chirping loudly and chasing other birds away. How so like humans with our self centeredness and making sure we get first and best of whatever is to get! Oh to be more like Jesus!

New life on the farm

We now have three calves, the latest one born last night. What fun to watch them frolic in the pasture or sucking from Mama. With the sun shining bright it gives hope that maybe it will get warm here eventually. The March heat wave sure spoiled us.
Verena called Saturday night asking what to do for a thorn in her foot with red streaks going out from it. When she called Sunday afternoon I forgot to ask about it. I guess it is better or she would have told me. This is her last week at Elnora Bible Institute and she has two weeks before she needs to be at Dave and Suzanna Weaver's. She plans to do some visiting in northern IN and somewhere in OH before duty calls her.
Dave's are moving back to CO, planning to leave OH May 15. Verena will drive one of their vehicles for them, fly back to OH and drive home from there. Her nanny job resumes June 5 and she will just make it home in time for that.

John's been "playing" in our camper the last month. We bought an older trailer in spring of 2011 that needed a few fix ups which he did. Last summer and fall we used it and each time we found more things needing attention. The last couple months John's been making new cabinets for the "kitchen". He also put in new water pump and tank along with other stuff I can't remember. It's one way he unwinds or winds up, not sure, since he works at it early mornings before he goes to work or in evening after he's home!

 The latest toy on the farm is this gator Grandpa bought. Grandchildren love it! But Mahlon is more involved than the girls. He's helping Grandpa "fix" whatever was wrong.

He is so pleased with himself when he climbs into it all by himself or when it's just him and Grandpa on it.