my friend & mother-in-law

My precious mother-in-law Emolyn Wynworth Thompson passed away at the age of 93 on September 3rd. She is now with Jesus and reunited with her husband, her daughter Patty and son Barry.

I fell in love with my future mother-in-law even before I knew Randy was the one.

I had met Randy at a concert ministry March of 1978. My friend Linda & I sang the first set and he sang the 2nd. His music, his songs, his lyrics touched my heart unlike any Christian artist before. For the next two months we hung out, I went to his church softball games... and then to dinner at his home on Mother's Day just before I went back to Wisconsin. Little did I know how significant that event would be. I was so drawn to Randy's Mom... so warm and welcoming. Randy's Mamaw Bean (his Dad's Mom) was also there. She would pass away that summer. I would buy her '62 Chevy sight unseen while in WI that summer... and I would receive her Pyrex 4 bowl nesting set just before we married... which would be the start of my Pyrex collection.

When I returned to Phoenix Aug, 1978, Randy & I started dating. We would have dinner at his parents home pretty much every Sunday. While Randy & his Dad were watching sports on TV, his Mom & I would go to either TG&Y or Yellow Front to look at fabric. And we would spend hours talking about her life as an Air Force wife for 27 years, a Mom to 4 sons... and her daughter Patty. Patty had only been gone for 3 years when we met. She was killed by a 16 year old drunk driver a mile from their home. She had graduated from high school, turned 18 and received her driver's license the week before she went away. You see, my Mother-in-law never said the words died or killed or passed away. She always referred to someone's passing as "they went away". I love that so much.

I was blessed to get to know Patty through her Mom... and the depth of a mama's grieving heart.
What a sacred, beautiful time of remembering, weeping together and healing her aching heart.

Randy's Mom was a Godly woman of faith. She never questioned God. She trusted Jesus. No matter what. 

She read her Bible every day... because she saw her Mama read her Bible every day.

And because of his Mom, my husband read his Bible every day. And she has faithfully prayed for Randy & I every single day of our marriage. 

When Randy & I married she asked if I would like to call her Mom.

So I did... for 38 years.

But she was more than a mom to me, she was my dearest friend.

I met my mother-in-law on Mother's Day 1978 ~

and I said good-bye to her on Mother's Day 2017.

My husband Randy was unable to understand the news about his Mom's passing because of his Frontotemporal dementia. He has no empathy. He just smiled and walked away. One day they will be reunited in eternity with Jesus. Oh what a day that will be.

You can read about his last visit with his Mom HERE.