Stephen's Funeral

I returned from Utah Monday evening. It was cold there and I was miserable! I wouldn't have gone except that our dear nephew Stephen passed away. He had diabetes, and seemed to have aged 10 years since his mother passed away 2 1/2 years ago.

Mike made copies of the pictures we took of Stephen last summer while on our trip to Idaho and Yellowstone Park. I hadn't noticed that he looked older until Melody mentioned it. I have seen him every few weeks since Jeri died and hadn't noticed the stark change.

It was heart breaking the way he died. Alone in an abandoned warehouse. We won't know for several months what the actual cause of death was. But it looks like he froze to death. It is possible that he died of a heart attack, or possibly there were complications of diabetes or something else, we'll have to wait and see.

The funeral was very nice. I think his brother and two sisters did a wonderful job in planning it and taking charge of it.

Heather wrote the obituary and did an excellent job of it. I was very impressed. It was truly beautiful.

It wasn't the traditional funeral. Rather we had a nice luncheon and had a microphone there for people to come up and offer their respects. Several people spoke, and my friend Jean Trimble told a few things about Steve, and read a letter that Steve had written to her husband who was Steve's bishop at the time.

We're very grateful that Stephen is home, happy, and well, and can now progress. He didn't have any kind of life worth sticking around for, and was taking two steps backwards with every step he took.

I believe the wicked man who murdered Stephen's father will be held accountable for taking Steve's life also. That also includes the problems that his mother had for almost forty years. Taking the father of this family caused every member of the family grief! It's a wonder that the other three children turned out so wonderful!

Good-bye Stephen. We love you, and look forward to seeing you again. We know where you are and that you will be warm and happy from now on. And I know when we see you next you'll have that wonderful huge smile on your face that we all adore.