Dear Aunt Gert - We Love You

Mrs. Lola Gertrude Adkins Young, 92, of Poca and Liberty, passed away October 8, 2009, in the arms of her youngest child. She was born September 8, 1917, and grew up on Woodward Drive, Charleston. She attended Dunbar High School. She was the happy and devoted wife for 73 years, of Basil Orlan Young, who passed away February 2, 2009; and was the loving mother of 7 children. At her death she was the current eldest member of Emma Chapel United Methodist Church where she once served as president of the local Methodist Women. She loved singing in the church choir. Her loving, Christian heart led her to do voluntary social work at Lakin State Hospital. As an active member of the Hometown Senior Citizens, she was in charge of bingo and managed to acquire a seemingly endless supply of gifts for prizes.“Gert” loved cooking, quilting, and working in her flower gardens. By her count she had quilted 53 quilts until a stroke paralyzed her left arm in 2007. She cooked countless family dinners until around the age of 90. Her legendary homemade rolls will not soon be forgotten. At Christmas time her dining room table would be covered with huge containers of various cookies and candies, which she would sort into hundreds of small packages for gifts to friends and relatives, especially employees at MacDonald’s in Ripley, once one of her favorite eating places. She was a supreme Christian example for her children and others. Her unconditional love for others would lead her to say that if someone stole something from you they probably needed it more than you did. She was so optimistic that in any bad situation she would always find something good. Besides her husband Basil, she was preceded in death by her parents, George V. Adkins and Julia Bird Adkins; her brothers Fred, Lonnie, and William Adkins; her sisters Ruby Graley, and Hilda “Birdie” Arthur; and one son, Natchee W. Young.She is survived by a son, Aurvil Richmond “Rich” Young of Charleston; daughters, Ramona Ann Bailey of Scott Depot; Dinah Lou Parkins and husband Warren “Pooch” of St. Albans; Frances Louise Withrow of Myrtle Beach, SC and South Charleston, WV; Bonnie Lee Townsend of Jacksonville FL and Poca, WV; Peggy Sue Miller and husband Gary, of Poca; daughter-in-law Mary Young of Nitro; sisters Beatrice Groff, of Arkansas, and Genevieve M. Salisbury “Jannie” of Dunbar, WV; 18 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, October 11, at Gatens Harding Funeral Home, Poca, with Pastor Steve Inman and Pastor Jeff Wood officiating. Burial will follow at Emma Chapel Cemetery, Liberty. Pallbearers will be Greg Young, Butch Slate, Jeff and Warren Parkins, Richmond and Scott Withrow, Jamie Miller, Bruce Layne, Jay Matheny and David Townsend, all grandsons.Friends will be received one hour prior to the service.In lieu of Flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Emma Chapel Cemetery Fund, c/o Emma Chapel Church, Liberty, WV 25124.

Just remember to smile...no one knows the difference...

Have you ever had one of these days where it is all you can do to drag yourself out of bed and pretend you have all so much to look forward to. Gosh, yeah, I have to go put on that delicious coffee and jump in the shower and use my wonder smelling lather jel - WHAT...Lavender, oh, I love Lavender. How nice.

Then you get to work, oh I love having a job, it sure beats not being able to sleep in that comfortable bed, the one that the mattress is just right and to think it is that old and still holding me up off the floor.

Wow, I'm so glad I don't have to pay for this air-conditioning - it is to blasted cold in my office - I refer to it being colder than a witches breath. Now that I think about it, would a witches breath be cold, you would think it to be musty, warm and smelling like grub worms...but really not sure about that one now that I think about it....Oh Great, something else to think about.

Oh, I must to get the mail - tra la la off I go to the wonderful land of letters and bills to be paid. My, I am so lucky to be able to even know that skippy song in my head.

Just stop it right there young lady....you are suffering from pure BS and my a wonderful act of BS it is. Good job young lady - you, my dear win the award if only in your mind for the day.