Funeral for Jeanne Batz - Jan 20th, 2018

photo by Christian Begeman

On Saturday, I performed the funeral services for Jeanne Batz at the Union Church here in Lake City.  The Union Church is between ministers at the moment and they have asked me to conduct any funeral services needed during this time of transition.  Jeanne was a long time member of their church and actually passed away in mid-December; due to various constraints, the services were delayed.  I was happy to assist the family in this time of closure and it was I feel a good service and what the family and Jeanne needed and wanted.

God bless all of the Batz family and friends and may you continue to feel the love of Christ about you in this time of loss and mourning.

To all those reading this blog entry, please remember to...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ always,

Roy

Order of Service – Funeral for Jeanne Batz 
January 20, 2018

Call to Worship:
Gathered in Christ's name, let us praise God
Who is our certain hope in all life's varied circumstances.
In the face of death believe the good news the scriptures proclaim:
As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.
(Isaiah 66:13)

Greeting:
We have come together within the strengthening fellowship of friends and family:
to praise God for the life of Karen Jeanne Batz;
to share our grief with God and with one another;
to reaffirm our faith in God's unfailing goodness;
to hear again God's promise of resurrection;
and to commend Jeanne to God's everlasting care.

Music:  Song #1 – Jazz Instrumental

Opening Prayer:
Gracious God, your love endures forever.  Your faithfulness is unfailing and all your promises are true.  The movement of your Spirit is evident even in our darkest moments.  Attend to us now in our grief as we trust you will.  Speak words of comfort to our hearts.  Open us up to receive your hope. O God of grace and glory, we remember before you this day our sister Jeanne.  We thank you for giving her to us, her family and friends, to know and to love as a companion on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see death as the gateway to eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth until by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Let us hear now a reading from the Old Testament:
Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Let us hear now a reading from the New Testament:
Philippians 4: 4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Music:  Song #2 – Jazz Instrumental

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church
Good morning, on behalf of the family I would like to thank you all for coming here today on this winter morning in Iowa.  Coming here to Lake City, to remember and to celebrate a life, the life of Karen Jeanne Batz.

On December 21st, 2017, Jeanne passed from this world and into the Kingdom of our Lord at the Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. Jeanne is survived by her son Mike and his wife Dorothy, by her daughter Lisa, and by her granddaughters Lyndsey and Mackenzie.

Jeanne was born into this world where we all live today on March 26th, 1940 to Robert & Florine Bauman.  She married her husband Kenneth Batz in Fort Dodge, IA, on July 16th, 1960 and together they celebrated 55 years of marriage prior to Ken's passing in 2015.  To Jeanne and Ken's union there was first born in 1962 their son Mike and then in 1966 their daughter Lisa was born.

Soon after the marriage, the young couple moved to Marysville, Missouri where Ken attended NW Missouri State University, he graduated from the University in 1964 with degrees in accounting and mathematics.  Lisa told me that within a few years the family had moved several times, with Mike being born here in Lake City, and Lisa being born when the family lived in Keokuk, IA.  Eventually, though, Ken took a job with the McGladdery CPA firm in Des Moines, where Ken worked his way up to become a partner in the firm.

During those years, Lisa told me that Jeanne was a stay at home mother focusing on the home and family.  In fact, Lisa told me that her mother helped to design the home that Ken & Jeanne had built in West Des Moines.  There Jeanne enjoyed bird watching, even attracting at one time a Baltimore Oriole to her bird feeders, though Lisa said they all figured the poor bird was lost as Orioles aren't generally found in Iowa.

After Ken retired, he and Jeanne moved back home to Lake City.  Lisa said that Jeanne had always wanted to move 'back home' in order to be closer to her friends. Jeanne had a lot of friends from High School that remained in the Lake City area and she was very happy to be back home to spend time with them.  Here in Lake City, Ken liked to work refinishing antiques in his shop.  I asked if Jeanne enjoyed restoring antiques as well and Lisa said no, and that her mother always told her father to “keep the sawdust out of my house”.  

Lisa said that Jeanne was a bit particular... I asked Lisa for more words that she might use to describe her mother and she listed the following.  Ornery – she said her mom knew what she wanted and she was good at getting it.  That she was happy, solid, that she was always there for her friends and family, that she gave good advice, and that she was a very determined soul.  Lisa remembered that her mother was always the center of the family, at holidays and gatherings, and that her mom was there in all of the good memories of family events.  

Lisa remembered family visits to their grandparents Batz's farm, and visits with their grandma and grandpa Baughman here in Lake City.

Lisa talked about Jeanne being a planner, she was always prepared... she was prepared for the year 2000, she stocked up for the much worried about Y2K... Lisa mentioned that she still has boxes of wooden matches. 

As I already mentioned, Jeanne was always there for her family... Lisa talked about how much her mother helped her in raising her own two daughters.  Lisa's daughters Lyndsey and Mackenzie both graduated from High School here in Lake City, and Lisa told me that it was her mother that talked her into moving back to Lake City.

Lisa also told a story about how she always wanted an animal, and that her mother always said no... then suddenly one night Jeanne showed up with a little puppy.  The family named him Brody.  

Jeanne loved to crochet and made many, many afghans.  Lisa said that she made one for all the babies, all her friends, all her family members, even all the cars had to have their own afghan... and of course, living here in Iowa having an afghan in your car isn't a bad idea at all.

Lisa remembered family vacations to Florida in the winter, annual fishing trips to Table Rock Lake in Missouri, where the family went fishing every April.  Both Ken and Jeanne greatly loved to fish and did so as long as Ken's health allowed. Lisa mentioned that Jeanne often caught the largest fish much to her father's dismay.  In addition to the fishing trips, Jeanne and Ken also enjoyed visiting Las Vegas and did so on a number of occasions.

In a moment I will share with you some additional memories from family members, and after that, I encourage you to share memories and stories among yourselves at the lunch that we will enjoy in just a few more moments.

When we lose a loved one, it is such a terrible shock.  We never know from day to day what joys or losses that day might hold for us.  As we celebrate Jeanne's life and mourn together her passing, let us each remember to hold our loved ones close each and every day and to tell them repeatedly how much we love them and how much they are appreciated.  For only our God knows the number of our days, and only our Lord knows the day of our passing.

Psalm 139 - New King James Version
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

And let us hear these words spoken by Jesus himself found in the 14th Chapter of the Gospel of John.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and will take you to myself,
So that where I am, there you may be also.
And you know the way to the place where I am going.
I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
But you will see me; Because I live, you also will live.
I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
Whom the Father will send in my name,
Will teach you everything,
And remind you of all that I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”  
(John 14:1 – 4, 18 – 19, 25 – 27)

Thus we have the promise of life ever-after, the promise of the resurrection, and of a home with our Lord, our God... also we have been reminded not to fear.  We do not fear death, for we know the glory and the love that awaits us on the other side of life.

Though we each grieve the loss of Jeanne, we should all rest assured that this is only a temporary parting and that we'll each get to see her smile once again when we are all reunited in Heaven.  Praise be to God.  

Today Jeanne is reunited with all of her friends and family that have gone on before her, today she is reunited with her husband Ken, who she missed so dearly... and today she is in the very presence of our almighty and all-loving God... Praise be to God indeed...

Eulogies and Reflections:
At this time I would like to read for you some remembrances written by Jeanne's sister Jolene and her granddaughters Lyndsey and Mackenzie. 

First some words from Jolene:

Thoughts on my sister, Jeanne

Although this is not my earliest recollection of her, it’s what I know….she wanted to be the youngest in the family.  And…. if not that….then at least the only girl.  So, we were not very close the first years of my life.  Like, maybe the first 30.  Not really…

One early memory is one Christmas, Dick & Jeanne didn’t get downtown to pick a Christmas tree.  So, Mother brought one home.  It didn’t touch the ceiling!!  So Dick & Jeanne dragged it back downtown and got a taller one.  Jeanne was always in charge of putting on the icicles.  She put them on individually.  That’s right…..each little aluminum foil piece, separated out and laid on a limb, just so.  We always had a beautiful tree, thanks to her.

One time while Dick and Jeanne were babysitting me (they both loved that) Jeanne did something to make Dick mad and then she ran and then he chased her.  In and out of the house, around and around, up and down the stairs, yelling at each other.  It was sort of like being in a movie for me….standing in one spot watching them run!  Then Jeanne ran behind our kitchen door.  It had glass in the top.  She stood there and made faces at Dick through the glass.  He had his baseball.  He threw it.  Yup.  Broke the glass, a piece went in Jeanne’s chin.  Blood.  All of us screaming.  Then….”Don’t tell Mom!”  She had a scar for some time.  I was pretty sure they would kill each other at some point and dreaded it when Mother and Dad left me alone with them.  But after all that fighting, many years later, it was Jeanne who was the first at Dick’s bedside to care for him while he was dying.  She never stopped to think or question.  She was just there.  And she did it so well.

She went to Sunday school and church was a member of the Rainbow girls and went to church camp most summers.  As a family, we vacationed for a week in Okoboji with aunts and uncles and so many cousins!   We had a blast!  

My best memories of my sister are when she and Dick were in high school and I thought they were both movie stars.  Dick played his trombone and Jeanne played the piano and sang with his little combos.  She played the piano well throughout her life.  

She loved listening to Johnny Mathis, The Four Freshmen, and Rachmaninoff.  She was a good student and had many friends.  Most of whom were at our house a lot of the time.  She remained close and was true to these friends her entire life.

It was a fun time for us.  When I was little and they were my idols. 
Jeanne and I went through a lot together as adults.  She was loyal.  She was a wonderful caregiver.  She was fun and smart.  She was beautiful.  And she was always, always there.  She will be greatly missed.

Jolene Wilder

And now a few words from Lyndsey and Mackenzie:

Hello Pastor Roy,
This is Lyndsey, Jeanne Batz's Granddaughter. I wanted to express a few sentiments about our Grandma that could possibly be incorporated into the service on Saturday. 

But first I'd like to share a few thoughts from my sister, Mackenzie. The first thing that Mackenzie said is that our Grandma (she and I called her Gami) is that she was not the strongest woman, she was the strongest person we ever knew. She knew how to be a pillar of strength for us and for everyone she loved. When times were hard she would let us learn to handle it our own way, but would always be there to support us and offer advice and love, even tough love. She always knew the right thing to say and how to help us grow from the experience.

My Grandmother loved us unconditionally and did so much for our family. She worked hard without ever complaining and would do anything to ensure others' happiness. Growing up, she was one of my best friends. She taught me how to play solitaire and I remember spending summer afternoons with her watching all of our favorite soap operas together and predicting together what would happen next to the characters on the shows. I can't watch Murder She Wrote or The Golden Girls without thinking of her. Gami was strong and stubborn and loved without judgment. She is, and will always be one of the biggest role models in my life.
I hope these sentiments help in preparing for the service. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and for helping my sister and me to convey our love for our Grandma into the service.
Thank you,
Lyndsey 

Closing Prayer:
The family invites you all to join them in further celebration of Jeanne's life and a time of shared remembrances and further closure, by joining with them in a luncheon in the Church's fellowship hall immediately following this service.  Please let this closing prayer also serve as the blessing for the meal that we shall enjoy together.

Let us please pray:  Lord, we ask humbly that this meal that we are about to eat strengthen our bodies and our spirits for the days ahead.  We ask your blessing on the kind hands and hearts that have labored to prepare this food.

O God, our Strength and our Redeemer, Giver of life, and Conqueror of death, we come to you today in mourning and open our hearts to you just as we are.  We celebrate your gift of life freely given, but are grieved by a sense of loss in the face of death.  The love which binds us to one another leaves us aching as ties are broken.  Accept our tears as emblems of devotion, and transform them into waters of life to nourish us in the days ahead.

We trust you.  We love you.  We know in Christ that your love is everlasting.  Nothing can separate any of us from your abiding care.  With you is eternal life.

With confidence, we now entrust Jeanne to your unfailing love and overflowing goodness.  Through the power that raised Christ from the dead to live eternally with you, lift up this, your servant, to life fulfilled beyond our imagining.  We give you but your own, enfold her in your everlasting arms, hold her for she is your child.

Now strengthen us, through the gift of your Spirit, to face into the future with confidence that you stand with us.  Grant that the changes of life may leave us stronger as we journey through life.
Reassured of your abiding presence, help us to knit more firmly the ties that bind us one to another.  Renewed by your love, help us to love in ever larger circles so as to embrace your people everywhere till at last we are all united eternally through Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Benediction:

Music:    Johnny Mathis – Chances Are  


Committal Service 
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

We gather here today to lay to rest this body that has served Jeanne throughout this life, knowing that we commit to the earth only that which is of the earth. The Scriptures teach us that our bodies are made of the dust of the ground and to the dust of the ground we will return.  But we are more than dust, for when God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 says, “…the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

He breathed a spirit into these temporary bodies, and that is what lives on today. These bodies serve us only as the temporary dwelling place for our restless spirits.

II Corinthians 5:1-5 says, “1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Jeanne has laid aside her temporary house. It was made of this earth and to the earth, it shall return. But her spirit lives on with eternal life.  And now her spirit is in the hands of the same loving God who tenderly cared for her in life. He also has provided for each of us the promise of life everlasting.

The Bible promises that one day death will be no more. How we long for that day to come! Until then, may we live in anticipation of the time when we, too, shall lay aside the cares of this life, as Jeanne has, and take up the joys of eternal life.

Our hearts still cling to this body because it is so difficult for us to disassociate it from the one who lived in it. But really it is just a worn-out garment waiting to be cast aside. It is altogether fitting and proper that we just now turn it over to the One who designed it for His will to be accomplished. We, therefore, commit this body to the ground and this soul to the Lord. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust, knowing full well that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Prayer:
Almighty God, we gather beside this grave today to lay to rest the body of our friend and loved one, Jeanne Batz. We do so remembering another grave in another place—the tomb that received the body of our Lord Jesus. As Jesus came from the grave to live again, we know that all who die in Him shall never truly die. Thank you, Father, that Jeanne has finished the course, that she has kept the faith, and that she now has rest from her labors. As we commit her body to the ground, we do so in perfect trust, remembering Jesus’ victory over death and knowing, that because He lives, so too, shall we. Comfort our hearts through His words today; strengthen us now with His presence, and may Your grace and peace be ours both now and forever.  In Jesus’ name,  AMEN.