Funeral Manuscript for Judy Stern, March 29, 2019

The old Christian Church in Lohrville, IA

Yesterday was a sad day for all of us at Woodlawn, it was the day we officially said goodbye to Judy Stern.  Judy has been a vital and important part of Woodlawn for many years coming to us when the Christian Church over in Lohrville closed its doors.  The photo above is the old church in Lohrville and the photo at the bottom of this post is the old sign that stood in front of the church.  We now have the sign here at Woodlawn stored away in the garage.  Perhaps this summer we'll get it put up on our grounds in memory of Judy.

God bless Judy... and God comfort her family and those of us who mourn her passing.  Praise God that Judy is now counted among the Saints in Heaven... Glory be to God!

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Order of Service – Funeral for Judy Stern 3/29/19

Prelude: 

Call to Worship:

16:1 Preserve me, O God, for in thee I take refuge.
2     I say to the Lord, “Thou art my Lord;
    I have no good apart from thee.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the noble,
    in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
    their libations of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    thou holdest my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
    my body also dwells secure.
10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol,
    or let thy godly one see the Pit.
11 Thou dost show me the path of life;
    in thy presence there is fulness of joy,
    in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16   Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Greeting:
We have come together within the strengthening fellowship of friends and family:
to praise God for the life of Judy Stern;
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 Judy to God's everlasting care.

Music: In The Garden # 227

Opening Prayer:
Dear Lord, You are the Father of all mercies Who cares for all Your people with an everlasting love. You are the God of all comfort Who consoles all those that are suffering the death of a loved one. You are the God of all peace who has promised to pour Your perfect peace into the hearts of Your children Who are going through the pain and suffering that the loss of a precious loved one brings.

Oh Lord I pray that You would become their strength in this time of loss; their hope in this time of bereavement; their joy in this time of sorrow and their perfect peace in the turmoil that their hearts must be facing.

Thank You that the fear and sting of death has been broken forever and the curse of the grave has been destroyed through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ who has broken forever the power of death, for all who trust in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Speak into the hearts of all Your children that are mourning at this time and let them not mourn as those that have no hope – but Lord for those that do not yet know You as the Savior Who died for them, so that by believing they might have everlasting life – we pray that they will come to know and accept You as their Savior and find their perfect rest in You – in Jesus name we pray.   Amen 


Let us hear now a Reading from the Old Testament:
Psalm 139: 1-18
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end—I am still with you.

Let us hear now a Reading from the New Testament:
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

Hymn:    Amazing Grace  #546

Message:  Pastor Roy Karlen – Woodlawn Christian Church 
Judy Kay Stern, was born on February 21, 1946, to Archie and Gladys Anderson, here in Lake City, Iowa.  She grew up on her families farm near Lohrville and moved into Lohrville with her parents in 1961.  She graduated from Lohrville High School in 1964 and attended cosmetology school in Fort Dodge.  She married Curtis Stern on May 7, 1966, at the Lohrville Christian Church.  Judy and Curtis were blessed with three children Jolene, Kenneth, and Karen. 

Initially, Judy and Curtis made their home south of Lohrville but later they moved back into the town of Lohrville.  Judy was a homemaker but also managed to work for many years at Air Electric in Lohrville.

Judy and Curtis suffered the loss of their youngest daughter Karen in 1979, she was tragically injured in an accident on their acreage south of town and later passed away at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.  The family made the difficult but loving decision to donate Karen's organs in order that others may live.  This incredible act of grace during a time of immense suffering was the definition of Judy's life and legacy, to give to others without reservation.  After Curtis' death in 2013, Judy continued to live in Lohrville until just recently when she experienced a stroke and had to be hospitalized, first in Lake City and then in Des Moines, after spending time in the hospital and rehabilitation she went to live with her daughter Jolene.  The family had hoped that she would soon return to her home at least for a portion of each day, but sadly, that wasn't to be.

Judy is survived by her two remaining children, son Kenneth, and daughter Jolene, along with Jolene's husband Rick, and by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Curtis, and her daughter Karen.

When I asked the family for words to describe Judy they said; generous, determined, family oriented, community service, moral, strong, determined, selfless, very creative, always happy, and she would do anything to help.  All of these traits and many more admirable ones are without a doubt what constructed and motivated the Judy that we all knew and loved.  She often said to her family “you can spend your life laughing or crying”, Judy choose to laugh.

Judy was always checking in on friends and family members, Logan told about how his grandmother would stop by and if there was no one home... she'd simply let herself in and leave behind a plate of cookies or some other typing of baked item.  The family told about her calendar that was jammed full of birthdays and anniversaries, Judy would keep track and send out a card to everyone.  Ironically, she never wanted anyone to know when her birthday was and it sounded like there were occasions when Curtis would go around reminding folks that her birthday was coming up just to tease Judy.  Judy never wanted to be the center of attention, she was always very humble.  She never wanted to put someone out, as much as she helped others she often didn't ask for help herself.  For the longest time, Judy's stove wasn't working and she figured out a way to get by without it.  Fortunately, eventually the family found out and they got a new stove to her which she greatly appreciated... but, I'm sure she still didn't want to inconvenience them. 

She liked to take photographs and she always got duplicates so she could give copies of the photos to those in the photos.  This I know for a fact as I have received quite a number of photos from Judy in the time that I've been here in Lake City.  She also liked to take home videos during family events, and she loved to give knickknacks to her family members.  Judy loved to read to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she liked to help them with their schoolwork as well.  Logan and his wife talked about how great a help Judy was with their new baby and how she'd come by and just hold the baby for hours.  With children and about most things she could be very, very patient... for some other things the family said not so much... I'll leave it to the family to tell you about those stories.

Judy was a simple soul, she was never materialistic and found her joy in helping others and doing projects for her community and her church.  She loved to help out at Shady Oaks Retirement Center and was there often to help the residents play bingo, she also brought fresh produce to share with the folks at Shady Oaks.  Judy volunteered to help deliver food for the 'meals on wheels' program and when that program was discontinued in Lohrville she took it upon herself to prepare meals and take them to the shut-ins. She was devoted to her God and her Church and almost never missed a Sunday worship service.

Judy liked to take part in the Bingo Games over in Lohrville, playing for turkeys.  Her family said she had a nose for church dinners, she knew when all the local churches had their various meals and she attended almost every single one of them. 

Judy loved to bake, mostly desserts, she liked her potted flowers, tiger lilies, marigolds, moss roses, and coleus.  Jolene said Judy could grow the biggest and tallest coleus she'd ever seen.  She kept her decorations at her home up to date with the season, the family said you could know what season it was just by walking in her door.  The family also talked about how she liked to watch children's movies and cartoons and how she would narrate as she was watching.  She also liked to narrate while driving or riding along in the car telling stories about all the places you passed by.  Judy was always up and going, a real social butterfly, though I know for a fact that she didn't like to drive after dark and the few events she would miss here at Woodlawn were those that would require driving after sunset.

The family also told me some interesting things about Judy's diet, that her favorite drink was milk with 7-up, that she always wanted her Cheerio's to be soggy and would let them sit in the milk for about an hour before touching them, and that her favorite candy tasted like Pepto-Bismol and that she had some in every pocket and every purse.  They also told the story about how she burned herself out on chicken-salad sandwiches after Curtis passed away... she would go down to Casey's and get a chicken-salad sandwich from their deli area.  She ate so many that she ended up not being able to even look at them anymore.

Judy was big on family and back while her grandmother was still alive the family would go to visit her grandmother Mary Cafferty, every Sunday after church.  They continued to go and see her every Sunday even after she'd moved into Shady Oaks.

I asked the family about how Judy met Curtis, with him being from Mott, North Dakota, which is nearly ten hours away from Lohrville, Iowa, and here was found one of the more interesting stories about Judy.  Logan told me that his grandfather was in Lohrville working on a construction crew and that his grandmother's car had broken down while she and some friends from Lohrville were heading to Fort Dodge for Cosmetology School.  It seems that Curtis and his friends helped her out and got the car running again.  Jolene, however, interjected that there might have been a little bit of stalking going on by Judy, it's unknown whether this started before or after the car broke down.  At any rate, Curtis had caught her eye as she thought he looked a bit like Elvis and she was a big fan of Elvis.

Judy could be just a wee-bit stubborn, and when she wanted something she fixed herself upon it and generally got it.  I remember at one of our God Portion Sales, there was a quilt made by JoAnn Alspach, I liked it and decided to bid on it... each of my bids were met by an immediate counterbid and after a couple of back and forth bids I started looking around the room to see who was bidding against me... it was Judy.  Her eyes were fixed intently on the auctioneer... not looking left or right... and as soon as I would bid she'd bid right back... I kind of wanted that quilt... but Judy really wanted it... and she got it.

We all know that Judy would be terribly embarrassed to know that we're all gathered here today... she was one of the most genuinely humble souls I've ever met and she would never want to be the center of attention as she is today.  But it's perhaps this incredible humble, serving, giving, and loving nature that makes her so very, very deserving to be the center of attention.

For me as the Pastor here at Woodlawn, Judy was extremely supportive.  Giving me cards for not only my birthday and Christmas, but for Pastor's appreciation month, and for the anniversary of my coming to Woodlawn.  She always enclosed a word of support and appreciation in all these cards.  Judy also knew that my favorite pie is pecan and even when she didn't have a working stove, she was using a roaster to cook pie and other baked goods, she always, always made sure there was a pecan pie at the soup suppers and other congregational meals.  I will always appreciate that extra little bit of consideration that she gave to me... though it has been detrimental to my waist-line.  Judy had such a great dry sense of humor and every-time I would tell the ladies working in the church that I had to run somewhere but that I would be back... her response was always... always “thanks for the warning”.  We'll all miss seeing her here at Woodlawn, working away and often talking quietly to herself as she did so, her genuine smile and sharp wit will long be missed.

All of us here today no doubt have a story or two that we could share about Judy and hopefully, some of you will share them with us in just a few minutes when I open the floor up for individual eulogies.  Each and every one of us had a slightly different relationship with Judy but all of us saw in her goodness, love, and caring.  One of our members here at Woodlawn shared with me how good a friend Judy was, a true friend, one that you could talk to and know that she truly cared.  She was always willing to offer up an ear to listen to what you were going through.  Judy was one of the very best and we shall all miss her each and every day.

On the day that Judy suffered her first stroke, it was her friends Joan Schaffer and Linda Potts who first called the alarm that something wasn't right with Judy.  Ultimately, Judy's brother John and then her daughter Jolene checked in on her to see what was going on.  Praise God for the good friends that Judy had who all cared so much about her, through their caring for others Judy's legacy can and will live on.

 On March 15, 2019, at the age of 73 years and 24 days, Judy left behind this world in which we live to be reborn as a new creation in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Reunited on that day with all those loved ones who had gone on before her, and I have to feel a special sense of joy in my heart knowing that she was once again united with not only her husband but her young daughter.  Praise God. 

Though Judy's passing has left this world a bit poorer, Heaven is so much richer through her presence.  Thank God alone for the life and legacy of Judy Stern. 

Eulogies:
At this time, I would like to open the floor for others to witness and share with us what Judy meant to them and how she impacted their lives.  If you wish to come forward to the microphone you may, or else we can have a microphone brought to you where you are seated.

Hymn: Living for Jesus #610

Closing Prayer:
The family asks that you all join them in a time of further remembering Judy and all that she meant to each of us by gathering at the Community Center in Lohrville beginning at 4:30 and ending at 6:00 pm today.

Let us please pray:
O God, our Strength, and our Redeemer, Giver of life, and Conqueror of death, we 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 Judy 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:

Postlude:

Sign that once stood in front of the old Christian Church in Lohrville, IA