Ron and Beatrice

While visiting up in Michigan, we had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with Dale's brother Ron and his wife Beatrice. They have a beautiful home on 40 acres nestled in the Pickford area where deer come out to feed off of corn kernals that Ron spreads for them every evening at dusk. Ron built the home for them when they married 54 years ago. He has since built a second home just a few miles up the hill that they have never lived in. They liked to run down to Florida every winter to escape Michigan's 200 plus inches of snow. Ron and Beatrice loved to Square Dance and had lots of friends both at home and at their winter place in Florida. Sister Gloria and her husband Dave started going down to spend time near them in Florida every winter as well.

This summer we were able to spend many weeks with Beatrice, who has been battling cancer for a couple of years, before she finally succumbed to the disease. It was difficult to be there for her last few weeks and to lose her but it was also a blessing to be there at the time she needed family around her the most. What made this time especially meaningful was getting to know Beatrice's sisters and brothers. Beatrice came from a very large family and they were all very closely knit. Although Beatrice was 74, she was a very young and active 74, so losing her to cancer was a shock for everybody. She will be greatly missed.