Katherine was born in the remote backwoods of Alabama in 1922. She was the oldest of four children. Her younger brothers died at various times as small children. None of them lived beyond their fourth birthday. The family shack had a dirt floor and was without electricity or water. Her mother died when she was eleven. Katherine was told by her Father the cause of death was "dropsy". To this day, Katherine has never understood what that meant. What she did understand is that her father removed her from the third grade and told her it was "time to get to work if she expected to eat". Katherine had difficulty supporting herself and her father who suffered from mental difficulties. Her father entered into "a guardianship agreement" with a local Alabama family who agreed to house and feed Katherine in return for Katherine's commitment to care for a bed ridden family member. There was money involved for her Father who quickly abandoned her after making that agreement. She never saw him again. She was trapped in that arrangement until she was 18 years of age. She walked everywhere during those years. Servants were not permitted to ride in automobiles. She walked by a "tent revival" as a teenager and accepted Christ as her savior. She was baptized in the river, and became as she described "one of God's children". He promised to love her as his child. That arrangement was more than enough for Katherine. At age 18, she married a young soldier boy from Perkins, and they moved to Oklahoma in 1945 when he returned from the war. Life was hard. Katherine and her husband were described as "dirt farmers". Living off the land proved difficult. She sold produce from her garden along dusty country roads. He worked "busting broncs" for local farmers and ranchers. They spent most of their time employed as "farm hands" in and around Payne County. Her husband was the last of a disappearing group of cowboys who made their living from the employ of larger cattle and horse operations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. They were never able to have children. Her husband died in the early 1980's. Members of his family tried to "look in" on her whenever they had time. They allowed her to live in an old two room rent house in the country. She survived on $400 a month social security and very little care or attention. Katherine never learned how to read or write. She concealed that well because it was embarrassing. They lost her glasses in the hospital. When they brought a replacement pair and an eye chart, Katherine just kept saying "they look fine to me". That's how I knew. I met Katherine in the hospital because someone told me she was a nice but lonely old lady who likely would likely spend her last days there. She had fallen and broken her hip in her home. She laid there on the floor for five days before being discovered by family members. What an irony that the last days of her life were spent in the nicest and most comfortable surroundings she ever experienced. She marveled at "the room service" that came like clock work three times a day. Of course, the nurses absolutely adored her. Katherine had a sense of humor and enjoyed being teased. She worked cross word puzzles by getting the published answers and filling in the blanks of the puzzles appearing the week before. She got a kick out of that. Someone bought her a television in the late 90's and that became her primary source of entertainment. She had two maybe three dresses. I am not sure. She was always too embarrassed to attend church, but she managed to contribute small amounts of money to local churches from her social security. She loved to give out $5 dollar bills to extended family members at Christmas time. . Katherine died at Stillwater Medical center this past Sunday. Katherine lived less than twenty miles from my comfortable home and church. I never knew her. I will think about that distance from time to time. I know I will think about her when I consider complaining or whining about anything "uncomfortable" or "inconvenient" in my life. I will think about her when I look inside my wallet or my closet. We talked about the importance of being "mission minded" in staff meeting this week. It would be too easy to say that Katherine could have been embraced by anyone without the necessity of a shot record or a passport. But Katherine would tell you that the only difference between her life and other dirt poor and uneducated people in Ethiopia, Hondourus and other areas of the world was this – Katherine had Jesus! In her mind, she was truly more fortunate. To her, lost people were in more desperate situations. Amazing huh! She would urge all of us "to Go, to Gather, and to Grow" not just for the poor and unfortunate, but more importantly for the lost-especially the lost. Jesus was all she ever had in her life, but that was enough! Katherine of all people helped me to understand the importance of mission work across the world and across town. I also have a re-newed understanding of the underserved need to care for others in this community less fortunate who exist outside the walls of our church. Katherine was laid to rest in a brown hard scrabble cemetery just off the highway in Tryon. They miss spelled her name in the local newspaper. But then again, she would not have been able to recognize that. She never had her hair done. She would have really enjoyed that experience yesterday at the funeral parlor. . Her family wanted a small line in the obits section to tell every one that Katherine "was in heaven". They edited that part out as "not important to the story line". Go figure! When we leave the cemetery today, everyone will be heading back to their busy lives, and most will be thinking about lunch. I will from time to time think about Katherine's simple but hard life of trust, obedience and her assured hope of heaven. None of us will hear the cheers and celebration occurring elsewhere today when Katherine arrives safely home. But I will know---and I will smile!