Aunt Sybil

My great aunt Sybil Jesperson passed away this week.  She was grandma Taylor's sister, the youngest of twelve and the last in her generation to pass to the other side.  I am certain the reunion was sweet, my grandma was always close to her sisters a true example to me and my sisters.  I remember them talking about their "sisters lunches" every month, and noting how grandma's sisters were always her best friends.  Looking back I feel fortunate to have know and feel connected to everyone of my great aunts.


Sybil was special though since she moved in across the street from us when I was a teenager.   She was an incredible artist, and for mine and Loren wedding she painted the center pieces, scrolls of love poems with red roses, we rolled them and I had a vase with one red rose,so elegant. 

Aunt Sybil was my mom's favorite aunt and my mom was asked to speak at her funeral yesterday.  She has come a long way since her stroke (nearly 3 years ago) but she is still hesitant to speak in public, heck who isn't.  I spoke to her a few times and I could hear the stress in her voice and she asked for prayers.  Well the Lord heard and answered our prayers because my mom delivered a beautiful heart felt talk and I learned a few things about my great aunt.  It was my aunt Sybil's piano that my mom bought for $125 that we all learned to play the piano on.  I have fond memories (mostly) with that piano, I remember waking up at 5:00am to practice, sitting there to play for the annual Christmas parties, singing my heart out to the Rose (some say love, it is a river...) It was always going to be mine since I took lessons the longest but Loren's family gave us one so that same piano is in Dyan's house where her kids are learning to play.  Also, it was my Aunt Sybil that pinned on my dad's Marine officers bars in Virginia since my mom was back in Az with here 3 kids.  When my mom made it out to Virginia, It was Aunt Sybil that showed her around. Aunt Sybil was a teacher (did not know that) and she taught my brothers Matt and Mark how to read, she gave our family the Boogle game the one we still play today. 

She served the Lord her whole life through her various missions to places like Russia and Ecuador or was it Bolivia or Columbia they lived lots of places.  I am sure when she was called home she heard the words, "well done my good and faithful person."