Patsy Adkins 1929-2014

Although we had my older son, Jay, bring the message at Mom's Funeral Service this past Sunday, each of Mom's three sons took a few minutes to share a few words regarding our Mom.  As the oldest of the three of us, I went first.  Here are the words that I shared:

Psalm 11:12-15  What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.  I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people.  Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

We have gathered today to celebrate the life and to rejoice in the home going of a beloved Mother, Sister, Grandmother, Aunt, Great Grandmother, and Friend.

Patsy Ruth Stidham Adkins was born May 23, 1929 in Ethel, (Logan Co) West Virginia, the eldest of  five children of the late Jerry E. and Mary Sommerville Stidham.  She departed this life from Huntington Health and Rehabilitation on Tuesday morning, October 7, 2014.  Her time on this earth was 85 years, 4 months, and  14 days.  She now dwells in the House of the Lord forever.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death only 104 days ago by her husband, Rev. Caudle Adkins, Jr. who passed away only one week from their 65^th wedding anniversary.

Mom was also preceded in death by a sister, Hester Lucinda Stidham and two brothers,

(infant) Charles “Buddy” Stidham and Jerry Robert Stidham.

Mom graduated from Logan High School in 1947 and immediately entered the work force, as a payroll clerk in the offices of Island Creek Coal Company.  When she and Dad moved to Huntington in 1952, she was a stay at home Mom, raising her thee boys and looking after the needs of her family.  In the 1970’s she returned to work, managing the medical office of Dr. Beckett Martin.  She later worked in the office of Hoffman Urological Clinic and finally as a clerk at Niermann’s Pharmacy in our old neighborhood.

Mom trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior as a young girl back in Logan County, and faithfully followed Christ for more than 7 decades.  She supported Dad in his pastoral and evangelistic work, and served her church as a Sunday School Teacher and Vacation Bible School teacher.  Although she never had any daughters, Mom served as a mentor to many girls and young ladies over the years and was a surrogate mother to a some.

She is survived by her younger sister, Dori Wilson and her husband, Vern, of Houston, TX.

Mom is also survived by by my two brothers and their wives, Bruce (Sandi) Adkins of Huntington, Carl (Sarah) Adkins of Atlanta, GA, and Linda and myself.

Also surviving are 6 Grandchildren:

·        Jay Adkins and wife, Michelle of New Orleans, LA

·        Benji Adkins and wife, Leigh Anne of Ashland, KY

·        Joshua Adkins

·        Caleb Adkins (both of Huntington)

·        Kate and Alex Adkins, students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL

Five Great Grandchildren

·        Quint Adkins

·        Will Adkins

·        Canon Adkins

·        Asher Adkins

·        Nathaniel Adkins

Two Step Grandchildren:

·        Merle (Erica) Wooten of Huntington

·        Lea (James) Dalton of Hurricane, WV

Six step great grandchildren

·        Amber, Katie & Austin Wooten

·        Wesley, Ethan, and Olivia Dalton

Mom is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews, a large family of brothers and sisters in Christ, and a special friend, Alice Davis.

On behalf of our family, I would like to thank you all for your attendance here today, for your many expressions of sympathy and love, and we would also like to thank the staff of Huntington Health and Rehab for their wonderful care for her for these past 10 months. We would also like to thank the staff of Chapman’s Mortuary for their kind assistance to our family twice in the last 3 months.

It is natural for us to cling to this body, because it is hard to disassociate it from the one who lived in it.. who nurtured and raised us and sacrificed for us.  But in reality, it is only the worn out garment that Mom cast aside on Tuesday morning when she went to be with her Lord.

My Mother was a wonderful, godly woman.  There is no way I could put 64 years of memory and appreciation into words today.  I thank God that she was my mother.

Like Abraham Lincoln I would simply say today, “All that I am or ever will be, I owe to my Angel Mother”.

I think Mom’s 85 years could be simply summed up in two words.  Faith and Family

She was the best person I have ever known, but if she were here today she would shun the spotlight.  She would simply say, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”.

I miss her and thank God that she is now living in total clarity, in a land where we’ll never grow old, and in the presence of her Lord and Savior.  

This is not goodbye Mom, but only farewell for a little while.