Dear Family and Friends,
After a few days of emotional phone calls from my family in North Carolina, my Mama called me last night to say that my Grandpa Comer (we call him Poppy Frank) is dying and the doctor said he only has a couple more days to survive. It was my Poppy Frank’s request earlier in life that he never be hooked up to any medical devices to prolong his life and my family is honoring his request.
Oddly enough, he has not been sick physically even though he is rather advanced in Alzheimer’s Disease. At the end of last week, he was hospitalized for a reason they still are not sure of but his lungs and now his kidneys are failing to function. My Mama tells me that the staff of the Fayetteville Veteran’s hospital have done a great job is respecting our family and my Grandpa’s request.
When we were home this past summer, Daniel and my stepfather, Richard, were watching a NASCAR race on television and my Poppy and Grandma were visiting as well. The abruptness of Poppy’shoarse singing caught me off guard. Usually barely able to verbalize much more than “where am I?” and “have I eaten already?,” he gave me quite a startle as he sang every word to the Star Spangled Banner at the opening of the race. But, honestly, the sudden lucidity shouldn’t have caused me bat an eye for if there were ever anyone that song represented, it is him.
Many of you do not know that my Poppy Frank was a Prisoner of War during World War II and Missing in Action for many months. He decided not to marry my grandma until he had returned and she waited to find out if he was alive after he had been captured by the Germans and put in a work camp. Poppy told me many times that the things he saw in that work camp were unspeakable and he was forced to cut wood outside in his bare feet which ended up in frost bite and, eventually, the loss of circulation in his feet.
He was rescued outside my a German woman pulling a hay wagon that hid the soldiers remaining because the American troops were moving in quickly. She took them to safety so they could get the medical help needed. I hardly ever look at a loaded wagon of hay here in Romania without thinking of that story. My Poppy told me many times the only possession he had when he returned was the bullet proof bible my grandma had given him before he left. He did return to the USA and found that my grandma had rebuffed the proposal of many suitors (she still is a beautiful woman) in anxious anticipation that he was alive. He promptly married her and they had five children and WAY (emphasis included because I was included!) too many years farming. They have been married 61 years and loved each other through many wars.
My Poppy Frank is an icon in his community of being a “man of his word.” He said thousands of times, “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” and millions of times, “You don’t own nothing but your name in this world.” I don’t think either of those two things made a bit of sense to me until I got much older. Now, I appreciate that advice daily. Especially in a world where no oneseems to think it is important to keep their word.
After staying up most of the night, The Lord answered our prayers and provided flights our ministry could afford out of Budapest early in the morning of the 5th our time. We only intend to be in the USA about ten days and then return. We ask you to pray for us because we are both already tired from all the work we have just done with a large team of 22 people and staying up most of the night to get a flight. We will most likely be staying with my family and then returning.
I know I am blessed to be 39 years old and loosing my first grandparent but, ina way, it makes it even harder because I have lived only knowing life with grandparents. But, I can say that I have put my selfish thinking aside for a week and prayed for The Lord to take my Poppy quickly so that he will not suffer. He has suffered so much in serving his country and in living with Alzheimer’s that we are all ready to go see him be with Jesus.
I find it interesting that my Poppy Frank has absolutely no short-term memory but sings his heart outto “When The Roll is Called Up Yonder” almost every night in his bed. My Mama tells me he has been singing it in the hospital as well with his usual special emphasis at the end, “And I WILL be there!!!” It is such a testimony to me thatin his spirit, He still knows how to praise The Lord.
I thank you in advance for your prayers. As you can imagine, I have done loads of crying over the last few days. I praised The Lord when I called the room the night before last and got to talk to him. He told me he loved me and I got to tell him as well. And I am so thankful that when The Lord calls him home, he will be “up yonder.”
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
