January Twenty One

Be prepared for a long post...and for some a boring one. For those of you who care and love us and loved my mother though, I will proceed and fill you in on our rather rough January. I type "rough" and then I realize that in many ways-all the ways that matter most- it was a wonderful, wonderful month. For on the 21st of this month my dear mother achieved the highest goal any of us can ever have...Heaven.
My sweet husband wrote her life sketch. And let me say this, he was her pastor and her son in law-if anyone knows someone, he knew her. They had a sweet relationship. He teased her and she loved it. Mom loved him at first simply because I did, but as they got to know one another, they loved each other for so much more than that. Rick also preached Mom's service which was incredibly hard and incredibly well done. He preached about the Christians journey from Death to Life.

Early the morning of January 21, 2019, Avis June Germain passed from this life to her Heavenly Home. It seemed fitting that she would catch her first glimpse of Jesus face at this time of day, as mornings were always a favorite time for Avis and her husband Bruce. Without fail, they would start the day with coffee, Bible reading and prayer together. They gave the best part of the day to the best part of their lives and that was growing in the grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Avis was a bright testimony of God’s establishing grace. For many years, she struggled with doubts and insecurities regarding her spiritual walk, but in the past twenty plus years there were no such questions. She grew by leaps and bounds it seemed even as she was living out her last days. Just a matter of hours before her passing, she was heard telling Jesus thank you that she knew what He had done for her and that she knew she had a home in Heaven.
Avis was a much-loved wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Despite the difficulties of living with dialysis and kidney failure over the last three years, she still had a zest for living and a desire to see her children and grandchildren succeed in life and most of all in their Christian walks.
Avis was born January 30, 1939 in Fessenden, North Dakota to Chester and Elizabeth (Melhoff) Hayford. Her home birth was miraculous as it occurred in the middle of a blizzard without access to a doctor or hospital. She was born weighing less than 4 pounds and not breathing. Thankfully, Grandmother Rangna Hayford was on hand and was of strong pioneer stock. Elizabeth asked, “Is she ok?” and Grandma’s stern response was, “She will be!” and with that she forced air into tiny lungs till Baby’s color turned pink and she began to breathe on her own.
Avis graduated High School in 1957 in Larimore, North Dakota. She attended college at God’s Bible School in Cincinnati, OH and Bible Missionary Institute in Rock Island, IL where she received a Christian Workers certificate. Following college she worked in Larimore at Elk Valley State Bank as a teller until her family relocated to Kuna, Idaho in 1968. Here she was employed again as a teller at Bank of Idaho. Avis always loved children and taught Sunday School and Christian Day School for many years.
Though Avis, at times felt like an ‘old maid’ she did have many suitors. She just didn’t find one that suited her till she met widower Bruce Germain and his small son, Brian. They were married August 30, 1974 and made a happy home together on Harmony Lane in Greenleaf, ID where they would raise their children and become active in their church and community. Avis had a huge heart that never seemed to lack room for anyone new. She accepted Brian as her own and often joked that she married Bruce to get Brian as a son. They all rejoiced when Karen joined the family several years later following a number of miscarriages and the stillbirth of a son, Dale Edwin. Avis was the perfect grandma and her enthusiasm for each new grandbaby was boundless.
Favorite hobbies included shopping excursions with her mother “Grandma Liz”, young Karen, and/or one or more like-minded lady friends in tow. Store clerks knew her and affectionately dubbed her “Aunt Bee.” The only thing which could possibly top this were the camping trips she enjoyed with her family. Birthdays and holidays were always special as her excitement was infectious and she had a passion for making things special for those she loved. Upon telling him of Grandma’s move to Heaven, her youngest grandson wondered, “…..but WHAT are we going to do about Christmas Eve??!”
Avis early retirement years and “empty nest” recovery were spent working as a clerk at the Greenleaf Store for seven years. Here, she opened her heart to everyone and became proxy Grandma to many youngsters and a friend to everyone that would give her the slightest chance. The same was true during her approximate 468 days spent at Liberty Dialysis. To know her was to love her. The family would like to thank all the wonderful doctors, nurses and staff and her personal CNA, granddaughter Kayla for the loving care they gave Avis.
Avis is survived by her husband, Bruce Edwin Germain, who cared for her so lovingly throughout her illness, brother, Dale (Ileta) Hayford, son Brian (Elizabeth) Germain, daughter Karen (Richard) Bork, eight surviving grandchildren, Jared (Olga) Germain, Bruce (Charyl) Germain, Kayla Bork, Annette Germain, Kalli Bork, Kamilla Bork, Kaite Bork, and Kaderick Bork, along with many other nieces, nephews and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents and son Dale Edwin Germain.
Funeral services will be held at Dakan Funeral Chapel 504 S. Kimball Ave., Caldwell, ID at 10:30am Saturday, January 26, 2019. Rev. Richard Bork and Rev. Dale Hayford will be officiating. Internment will follow at Wilder Cemetery. The family will greet friends at Dakan Funeral Chapel Friday evening from 6 to 8pm.

I will include tributes in another post but here I will tell the story about Mom's last day on earth.

She had gone in to the hospital with chest pain on Sunday morning. After doing a CT scan they discovered that an existing thoracic aneurism had grown significantly and they put her in ICU to monitor it and decide what to do. We learned later that on Monday the dr would have told us that surgery was not a good option and that the aneurism would eventually burst or move most likely taking her life instantly. As it happened, this occurred before the dr got a chance to tell us. In a way this was a good thing as mom didn't have to worry. She had been quite sick and in a lot of pain when they first arrived in the ER, but by Sunday afternoon she was feeling so good and was in very bright spirits. Dad, Rick, Kayla and I were with her most of the day. At one point she and I were alone and she told me how sorry she was that she'd been up and down spiritually when I was younger and how thankful she was that she had finally been established some 20 years ago. She went on to say that she had no plans to die soon, but when I do here are the songs I would like at my funeral. When we gathered around her bed and held her hands that evening it was like holding a little piece of heaven. She practically glowed and I remember thinking, "this is dying grace...old saints really do just get sweeter" and yet I thought we had more time. She had been this way really for a few weeks. The Sunday previous she brought the sweetest spirit to church with her. Rick and I sang "The Path to Heaven" and she wept and rejoiced the whole time and then also through the message. Kayla decided to stay the night with Grandma. She has kind of been her own personal CNA over the last couple years and wanted to be there to hear all the dr and nurse talk. I went home and wrote down all the songs and verses mom had requested and then carefully laid clothes out should I need to dress in a hurry. Sure enough, Kayla called a little after 5am and when I heard the alarms in the background I knew. Rick and I were there in less than 10 minutes and in fact they were still trying to revive her when we arrived, but they never even got a moments heartbeat back. The next few days were a blur as we made plans etc but God was near and close every step of the way. This was the second death in our church in 2 weeks time and my pastor husband walked with us to sweetly gently taking charge and keeping things in line and schedule. He definitely has a gift for comforting the hurting.

I'll close with this song that sums up rather well my mom's last day on this old earth, and then like and eagle, she took to the sky!

Once again, I faced Satan this morning
And I battled him all the day long
But in my weakness, God sent reinforcements
And at sundown, I sang victory's song

And the sun's comin' up, in the morning
Every tear will be gone from my eye
This old place is gonna give way to glory
And like an eagle, I'll take to the sky

In a world, filled with doubts and confusion
It's so hard, when you don't understand
But I'll stand on a solid foundation
And I'll hold to an unchanging hand

And the sun's comin' up, in the morning
Every tear will be gone from my eye
This old place is gonna give way to glory
And like an eagle, I'll take to the sky