In Memory of a Wonderful Lady

Everyone who has ever met Barb Baur could instantly tell what a wonderful and loving person she was. Mikey's grandmother (on his father's side) Barbara Baur graduated, as Pastor Fred says, late Sunday night to be with the Lord. The craziest thing for those of us who were blessed to know, to love, and to be loved by her is the realization that she will no longer be around.

But while we may not hear her laugh or her Pittsburg phrases or see her constant smile or hear her encouraging words, I am certain that she will live on in this world through the legacy she has left behind. In the last days of her life, she was surrounded by family and friends-who-felt-like-family through their experience of her amazing love and acceptance. Her husband of fifty years held her hand and stroked her hair, taking care of her and all of the visitors. Her sons and daughter and daughters-in-law stood by her bed, telling stories of all of the fun times and wonderful memories they have had with her. Her grandchildren remembered her constant presence in their childhoods. Mikey remembered her "way to go!" screams at his baseball games. He recalled his love of music being birthed in her home, playing her piano and giving concerts with his cousins. The youngest grandson, Luke (Mikey's youngest brother at 5 years old), played and slept nearby, reminding us all of the wonderful gift of life that continues on.

And through all of the tears, fear, and sadness, God whispered in all of our hearts the glory of his love and his Way. God used the life and even the death of Barb Baur to remind me of the lasting significance of a life of love. Love for God. Love for family. Love for friends. Even love for strangers. Love is her legacy, and it will live on in our memories of her and in our love for others. And in that sense, Barb Baur will always be with us.