John Drake Memorial Fund

John and I met each other five years ago and we knew fairly soon it was our chance for happiness at this age in our lives.  We planned a life together and started after it.  Since it was important to John,  we married in 2011 with a church wedding.

Our lives together began to bloom because we gave each other a foundation to start over, a new beginning.   Between the two of us, the last of our five children finished high school in 2014.  We were then going to start his new career and our new life together.  We had so many things planned together that we hadn't been able to do individually.

John loved church, community, friends and family dearly.  And they loved him.  He was a man that fiercely loved the outdoors and tackled everything with passion.

Unfortunately in October of 2013, he was diagnosed with melanoma cancer and our battle began.  He fought hard and I was with him every step along the way.  He went through two trials, two sets of radiation, and two rounds of aggressive chemo.  Despite hard work, prayer, love and support John landed back in the hospital in September.  At that time we found the cancer was spreading aggressively and caused him to be too weak to continue any type of treatment.  We made the tough decision to go home to in-home hospice.  We fought for about five weeks before he went home to heaven.  There were some precious conversations during those days and I am heartsick missing my John and our dreams for the future.

Since he was sick the last year of our 3 years together, it has left us in financial difficulties.  Through the encouragement of friends to tell our story, we share this  to see if there are those who feel led to donate towards John's funeral and medical expenses.