Genuinely Jerry

Have you ever known the feeling of being utterly helpless in a situation? Stood by watching it unfold and wondered “What in the world can I do?” You know how to pray and trust God to answer, but you also know He wants…EXPECTS you to do something as well? That’s how my 7 siblings and I have felt even before my brother, Jerry was hospitalized after having a stroke…several other complications, and then the final stroke. Jerry died on Saturday, August 19. Jerry was still working up until his stroke; hard manual labor, often assisted by his wife, Carolyn. Social Security barely paid anything due to low-income jobs.

Meanwhile, his house is in a state of disrepair, medical bills are piling up and with today’s rising costs he and his wife Carolyn were unable to keep up. That’s how we landed on the GoFundMe idea. The people who knew him loved him. He was humble, funny, and serious in his convictions…and he loved his family. His four children, Daniel, Sandra, Betsy and Joe dearly loved and miss him.

I remember getting texts from him; sometimes a clip of a funny song, or a joke….scripture or even a deep spiritual question. I always knew he was thinking of me…and he never failed to tell me he loved me. A few years back I kept getting texts from someone, a number that wasn’t saved in my contacts and it was signed “Mashed Potatoes and Gravy”. I didn’t know who it was --- but it reflected my brother, Jerry’s personality. So I sent this person a text and worded it in such a way that made him wonder who he was hearing from. He responded, ‘Who is this?” “Your favorite sister.”, I replied. It took him a while, but he messaged back, “Got that right!” Jerry never had much but he would give generously. The phrase “He’d give you the shirt off his back” truly fit my brother Jerry. He didn’t care how little he had --- he would give it all away because that’s how big his heart was. I’m gonna miss him…his texts…hearing him sing and play the guitar. I want to honor his memory by helping the woman he’s loved ever since he was a young teenager. I hope you will consider helping someone who’s not only facing life without her beloved…but struggling to pay medical bills and make ends meet. Thank you for taking the time to consider this.