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Words in Celebration: Eulogies

Nina, our sister, our friend

These words were written by Bess, Nina's sister
and read by Hank, Nina's brother-in-law and dear friend, at her memorial service. 

What can I say about her? The love of her life is Miguel or as Nina called him Mikey. She did everything possible to make his life happy. He loves Power Rangers and of course, Nina got him every one that was available. But most importantly, she taught him about Jesus.

Nina loves flowers, any kind, but roses were her favorite. She had a passion for garage sales, going to them as well as holding them herself to raise money for “Nina’s Plot” projects which included the food pantry, clothes closet and scholarship fund for person’s to get their GED. She loved to cook. She was a giver, she was funny, she was controlling, she was bossy, and she was loving. She would sit around and think of things she needed or wanted someone to do.

One example, as Nina’s dear friend John can attest to. Her van was too tall to go into her garage. She told John she needed him to raise the roof a few inches, that all he would have to do is cut both corners and just raise it up a few inches. She had it all figured out how he could easily do this. It was so funny to listen to her explain all of this to him. The look on his face was priceless.

Nina’s passion was to give. If anyone needed something, Nina would do all she could to get the assistance that was needed. Nina cared more about giving to others than she did about taking care of herself. She told Bess a couple of weeks before she died that giving was her way of being happy and if she could not give, she could not be happy.

John lost his beloved Linda last weekend. She was his wife, helper and friend. Linda and Nina are friends and they both went to heaven together. On the lighter side, we have joked about God having his hands full with the two of them together.

Nina made a lasting impression on everyone she met. She will be greatly missed for her giving ways, her loving nature and her joking around. We pray that God will grant her family and friend’s peace and understanding. We also pray that God will be with John and help him thru the rough days to come. His loss has been double with him losing his precious Linda and Nina so close together.

MY MOMS LEGACY
By: Katie Tennel

My mom, Bess, received this email last night from my cousin, Katie, Nina’s daughter and we would like to share this with the rest of Nina’s family and friend’s.

People are often asked the question, what would you like your legacy to be? I don't believe my mom was ever asked, I doubt that she ever gave it any real thought. But, be assured, as she went about the normal task of living her life, she did create a very large legacy.

My mom will forever be known and remembered for the tremendous amount of care she had for others. The lack of selfishness and her eagerness to help anyone who was in need. I think a child has the right, just as parents do to be prejudice, but I'm not going to be.

I'm going to be honest and say, my mom wasn't perfect, she did her share of creating some bumps in the road for others, but I assure you that she removed more bumps for others, and solved more problems for others than she ever created.

If she even so much as thought you might have a problem, she sorta saw it as her mission to solve it for you, even for just a short time. She was a great listener. She was the one you always knew you could call any time of the day or night for any reason. She had a knack for making sure you had food, you had clothes, your children had birthdays, and Christmas, and it would make no difference the lengths she had to go for it, she would get it done.

She was filled with an amount of love, care, thoughtfulness, willingness to give, that the rest of us can only hope we might come close to.

The bible tells us that our reward in heaven will be a crown of jewels, jewels in the amount of kindness you showed others, and the blessing you were to others. I'm certain her crown is completely lined with the finest of them all. So, for the rest of us, we should try very hard to learn by her examples, and celebrate her journey home.

In Loving Memory of

Nina McEntire

September 30, 1945
To
May 26, 2008

Come To Me

God saw you were getting tired
And a cure was not to be,
So he put his arms around you
And whispered, “Come to me.”

With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away.
Although we love you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best.