Jerry's Life

It's the 6th day since Jerry left earth and time to write about his beautiful life.  What a guy!  81 years and he lived it to the fullest.  He was wrong part of the time but he was right the majority of the time.  He ended with a strong belief and a strong heart for God and that is all that really matters.  He walked for the Lord and now he is walking with the Lord.  It's that easy!

 

Jerald (Jerry, JR) Roderick Reeves was born in the Myrtle Point, OR hospital on July 13, 1941 to William Clare Reeves and Helen Inez Stallard and was taken home to live and grow up in Powers, OR.  He graduated from Powers High School in 1959.  Jerry's first marriage was to Jean Griswold with children Jerri and Rod born into that family.  In 1972 Jerry moved his first family to Tillamook and began saw filing at the Publishers Paper lumber mill. That marriage ended in 1982.  The Lord God crossed the paths of Jerry and Debbi Schmitz (Werner) on February 19, 1983, they married July 30, 1983 and the rest is history.  Jerry and Debbi were raising Dena and Chris (Werner) when in 1984 Jerry's sister Carmen passed away so her two daughters, Jerry's nieces, Sharon (Bowers) and Carrie (McCulloch) joined the Reeves family. From 1989 to 1991, with the help of many other friends and family members, Jerry built a beautiful home for Debbi and the family.  This beautiful home is where Jerry passed away quietly and peacefully at the age of 81 years old on September 21, 2022 at 4:00 a.m. He was exactly where he wanted to be and loved to be.

 

Jerry worked as the Head Saw Filer and Saw Filer at the Tillamook Publishers Paper lumber mill, now the Hampton Lumber Mill, for 35 years, retiring in 2007. He was honored to be inducted in the Western Saw Filer Hall of Fame in 2006 for his skill and expertise in the art of saw filing. Jerry was also inducted into the Powers Community Hall of Fame in 2021 for his commitment and love to his hometown community for his entire life. Jerry was one of the founding members of Living Water Fellowship, a non-denominational church which began in Tillamook in 1985. He was a soft-spoken but dedicated and avid  disciple for Jesus, even more so after his retirement when he had the time to be with others.

 

Jerry enjoyed elk and deer hunting with his boys or sauntering alone through the prairies and the forests in Tillamook and Powers. Digging up clams in the Netarts Bay was a favorite pastime for many years with and without family and friends.  He raised a steer every year for the family freezer. He maintained the outside of the house and acreage for 32 years.  Because he lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 51 years and numerous complications of that disease he always said he had to keep moving and he did. 

 

Jerry was a quiet, humble man who loved others.  Like many, he had lessons to learn as a younger man but did learn from his mistakes and overcame to become an honorable man of God.  His wisdom and love was known to all who met him and got to know him.  One of Jerry's favorite saying to others was "All is well", knowing with God, all is well.

 

Jerry is survived by his wife, Debra (Debbi) Schmitz, children Jerri (Doward) Eldridge of Killeen TX, Rodrick Reeves of Portland OR, Dena (Brian) Lemos of Windsor CO, Chris (Lisa) Werner of Adna, WA and adopted in love son, Ryan (Cynthia) Miller, Tillamook OR. Jerry's grandchildren are Annie Eldridge Lobato, Jennifer Eldridge, Heather Reeves Meyer, Ashlee Lemos, Hailey Lemos Sanders, Felicia Lemos, Eddie Lemos, Tyler Werner, Natalee Werner, Liam Miller and Silas Miller.  Jerry's great grandchildren are  JayDee Meyer, Elizabeth and Emma Lobato, Jason Eldridge, James Guin, Ana Rose and Sarah Sanders.  Jerry is survived by his sister Sharon (Goodman) Giltz and husband Larry.  Jerry leaves behind many cousins, nephews and nieces from the Stallard, Boutin, Walker, Brady, Wyland, Reeves, and Goodman families not to mention all the others who were more family than friends from the communities of Powers and Tillamook.  Jerry was preceded in death by his father William Reeves, mother Helen Stallard Costello, sister Carmen Reeves McCulloch, brother William Goodman as well as grandparents and numerous uncles and aunts.

 

A celebration of Jerry's life has been set for May 27, 2023 at Living Water Fellowship in Tillamook (time to be announced) so that family and friends from all areas will be able to plan for and attend to share in this tribute to Jerry's life well lived. His presence on earth will be missed greatly but we all know that "All is well" and Jerry will be waiting to see all who follow Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. 

 

Transitions of Life

We are in the 9th day of Jerry moving from this life to the next with Jehovah Elohim!  It's been a miracle, blessing, sorrowful, joyful, laughter, tears, but I have to say there has been no fear.  The peace that surpasses all understanding has enveloped this house, those living in it and those coming in for visits.  It's very hard to describe in words because The Word has been living here for days and days with us.  The Comforter is working overtime with Jerry and all of us.

 

Today there are family members coming in. Chris is headed to PDX this afternoon for Brian and Ashlee.  Tomorrow Dena and Hailey fly in and they have a rental car.  Thursday Brian, Ashlee and Hailey fly out.  Dena will be staying to be more helping hands.  Friday Lisa will pick up Felicia at PDX and come over and then she will take Felicia back to PDX on Sunday.  Also Friday Jerri Jean and Doward fly in and they also have a rental car.  Eddie can't make it from Iowa.  Heather can't make it because she is having some kind of surgery.  David can't see him this way after all he went through with mom.  Jake has the babies while Hailey is here.  Felicia is coming in on Friday and Lisa will pick her up and come over. Jerri Jean and Doward will be here late on Friday and be staying for 6 days. Next week Jerri, Doward, Chris, Lisa and Dena will all be here to help with everything.  That is a blessing because I really only think it is a matter of days, not weeks, for Jerry. The hospice nurses will also be popping in and Jeannie is helping out too. 

 

Last week after the hospital pumped him full of IV fluids, 2 pints of blood and got the bleeding ulcer stopped I had thought maybe he would bounce back and get the fractured collarbone healing but God had other plans. Each day since Thursday when we got him home he has become frailer and frailer.  He is off almost all of his Rheumatoid Arthritis medication so now the joints are all inflamed.  The prednisone is too hard on the stomach so that had always kept the inflammation down but not now.  We wait on the Lord every day now.  We keep Jerry as comfortable as possible.  He is sleeping 95% of the time and he is not moving because moving causes pain, lots of pain everywhere.  Fractured collarbone and RA inflammation.  He is not eating at all and drinking very little.  My husband is slipping away from me and I have to let him go be with Jesus.  "catch you later" he said to me one time in the past week.  We know we will catch up with each other on the other side, the Lord's new place he had gone and prepared for us.  Each one of us who know him and call him king, savior, Lord, friend, God!

 

Transitions of life are difficult whether it is a new job, marriage, babies, moving, health issues, all of those things that take us out of our comfort zones and into something unknown and different. Sometimes it's fun and exciting.  Sometimes it's very scary.  I only know that I would not be able to get through all of this with Jerry if the Lord were not with me every second of each day.  I know he will be with me through these days and the days ahead after Jerry is not here with me.  I cannot fear because when God is with us what do we have to fear?  Nothing.  Absolutely because he is the God and loves us more than we can ever imagine.

 

A day has passed since I began writing this chapter.  Jerry passed away into the other life, our home with Lord Jesus, September 21st, yesterday morning, at 4 am.  Chris and I were with him within minutes of his passing and I heard the last little wisps of air pass from his lungs.  It was so peaceful and quiet then I was praising the Lord for his relief from all of the pain he had endured for 50 years with rheumatoid arthritis which caused so many other health conditions.

 

Now it is time for my own transition in life.  Jesus and I will be working on it.

 

AFTER NOTE: Jerry died at 4 AM on September 21st so all of the plans for family coming to see him were cancelled.  Sadly, Dena got here at noon and did not get to see him before he was gone.

 

The Final Days

Where do I start with this one?  It's probably going to be one of the hardest to write.  My husband of 39 years and 2 months is dying.

 

Last Monday I woke at 4 am to a huge crash and found Jerry collapsed as the bottom of the stairs.  He was trying to get from the couch where he sleeps, to the toilet and collapsed.  When I got down to him in seconds I tried to figure out what had happened and if he was breathing and if he was bleeding and if he was hearing me.  Within as minute or so he said "get me to the toilet" which was very hard to do because he was 120 pounds of almost dead weight.  We did get him onto the toilet and there was blood in his stool.  He did not want me to call 911 so we got him back to bed but within an hour he wanted back to the toilet. It was another ordeal to get him back to the bathroom and he was complaining of extra shoulder pain in his already bad shoulder.  The third toilet trip he collapsed on the living room floor and said to call 911.  We needed help. The paramedics were here within 10 minutes and began to assess him and get him into the ambulance to take him to emergency. I got to emergency at 10 am and they were just starting to get IV fluids into him as he was severely dehydrated.  About 11 one of the nurses did a covid test which she said was negative but an hour later the doctor informed us the test was actually positive.  This meant all new protocols for the patient and his care.  Of course I argued with the doctor but there was nothing I could do.  He became a patient with covid.  No visitors and everyone gown up, mask up, and glove up.  I was not leaving though.  They ended up finding in X-rays that he had broken his collarbone when he fell.  His blood count was low so they gave him a pint of blood and by 3 pm had him in an ICU unit since he was covid positive even though there was no symptoms of covid. They scheduled him for an endoscopy the next day, Tuesday, if possible, because the covid was an issue as well as his frail condition and broken collarbone.  I was told earlier in the day that I could spend the night with him but they kicked me out at 9:30 pm and said no.  They said I could come back at 9 am and see him.  I left in tears not knowing if he would make it through the night.

 

At 9 am I was back and was then told I could not go it his room.  I threw a fit and after demanding to speak with Administration I was allowed in the room with my husband in covid gear, gown, mask and gloves.  He was eating and drinking a bit.  They gave him another pint of blood.  I demanded they do the endoscopy and they were procrastinating and saying maybe they would do it Wednesday.  Tuesday at 4 pm they found a bleeding ulcer and cauterized it.  The doctor informed me his stomach was in terrible shape and there were exposed veins or arteries that could be a problem and thought the best thing would be to send him to Portland for more treatment that could help.  After Jerry  was alert and we could talk he determined he did not want any further treatment or to go to Portland.  "I want to go home."  I spent the day lining up Hospice services and a bed, supplies and equipment which was in place at home by 5 pm on Wednesday.  Our son had come down from Washington on Monday to help. Our other adopted-into-the-family son was here to help also. By 10 am on Thursday Jerry was released to home Hospice care and we brought him home. 

 

Tuesday and Wednesday Jerry had been eating and drinking some but of course he had been having IV fluids and blood put back into him.  Thursday at home he ate and drank a little bit.  By Friday it was less.  By Saturday and Sunday it was even less.  Just little bites and swallows here and there.  The majority of his time was sleeping.  He was getting pain medication every 4 hours for the broken bone.  None of his normal rheumatoid drugs were being allowed due to the condition of his stomach.

 

Today is one full week and everything in life has changed.  Jerry is losing ground everyday.  Family and friends are trying to see him one last time.  Emotions are high and exhaustion is at every turn.  But the presence of God fills this home!  We all wait on the Lord for his move and his time.  We have no fear of where Jerry will be when he draws his last breath because we have been assured by Jesus that there is another place we go to be with Him when we are not on this earth.  

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. - John 14:1-4

 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. - Revelation 21:1

 

See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. - Isaiah 65:17

 

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. - 2 Peter 3:13

 

Following Jesus

People who follow Jesus follow a man who was God in human form. It’s not a religious connection but a spiritual connection. Unless one finds this spiritual connection even a religious connection won’t fill a person with the peace, hope and love that comes. It only happens by spirit not religion. 

Those who followed Jesus when he walked on earth in human form heard him say things like,

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” ~  ‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” ~ ‭‭John‬ ‭14:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ~ ‭‭John‬ ‭9:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” ~ ‭‭John‬ ‭10:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” ~ ‭‭John‬ ‭5:46-47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Over and over Jesus spoke to the religious leaders of his time and tried to get them to see and understand he was God. He was the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior that all of the old prophets spoke of hundreds and thousands of years earlier, but they were stuck in their religion without a spiritual connection. The were blind and did not want to see. They were stubborn and prideful. They were selfish and greedy with power. They killed him instead of kneeling before God. 

But the disciples and the people who walked with him, talked with him, listened to him and made a spiritual connection with him did see who he was. They saw the miracles he performed and were not jealous of his power. They saw the kindness and love he had for others and did not call him their enemy but their friend. They saw his gentle way of dealing with others and felt love for him not resentment. Many of them died for him and many still are over 2,000 years later. 

Living for Jesus has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the Spirit of God living and working inside the hearts and minds of those who hear and see past this world and into a spiritual world. When one believes in who Jesus was and what he said, they also believe in this promise;

“There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am.” ~ ‭‭John‬ ‭14:2-3‬ ‭GNTD‬‬

And this promise;

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” ~ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

None of this is rocket science. It is faith. Simple, pure, spiritual faith to believe.