A Special Tribute

Doyle Beene left this earth on April 1, 2008. Although he was certainly not anywhere close to being the first of the many former members who have gone on to receive their heavenly reward, his death was you might say "the straw that broke the camel's back" for me.

Over the past few years, many of us have attended the funerals of Grady Burke, Ray Smith, John Cooper, Brandon Guillory, Jack Baten, Coy Day, Paul Burke, and Ted Debner, Jr. just to name a few. Because many of us know the same people, we observe the same familiar faces paying a final tribute to loved ones again and again. Although rarely does it happen, we often make promises to get together at another time or place outside of the bittersweet funerals of those who die in the Lord. Bittersweet because we will selfishly miss that person's earthly presence, but we rejoice in the confidence we share as Christians that this loved one is now reaping their reward and enjoying a wonderful homecoming!

Doyle seemed to make friends with everyone he came in contact with, and the large number of people waiting in line to pay their respect to his family showed just how many lives he touched in some way. There were people who came that we hadn't seen at some of the other funerals, and that's when I decided "we are going to have a reunion!" Doyle will definitely be missed; not only by his children and grandchildren pictured below, but by the many friends he met along the way. I'm confident that Doyle was greeted in heaven with "well done, good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of your Lord."

I hope you will make every effort to join us on September 20, 2008, as we reminisce and celebrate the special relationships we have made through the years with Sun Valley being our commond bond.