Last Thursday, December 9, 2010, my precious mother-in-law, Shirley Priesmeyer Kinsey, passed away. She had been very ill with cancer which had metastasized. Shirley fought a valiant fight. Her words to her pastor, days before she passed away, were words of fear that she had let her family down by not continuing the cancer treatments. We were blown away with those words, for we never felt that she was letting us down, when she quit the treatments. Our greatest fear for her, was that she would let the treatments keep her from having the quality of life she so deserved up until her last day on this earth. Shirley peacefully passed away with a couple of family members around her.
We quickly began making arrangements for the things that Shirley hadn't already put in place. As we walked through the days, prior to her service, we constantly ran into people who would tell us, once they found out who we were, that Shirley had been their music teacher, their child's music teacher, or their grandchild's music teacher. In pondering over these acknowledgments, we wondered how many lives she had truly touched with her love for music.
Shirley's service was Sunday, which was full of music, flowers, family and many many friends. The music was moving and exactly what Shirley had wanted. She had spent 2 hours with the music director the week before her death, picking out the music and talking with him about why she wanted each particular song. The pastor had spent time with her family talking about memories. He didn't need to find out much about her, since he had been her pastor for many years and he knew her so very well. The pastor's sermon was about the theology of music, Shirley's musical life, and how she had shared her talent.
Shirley will be remembered not only by family and friends, but by the many lives that were changed because she spent 42 years sharing her love of music.
We love you, Shirley, and miss you, but we know you are rejoicing in the arms of Jesus and you are finally reunited with your husband, Glyn, who was your rock and other beloved family members.
Until we all meet again.
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