A Tribute to My Mom

Bertha Edith Snyder Tessman
February 4, 1910 - December 17, 2005


Mom was born in South Bend, Indiana to Oliver and Carrie Snyder. The picture here is of Grandma and Grandpa Snyder in probably the 50's. I think that was maybe one of Dudley's children that Grandpa is holding. I know it was during my photo carreer with my Brownie Kodak Camera- probably somewhere in the mid to late 50's.
Anyway, When mom was born, they lived in Breman where Grandpa had a dairy farm. She talked very fondly of her Grandma Snyder- where she would go many days from school with a "sick headache" and spend much time on her couch.
It was here that she was confirmed in the Lutheran Church and came to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Later they moved to Fort Wayne where Grandpa delivered milk and eggs. They lived on South Broadway and Grandpa had a little dark room in the garage where he "candeled" eggs. This is the house mom lived in while she attended South Side High School, and later worked at General Electric. She met and married my dad in 1936. They met in Sycamore, Illinois where his Dad was a Lutheran Pastor. They met at a Youth Group meeting and after just a few dates, and after dad's divorce, they were married. He had been in a band and had married a chorus girl but after she had an abortion he ended the marriage in divorce and married mom. Four children were born to them in the first 4 years, one dying in infancy, and with these remaining 3 children, Patty, Jon and Mary Beth, they moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana to a house on 5th Street and dad was employed by Hadley Furniture Company. In 1944, Dad enlisted in the Navy and World War II was in full swing. Dad was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina as a Medical Nurse. He was dry docked due to his poor eye sight. Now the children numbered four with the birth of Carol. Mom boarded the train with all 4 children in tow and headed for Charleston to join Dad there. After the war ended in 1945 we were all loaded in to the 19?? Ford and headed back to Fort Wayne. In 1947 the 5th child, Sandy was born. I think these were probably the happiest days of mom's life...the days when she could take care of her babies and children. She always LOVED babies and I know especially loved her own.
Mom worked in their business which they opened in 1948- A & N Floor Covering, located on South Calhoun in Fort Wayne. They later relocated into Southgate Shopping Center and then to the Rialto Furniture store on the corner of Pontiac and Calhoun.
In 1969 they retired and moved to Florida. This is where mom lived with dad until he died in 1980. This picture of mom shows how "young" she still was in her 70's. No hair dye for her!
Mom continued to live at Top of the World in Florida. Eventually Jon and Carole came to Florida to live with her. Mom had Alzheimer's and was really not able to live alone so it was a blessing for her to have her two children to help her out and keep her company. Jon and Carole both proceeded mom in death.

Mom is here fixing a Fried Chicken Dinner for us...I think it was probably the last time we all visted together in Florida- we were there for Jon's last birthday and mom was so thrilled to cook for us all again.
Mom spent her last days at Peabody Home in North Manchester, Indiana and continued to rock babies until the end.
Mom was a great mom- she introduced us all to Jesus, loved us, cared for us and gave her all. We miss her dearly and are so thankful that she is enjoying eternity with Jesus where we will join her one day.

For my dad-The greatest man I never knew

butterfly kisses

NEVER Mock God!

Something to think about.....

NEVER MOCK GOD!


Make a personal reflection about this. Very interesting, read until the end...

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7): "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

> Here are some men and women who mocked God:
>
> JOHN LENNON:
> Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: "Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, Today we are more famous than Him" (1966). Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

TANCREDO NEVES (President of Brazil):> During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

CAZUZA (Bisexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):
During a show in Canecão (Rio de Janeiro ), whilst smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: "God, that's for you." He died at the age of 32 of AIDS in a horrible manner.

THE MAN WHO BUILT TITANIC:
After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it" The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.
>
> MARILYN MONROE:
> She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: "I don't need your Jesus". A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.
>
> BON SCOTT:
> The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don't stop me, I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell".On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.
>
> CAMPINAS/SP IN 2005
> In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter - holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:
> "MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU." She responded: "ONLY IF HE (GOD) TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, CAUSE INSIDE HERE IT'S ALREADY FULL"
> Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the boot was intact. The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, none were broken.....Boot means trunk.
>
Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.


JESUS!!!
Jesus said "If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father," What benefit does it have, if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul? What can man give in exchange of his soul? (Mathew 16:26).

Too tired...too hot...but PIPES ARE DONE!

Let's just say this is Dave laying the LAST pipe around noon today. We started this morning before 6...good thing as our thermometer on our patio was reading 107 this afternoon! We didn't work outside past 12:30...just TOO hot. We did venture out later this afternoon to try the water system...and it worked! The heads were spraying TOO far though...and after Dave called the COMPANY hot line to find out how to adjust them...they said these heads were NOT adjustable to what we needed. So...we proceeded to take out 13 heads and VERY CAREFULLY clean them and repackage them...made the trip to Lindale...returned over $400 worth of plumbing/sprinkler parts...bought new stuff...then went to SAM and Lisas. They graciously invited us to stay for dinner-we graciously accepted! THEN Sam showed Dave how the heads we had just returned...WERE adjustable. SO....... back to Lowes to exchange the "new" heads for the "old" heads we had returned a few hours earlier. Now tomorrow we will reinstall the 13 heads...install some heads we couldn't do today because it got to hot...wire the valves to the sprinkler control box...and then try everything again. IF it all works...we can close up the "miles" of ditches in our yard. WHAT a project! Praise the Lord for my husband who tackles most anything and does it well. What a work horse he is. He DID kneel in something this morning and has MANY bites all over one knee. Please keep him in your prayers.

June is Bustin out all over!

June! We used to really look forward to this month because school was out! When the kids were little we had a "Celebrate summer" party the day school got out. Our family seems to have chosen this month to...get born...get married...marry spouses with this birthday month and have children! We have no less than 10 birthdays and 2 anniverary's this month. Party time! It is great being near all of our kids and grandkids and able to celebrate with them. God is so good to us. We celebrated Ana's kindergarten graduation last night with a Roman Festival and beautiful graduation tribute by her dad of her 5 years with the Smith family. Sam and Lisa are here now and waiting to move in to their new home in a few weeks. They will be living with us until then. We are blessed to get to know Henry and Jonah better. They are such a joy!

In Memory of My Mom..Edith..1910-2005

This is a poem that I found when my first baby, Amy, was just born. I sent it to my mom that first mother's day in 1967 and every mother's day after that until this year because she went home to be with the Lord last December. I hope you enjoy it.


MOTHER
This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece. Please
read this at a slow pace, digesting every word and in
leisure...do not hurry....this is a treasure...

For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mom,
this is beautiful. For those of us who aren't, this is
even more beautiful. For those who are moms, you'll love this.






The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is
this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said: "Yes, and the way is hard.
And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But
the end will be better than the beginning."






But the young mother was happy, and she would not
believe that anything could be better than these years. So she
played with her children, and gathered flowers for
them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and
the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,
"Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."






Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was
dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother
drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said,
"Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."






And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and
the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary.
But at all times she said to the children," A little patience and we are there."
So the children climbed, and when they reached the top
they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."






And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up
at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my
children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage.
Today, I 've given them strength."



And the next day came strange clouds which darkened
the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped
and stumbled, and the mother said: "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.
" And the children looked and saw above the clouds
an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the
darkness. And that night the Mother said,
"This is the best day of all, for
I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and
the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent.
But her children were tall and strong, and walked with
courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her,
for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill,
and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And
mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end
is better than the beginning, for my children can
walk alone, and their children after them."



And the children said, "You will always walk with us,
Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates
closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her
but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She
is a living presence......."



Your Mother is always with you.... She's the whisper
of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach
in your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand
on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives
inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop.
She's the place you came from, your first home; and
she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love
and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can
separate you.

Not time, not space... not even death!

Older woman checking in...

“The older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to take care of their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” Titus 2:4-5
Here I am in cyberspace entering the world of blogging. My sole intent here will to be a Titus 2, “older woman” primarily to my daughters, Amy (by birth), and my daughters in love-married to my sons- Jon’s wife, Kelly, David’s wife-Beth, and Sam’s wife- Lisa. They will all be referred to as my daughters in the future. I also want to write to my granddaughters who I pray will someday be the wives of godly men-Caitlin, Haley, Tori, Ashley, Ana, Abigail and Jordan. I have also had many other “daughters” along the way as I taught for several years in a Christian School and have had very close friends whom I was able to share the things that the Lord was teaching me. This is also for any other women who are aspiring to be Biblical woman and wanting to grow in that role which God has graciously assigned to them.
For the past 43 years I have been the wife and help-meet to Dave. After meeting him on a blind date in 1959 I fell in love with him almost immediately and four years later became his wife. Now, forty three years later, I am still learning how to be that Proverbs 31 kind of woman and God is patiently teaching me things I need to know in how to love my husband more and to be a Godly woman.
Over the years, and especially in the last few years as I’ve learned even more what it means to be a Titus 2 kind of wife I’ve wondered, “Where were the older women” as I was struggling in learning to be a wife and mom and manage a household? My mom lived far, far away and even though she had given me many skills while I was growing up I longed for an older woman to speak into my life and guide me along the way.
I don’t claim to be a perfect example by ANY stretch of the imagination as any of the above women can quickly tell you. I claim to have a perfect GOD and to be in contact with HIM on a daily basis and will pass on things that He has taught me and is teaching me even in this season of my life. I will look forward to hearing from anyone who is blessed by this communication.