Merry Christmas 2019

 

Chyna 2010, my last Christmas with Ms Alberta

      

Angela Michelle Booher

1971 - 2019

Ms Alberta       Myrtle "Mom" Shoupe       Faye Shoupe Harris

1926 - 2011                 1909 - 1989                 1932 - 2018

They are all gone now. Ms Alberta, Mom Shoupe, Aunt Faye and my daughter, Angela Michelle Booher, at the young age of 47.

But as my father said "As long as we remember them, they are still alive in our hearts and in our memories."

Merry Christmas to all - remember that the birth of the Savoir, Jesus Christ, is the true reason for the season!

Who Holds Your Hand

Temptations, trials and tribulations are on every side. There are patterns and more patterns, things seen and unseen. Questions, always whispering ever so low, “Why am I the way that I am? Why did God make and shape me into the human being that I am? Why is my life the way that it is?”

Always in our walk through life there are these things. Even in the most devout Christian life there are times when we just want to run away, not stop, not look back and never even think about coming back to face what is going on in our lives.

For a Christian this should be an untrue statement. None of our life should be lived for ourselves. We have given our lives over to the most awesome living God, and through His Son, Jesus Christ, all things are possible.

What must be remembered is that when praying and asking for something, God’s will should always be put first. Putting God’s will first is the hardest to do when our children are what we are praying about, especially if the very spark of that child’s life is slowly being eaten away by cancer; or being consumed with a love for alcohol or drugs.

What should be, must be remembered is even when God says no to our prayers, God loves us and He has a plan.

We may stumble and turn away momentarily, but God never does.

His shoulder always bears the cross.

We must simply remember to look and to see who is holding our hand.

Death of Ms Alberta's Granddaughter, my daughter Angela Michelle Booher

Angela Michelle "Boo" Booher (1971 - 2019)

Obituary Angela Michelle "Boo" Booher, 47, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019 at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. The daughter of Heinrich W.P.J. Booher and Alberta Ann Thomas, she was born Sept. 17, 1971, in Tarboro, Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Angela lived her teen years in Elizabethtown and graduated from East Hardin High School in 1989. Angela lived most of her adult life in Stanton in Powell County. She recently had moved to Shep­herdsville in Bullitt County. Angela was preceded in death by her father, Heinrich W P. J. "Heinz 57" Booher, her beloved Oma and Opa, Margaret Schauer and Robert "Jack" Booher; her Nana and Pawpaw, Alberta Thomas and Ed Brandon; and her maternal grandfather, Harold Lee Thomas. She is survived by her daughter, Ceceilia Ann (Wesley) Fouch of Stanton; three grandchildren, Kamryn, Aidan and McKenzie Fouch, all of Stanton; her mother, Alberta Ann Thomas of Shepherdsville; two sisters, Christina Trent of Murray and Teri (Nick) Reid of Shepherdsville; numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. Angela was cremated. There will be a celebration of her life by family and friends at a later date. Published in The News-Enterprise on Aug. 13, 2019 Fill not your hearts with pain and sorrow,

But remember me in every tomorrow.

Remember the joy, the laughter, the smiles,

I’ve only gone to rest a little while,

Although my leaving causes pain and grief,

My going has eased my hurt

And given me relief.

So dry your eyes and remember me,

Not as I am now, but as I used to be

Because I will remember you all

And look on with a smile

Understand, in your hearts,

I’ve only gone to rest a little while.

As long as I have the love of each of you,

I can live my life in the hearts of all of you.

Angela Michelle “Boo” Booher

September 17, 1971

August 8, 2019

Celebration of Life

August 24, 2019

In Memory

From the Journal kept by daughter, A. A. Thomas, during the battle with cancer

May 4, 2011 at 11:50 AM, Ms. Alberta breathed her last earthly breath. Died of cancer, Stanton, Powell County, KY

2011     May 7, 2011 buried in New Highland Cemetery, Williamsburg, KY

                  Yes, on Derby Day.

2011 May 6

Obituary         Published in Lexington Herald-Leader on May 6, 2011 – Posted 5-7-2012

Edith Alberta Brandon

STANTON - Edith Alberta Brandon, 84, of Vine Street, Stanton, KY, died Wed, May 4, 2011 at her residence. Born in Cincinnati, OH she was the daughter of the late Leonard Edgar and Myrtle Evabelle Vaughn Shoupe.

She was a member of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, KY and she was a former tour guide of the Boy Scout Museum at the National Scouting Museum.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her first husband, Harold Lee Thomas, by her second husband, Edward Sommers Brandon, by her daughter, Sharon Gail Thomas and by her brother, Willis Shoupe.

Surviving relatives are her son, Harold Danny Thomas, Sr. and his wife, Darline of Stanton, KY; two daughters: Alberta Anne Thomas of Stanton, KY and Clara Jean Thomas of Covington, KY; two sisters: Faye (Russell) Harris of Murray, KY and Sue (Buck) McVaney of Kemah, TX; 10 grandchildren: Teri (Barry Lee) Centers of Stanton, KY, Christina Trent of Stanton, KY, Angela Booher of Stanton, KY, Harold Danny Thomas, Jr. of Palmetto, FL, Timothy Lee (Kristin) Thomas of Elmhurst, IL, Dana (Chad) Crose of Stanton, KY, William Thomas Howell of Covington, KY, Jason Michael (Stephanie) Fisher of Lexington, KY, Jeffery Wayne Fisher of Aynor, SC and Jenny Iantha Fisher of Glasgow, KY; 23 great grandchildren, four great-great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Visitation will begin at 2 pm Fri, May 6, 2011 and funeral service, officiated by Pastor Elmer Varnadore and Associate Pastor Jack Dilbeck, will be held at 6 pm on Fri, May 6, 2011 at Hearne Funeral Home, Inc. 125 West College Avenue, Stanton, KY.

A second visitation will begin at 11 am with funeral services at 3:30 pm on Sat, May 7, 2011 at Croley Funeral Home, Inc., 103 South 2nd Street, Williamsburg, KY.

Interment will follow in New Highland Cemetery, Williamsburg, KY with Harold Thomas Jr., Timothy Thomas, Bill Howell, Jason Fisher, Corey Thomas, Chad Crose, Charles Kelly, Kevin Tipton, Bobby Mason, Bill Keaton and Barry Centers serving as active pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers are Robert, Kenneth, Marvin and Jimmy Thomas, Gaylon Jones, Clyde Hill, Archie Hill and Homer Powers.

Arrangements by Hearne Funeral Home, Inc. and Croley Funeral Home, Inc.

2009 - Cabin Fever - The Start of My Memory Book

From Ms Alberta's taped memories:
 
   I was born August 1, 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio. I will soon be eighty four years old. There was a five inch snowfall last night so I am snowbound. I am one of those people who, despite my years, must be busy doing something. This snowfall has made me decide that I will try to do something that I have been thinking about and have been encouraged to do by most of my family and friends; write about my life. It may be time for me to do just that. So here goes the life and times of Edith Alberta Shoupe Thomas Brandon.

      The first step should, I think, be organization of my life events; but this is giving me some real cause to wonder just where to begin. The story of my life is not hard to tell because there are too few memories to organize and tell about. The problem is that there are too many memories. My personal history floods my mind first and foremost; but my life was definitely shaped by the world events outside my family and personal life. During my lifetime there have been a Great Depression, a World War, a Korean War, and the Viet Nam War; there have also been other world shaking events that have shaped history and touched my life.

      My oldest daughter, who will be typing this for me, says to just start talking to the tape recorder and let her do the rest; so we will give that a try.

NOTE: Ms Alberta was dead before she reached her eighty fourth birthday.

Memories From Anne - Picking Blackberries

I can remember where we grew up that there were lots of trees. At some point in time someone had harvested trees off of about an acre of ground and left a few trees laying on their sides. There were lots of animals that used these trees as a haven to raise their young.

But the best thing about those fallen trees were the blackberry briers that started to grow near and over the trees.

My brother, sister and I love blackberries. There is nothing that comes close to the flavor of a fat sun ripened blackberry. So, in blackberry season, we would take our small metal pails into the standing trees out to that back acre of cut and fallen trees to the blackberry patch that was growing there.

Our hands would become stained with the berries as we picked them; and of course our mouths did too. Because who could resist taking a taste of a few berries before putting a few into our pails.

Despite eating more than went into our pails, we did manage to take enough of the blackberries home for Ms Alberta to make a blackberry cobbler.

I sure would love to be able to eat one of those cobblers now; because despite having her recipe, my cobblers may be good but they can not rival the flavor of Ms Alberta's.

Ms Alberta's Blackberry Cobbler

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Use a 13 X 9 X 2 inch deep baking dish or cake pan

1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup cleaned berries

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter or margarine in your 13 X 9 X 2 inch deep baking dish or pan.

In a saucepan, heat the sugar with the berries and milk; bring to a gentle boil for about ten minutes

Add flour and vanilla extract

Mix well and pour into baking dish

Bake until the top of your cobbler is a golden color; about forty five minutes

Enjoy by itself or with ice cream on top.

Thoughts From Anne - 13 January 2019

Harold Lee Thomas was born 4 August 1924. He was the oldest child of twelve born to Rachel Elizabeth Powers and Finley Thomas.

Harold quit school in the eighth grade to go to work in the coal mines to help support his family. At the age of seventeen he joined the Army and fought in World War II and in the Korean conflict.

He married Edith Alberta Shoupe 7 March 1946. They had four children; Alberta Ann, Harold Danny, Clara Jean and Sharon Gail.

Harold was a Jack of All Trades and never met a job that he could not do; nor a person that he did not like.

On 14 January 1968, at the age of forty one years of age, Harold had a massive blood clot to his heart. Harold's loving heart stopped beating forever on that day.

Harold was buried in New Highland Cemetery on 17 January 1968; Sharon Gail, who had died as a three month old infant, lay close by.

Harold died fifty one years ago on 14 January 1968. For me the time has been short, the grief still with me every day. He was a father who was always ready for a pillow fight, a water fight or just a joke on himself or someone else that he loved. I still miss my father.

1941

Thoughts From Anne - January 9, 2019

To me we are all in this world together. To me the world is a large body of water, or pond; and we are each a pebble that interacts and reacts to the other pebbles, and the world around us.

There are good people in our world; but this world that we live in now is so full of people who have no respect for themselves or for others.

There is no care or thought for what another person is going through; definitely no thought for how our actions and or words will impact another.

What we should all remember is that we are all like that tiny pebble thrown into a pond. That pebble can and will create ripples that will expand out across, and even deep underneath the surface of that pond.

What kind of pebble are you? Are you the pebble that creates a gentle motion of comfort? Or are you the pebble that creates a tide that sweeps away everything before it?

I want to be, and hope that I am; the pebble that sends a wave of comfort. I love my fellow mankind. I forgive those who do not give thought to what and how what they are doing is affecting others. I forgive those who have hurt me in the past, present or future.

Walk in beauty; treat the earth and your fellow mankind kindly.

Alberta Anne Thomas
January 9, 2019

1 January 2019 - Thoughts From Anne

We are going into the eighth year since Ms Alberta passed from this life to the next one.

They have been tumultuous years in so many ways. Passing of aunts, uncles, cousins and the continuing operations on my youngest daughter, as the doctors continue to try to stabilize her injured back and to try to alleviate her pain.

Ms Alberta's strength and determination show in my youngest child. Although she is in constant pain, she rarely complains and just keeps on keeping on, with a smile on her face.

I  would like to wish all who follow this blog the best that 2019 can offer.

May you live life to the fullest, with compassion and strength, to yourself and others.

God bless and keep you and yours.

Alberta Anne Thomas
Oldest Daughter of
Ms Alberta