Picket Fences! Part 48.1


REV. JOSEPH WOODS
Joseph Ryan Woods, pastor
of Buford Falls Church, died
yesterday at the church.
Rev. Woods, an elder, was
preceded in death by his late
wife, Irene Woods. Funeral
services will be conducted
by Rev. Michael Spain. Burial
will be in the churchcemetary.



At Buford Falls Church Tuesday morning . . .


Rev. Michael Spain, the new pastor of the church, conducted the funeral services.

"You his friends and members of his congregation have come here today to pay your respects and say goodbye to a wonderful friend and respected patriarch of Buford Falls. Rev. Woods had no family except you his church family. After the death of his beloved wife Irene, he devoted himself to his ministry.







Rhys Sawyer and his father Ryan Sawyer (Joseph and Grace's grandson and son) . .


Ryan Carlson and Kevin Anderson (Rhys' sons) . . .



Noah Alan (Rhys' son) and Nathan Jordan (Jonathan's son) . . .



Shannan and Jonathan Henry . . .



Larry and Joy Anderson . . .


Mary Lou and Peter Edwards . . .



Sam and Emily Martin . . .



Jimmy and Arlene Martin . . .



Betty and Ben Jones . . .



Dr. Thomas Brian and his wife Nurse Jane . . .



Rev, Spain's wife Gwen also attended.



"I'd like to read Rev. Woods' favorite poem"Footprints", said Rev. Spain.

"One night I dreamed I was walking
Along the beach with the Lord,
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.
Other times there was only one.
This bothered me because I noticed
During the low periods of my life when I was
Suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord, “You promised me,
Lord, that if I followed you,
You would walk with me always.
But I noticed during the most trying periods
Of my life there has only been
One set of prints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
Have you not been there for me?
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints
It was then that I carried you.”


Those who wish to do so at this time may come forward and mourn Rev. Woods before we go to the cemetary for the graveside service."










Rev. Woods left a request for this poem verse from Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" be read at his graveside:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And
sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, lon I stood And looked
down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair.

I shall be telling this with a sigh.
Somewhere ages and ages hence;
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took
the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
[size=24]Some candid shots taken at the cemetary follow:[/size]










To be continued . . .