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We Still Remember . . .
Doris Forrest,
April 30, 1923 - July 25, 2011
She is as in a field a silken tent
At midday when a sunny summer breeze
Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent,
So that in guys it gently sways at ease,
And its supporting central cedar pole,
That is its pinnacle to heavenward
And signifies the sureness of the soul,
Seems to owe naught to any single cord,
But strickly held by none, is loosely bound
By countless silken ties of love and thought
To everything on earth the compass round,
And only by one’s going slightly taut
In the capriciousness of summer air
Is of the slightest bondage made aware.
--Robert Frost
I am one of the lucky ones. I had my mother for 88 years. I am lucky I
have a close family, supportive of each other. We saw each other often,
living in the same state most of our lives.
My mother was a wonderful role model, an aerospace computer programmer.
During her life she worked on secret projects, which she could not discuss
with us. A very cool mom for a young girl. She was always effortlessly
stylish, from pearls to denim. She was an avid reader and loved both history
and poetry. And she loved music, from Percy Faith to Hank Williams.
We all treasured the whole family being together for holidays, and I will
forever remember just last Christmas when I hosted the family, using the
beautiful crystal candelabras mother had passed down to me.
My brother and I grew up knowing we were loved, no matter how crazy we
got, pursuing the arts while my parents tended towards mathematics. Yes, I
was one of the lucky ones, right down to the last conversation we had, her
eyes open, her thoughts clear, two days before she died.
Kathleen Forrest, daughter of Doris
Priestess of Temple of the Goddess
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Paul Forrest
Paul Forrest,
 58,
died of a heart attack in his sleep the first week of April. He lived in New
Orleans which he loved. He loved food and was a great cook. This picture is
from Thanksgiving 2008 when he directed all us cousins in creating a
fabulous meal. He was, at once, kind and thoughtful, but had a sharp wit
that no one escaped. It was always fun to hang out with him. He is survived
by his father Jack, sister Helen, brother John, girlfriend Mary, as well as
several aunts, uncles, and Forrest cousins. We will all miss him.
Note: Paul is the cousin of Kathleen Forrest, a Temple Priestess. We grieve
with Kathleen, knowing that there is one less fun person to “hang out with”.
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Lois Hansen
Age 91
Lois Hansen, mother of Temple Priest, Howard Hansen, and
Goddess-Mother to Founder and Director, Xia and her son Zach, passed away
peacefully in her home on Friday March 19, 2010 attended by her son. She was
preceded in death by her parents and her brother and is survived by her only
son, Howard Hansen, who recently returned to Spokane to take care of her.
Lois was born in the small farming community of Johnson, Washington on
January 23, 1919. Johnson was founded in the late 1800s by several groups of
extended families who settled there primarily from Tennessee. Lois graduated
from the Johnson school in the class of 1936 and continued her education at
Kinnman Business University in Spokane, graduating in 1937. She worked for
the State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services until the
second World War broke out. She was selected and given specialized training
in Aircraft Inventory Maintenance Support and was sent to Hawaii as a
civilian worker to support the Pacific campaign. After the war, she married,
had one son, Howard, and returned to Spokane. After several jobs, she
returned to the State of Washington, Department of Social and Health
Services advancing to become an investigator, working there until she
retired in 1982.
She was an avid gardener her entire life and enjoyed cooking, canning,
freezing, pickling, and making jams from her home grown fruits and
vegetables. She also loved to travel. Some of her trips included: India,
Thailand, Scotland, Ireland, England, two cruises to islands and countries
in the Caribbean, Mexico, Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. Her
favorite recent trip was to Egypt including a river Cruise on the Nile with
her son.
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Ruth Irene Whitehurst Nance
Ruth Irene Whitehurst Nance, grandmother of Haize, Priestess and dancer in
Temple of the Goddess, passed away October 29, 2009 in Daytona Beach, FL,
where she resided the past six years. She was born July 29, 1919 to the late
Marion and Emma Barnes Whitehurst in Enterprise, AL. She was the youngest of
twelve children to survive infancy.
She graduated from Coffee County
Training School and married her high school sweetheart, Y. C. Nance on
August 25, 1941. They were married 25 years and to his union three children
were born, Mary Sue Nance Hawkins, Orlando Tyrone Nance, and Roscoe Nance.
She and her family lived briefly in
Enterprise, Huntsville, and Wetumpka, AL, before relocating to Union
Springs, AL in 1950. A working mother, she was an agent for Atlanta Life
Insurance Company while raising her three children. She retired in 1984
after thirty-two years with the company.
In addition to being a full-time
employee, she also worked at her husband's side as he organized and coached
youth baseball teams in Union Springs. She prepared and sold concessions
during games to help buy uniforms and equipment and to pay for the teams'
travel expenses.
She joined historic Wayman Chapel AME
Church shortly after arrIvIng in Union Springs and was a faithful member
until her passing. Over the years, she served as an usher, church treasurer,
president of the senior choir, a member of the Steward Board, as well as
chair of numerous committees. She continued to support Wayman Chapel through
prayer and deeds after relocating to Daytona Beach in 2003.
She is survived by a daughter, Mary
Sue Nance Hawkins (Bill), Daytona Beach, FL; a son, Roscoe Nance (Willye
Mad), Herndon, VA; grandchildren, Karen Aiisa Rosen, Encino, CA Valerie
Nance, San Francisco, CA, Ronald Keith Evans (Monica), Chantilly, VA Donna
Hawkins, Hampton, VA Stephen Nance (Zaychina), Tallahassee, FL, Rahkia
Nance, Birmingham, AL and Riva Nance, Herndon, VA; her son, Orlando Tyrone
Nance, grandson, Demetrius Nance, and husband, Y. C. Nance, preceded her in
death. She also leaves to mourn her passing, ten great-grandchildren; two
brothers-in-law, S. N. Nance Sr., Tuscumbia, AL and James A. Nance, Seaside,
CA; two sisters-in-law, Leola Whitehurst, Enterprise, AL, Madie Nance Finch,
Gary, IN; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives and a host of
friends.
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