Holding SCYM Friends in the Light

12/07/22
We recently heard that Barbara Cowan, a member of Live Oak Meeting in Houston, died Sunday, November 27, 2022. A Memorial Meeting for Worship will be held in the meetinghouse on Friday, 12/16 from 2-4 pm with Chris Drexler as clerk. The family will provide catered refreshments beforehand. An online option is available here.
Meanwhile, here is a lovely vignette about Barbara: [https://www.boblevy.org/p118766921/h40F43A9F#h40f43a9f]

7/15/22
Good News from Tom Ivash:
Dear Friends,
First off I want to thank everyone that held me in the Light. I'm finally out of the hospital and rehab center. I'm staying with one of my sisters while doing home patient rehab. Slow progress but progress non the less.
A Cliff's note version of what happened to me. First I went into the hospital for bloated prostate. There it was discovered that I had a severe case of UTI. During the treatment for this, the Cardiologist noticed my heart had gotten weaker. It was recommended to install a heart pump.
During this surgery, I had complications starting with heart failure leading to Kidney failure. They sedated me for 3 weeks. As the Doctors were treating these problems, I got pneumonia. Great!!! With some Blessings I survived all of these complications.
Most Sincerely,
Thomas Ivash

7.12.2022
Danielle Evans writes: Gerald stepped into the Light this morning at 03:05am - his body weary - at peace now.
Gerald Jimmy Jr. is a member of Fort Worth Monthly Meeting and former clerk of SCYM. He is at peace after a long illness.  His gentle spirit will live on in the memories of many SCYM Friends.
Our corporate holding in the Presence is strong and important to us all as we continue to live lives of hope, faith, and love in these challenging times. ?(Please send news about Friends to Liz Yeats, Web Content Manager at pubs@scym.org for posting on this website.)

8/25/2021
Please hold John and Gail Fletcher and their family in the Light:
This week the Fletchers lost their youngest granddaughter, Lilly. She had a fatal accident while on a trail bike ride with her father in New Hampshire. The Fletchers are in Rhode Island now with family and do not plan to return to Oklahoma for several weeks. Friends please hold their daughter Becky, her husband Mike, and their daughter Ellen in the Light.

If Friends want to send notes their address in RI is:
33A Spring St
Wakefield, RI 02879-2458

8/20/2021
Grim news about Friend Christopher Dye from Will King:
Dearest Friends,

I received an email and a text today from Paula Keeth of the Dallas Friends Meeting. After Marianne Lockard was unable to continue her prison ministry, Paula became our Friend Christopher Dye's spiritual advisor and counselor. Christopher is a member of the Caddo Area Friends Meeting (Texarkana, TX).

Paula writes that Friend Christopher is back in the ICU at the University of Texas Medical Branch - Galveston, which has an entire hospital for use by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (corrections/prisons). She also writes that Christopher is not breathing well, but they are not going to put him back on the ventilator. It appears that Friend Christopher has advanced stage brain cancer with metastases (spread) "everywhere."

I am asking Friends to hold in the Light Christopher and those that know and love him. May God and Spirit comfort Christopher as he makes what seems to be his final journey, perhaps answering the call to come Home. I know Marianne Lockard will be glad to see her Friend and he to see her when they meet again.

Peace, Light, and Friendship,
Will

The news about Gerald JImmy Jr continues to be good: Gerald has had visits from his two dogs, Silk and Memo, in the last few days. He contimues to heal with the help of many including these two canine family members.

8/8/2021
More good news about two Friends, Gerald Jimmy Jr. and Christopher Dye:

About Gerald, Danielle Evans writtes: The 4th brought second dose of the Pfizer vaccine so we are now COMPLETE - have been trying for this since December! Finally resolved. Wound vacs had been applied to feet for a bit, now removed. Took a trip out to visit podiatry for post surgical follow up - though it will take some time, the pressure wounds are healing well.
About Christopher, Will King writes: Paula Keeth texted me this morning [8/6] to let me know that Christopher Dye has been moved out of the intensive care unity in Galveston to a regular room. Not much more info than that, but will continue to update.

7/29/2021
Good news about two Friends, Gerald Jimmy Jr. and Christopher Dye:

About Gerald, Danielle Evans writtes: Without notice, after dialyzing whisked back to skilled nursing! The IV antibiotics have done great work - we are clear minded, upbeat, active, informative and feeling much better. Wondrous.
About Christopher, Will King writes: I just spoke with Paula Keeth from the Dallas Friends Meeting about our Friend Christopher Dye. Paula received news today that Friend Christopher has improved, and "is off the critical list." Not much more information than that.

Please continue to hold these two Friends in the Light.

7/19/2021
Please hold Friend Christopher Dye in the Light. Will King writes:
Dear Friends,
I received word today that a Friend in our Yearly Meeting, Christopher Dye, is gravely ill.

Some of you might know of him as an incarcerated Friend living in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system. He is a member of the Caddo Area Friends Meeting, and several people in our Yearly Meeting correspond with him to provide spiritual and emotional support.
Friend Christopher has been experiencing progressively worsening numbness in his hands and feet that began sometime this spring. I was able to talk to Paula Keeth today, who is a member of the Dallas Friends Meeting and is Friend Christopher s spiritual advisor. Christopher has been transferred to the prison hospital unit in Galveston, TX, and was on a ventilator, but he is off the ventilator now. He remains in a semi-conscious state. I was told that his sister was able to visit him and he could hear her and squeeze her hand, but not much more than that, I m afraid. It is hard for Friends who communicate with Christopher to get any news about his condition due to patient confidentiality measures, and I do not believe that Friends are in regular contact with his family. I am asking Friends to hold Christopher Dye in the Light during his illness.
Peace to you all,
Will King

5/25/2021
It seems just yesterday that Friends in TX were suffering from the freeze and not much further back when we began our long quarintine for COVID. Here is a short update about Friends and their families still needing to be held in the Light.

Gerald Jimmy Jr continues to recover and build strength in a care facility in the Dallas area. Danielle uses Caring Bridge to communicate with Friends and others about his recovery which is going well now. She reports today:
Promise holds such good care that stress over uncovered hours becomes nonexistent. Green leafy trees sooth mind and body.
After nearly two months without a Guardian, Saturday the 15th brought Vicki & Paul - blown in like a breeze from their coastal journeys. For the first time since November 2020 two could visit together. With a fresh goodness, they left extra protein in the belly and a sunny smile in their wake.
Another week passed quickly, smoothly - now punctuated with the decision made by the entire team that we are ready for rehab. The rain brings renewal.
Please continue to hold Gerald, Danielle and their families in the Light for continued steady improvement.

There were 9 beautiful memorial minutes read at 2021 SCYM sessions. They will be attached to the minutes which will be ready very soon. The photo above came as part of the Live Oak Monthly Meeting's memorial minute for Roger Dale Garretson (Mar24, 1946 June 23, 2020).

2/23/2021
We got this message from Friends General Conference about the weather disaster in the SCYM area:
"Know lots of Friends have... SCYM on their minds."
In Faith and Friendship,
Barry Crossno, General Secretary, Friends General Conference
Please let the clerks of SCYM know if there are any needs we can help with in your meeting or your family by emailing clerks@scym.org.

1/29/2021
From Danielle yesterday: "Today we made sure music continues to be a part of our healing - new headphones! Unable to keep hand from fork, delicious Spaghetti Marinara was devoured (Gerald's favorite meal . . . ). Orange Sherbet provided the perfect finish. Eating the grub."1/23/2021
Please hold Deb Skok from Little Rock Meeting in the Light as she continues to suffer from COVID.

7/17/2020
Update from Tina Coffin about Marianne Lockard:

Friends,
I just talked to Marianne and Carol. At first Marianne was confused telling me where she was. She said she was at home, and then she said she was in the hospital. She is at home though. She was given an heavy sedative and Carol told her not to get out of bed when there was no one around to help her. David is back in Hope. Maybe being in bed made her think she was in the hospital. Carol is now out of quarantine, so she can go over more easily during the time the caretaker is not with her, from 2 to 4:30 in the afternoon. Marianne is still sore from the fall, and she said she can only walk a few steps.

Marianne will now be tested again for covid-19 and as soon as the result is in, she will be moved into the Alzheimer unit at the Shepard Center. Family will be able to visit with her in the lobby, so that is good. I told Marianne that we are all holding her in the Light and she said "Oh yes, please, do, as many people as possible". Carol said her Quaker community is her mainstay. When she was panicking after her fall laying on the floor and on the phone with Carol, Carol told her to focus on all her Quaker Friends. and that calmed her down. Thank goodness Carol has recovered.
Tina

Rather than sending cards to Marianne Lockard, c/o Carol Worley, 1300 W. 3rd Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, consider sending photos of yourself so Marianne can have all our faces around her.

7/15/2020
Please hold Marianne Lockard and her family in the Light. She and her daughter, Carol, have been diagnosed with COVID19. Carol is reported to be recovering and Marianne is asymtomatic, was being cared for in her home but today had a fall so is off to the hospital for some tests. Sadly, Marianne is very confused by all that is happening around her. Please do not phone at this time. It has ben suggested we send pictures of ourselves or children's art to her. Any mail to Marianne should be addressed to; Marianne Lockard, c/o Carol Worley, 1300 W. 3rd Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.

Please hold the families and all of the Live Oak Monthly Meeting (Houston) community in the Light. These members who died recently will be sorely missed.
Robert D. Stecker, Jr. (Dr. Bob) on June 26, 2020 age 91
Darrell Austin Hutto, died the week of July 1, 2020 (age 55)
Mary Beth Davidson Smith on died July 13, 2020