The entire Moody family was saddened by the death of D’Arleen Moody Waymire on February 7, on her granddaughter Jessica’s birthday, and her son Steve and his wife Kathy’s wedding anniversary.
Aunt D’Arleen had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for more than four decades, and she fought the pain that came with that for more than four decades.
I can’t even imagine what all she must have endured, but she fought the battle until the end. My son, Jamie, said she taught us how to fight for what we want, and that’s a great way to look at it.
Yes, D’Arleen was the last sibling of five to leave this earth. She even outlived her husband, J.C., not to mention her parents, Clark Leroy “Lee” and Laura (Shook) Moody.
She even lived longer than any of them. What a woman!
She was the middle child and only daughter of this branch of the family tree.
Grandpa was 82 when he died on January 30, 1980, and Grandma was 89 when she died on June 30, 1996.
Dan Moody, the youngest of the siblings, was the first of those to pass. It was on July 4, 2005, when he and his wife, Becky (the former Jones), died as a result of a one-vehicle crash in Indiana, which was a major blow to the family. Dan was 55, and Becky was 51 at the time.
J.C., D’Arleen’s husband and long-time caregiver, died on January 17, 2016, at the age of 86.
Our father, Lee Jr., the eldest of the five, was 89 when he died on July 20, 2016, two months before he would have turned 90.
The other two brothers, Jim and Harry, died in 2017; Jim on March 4 at age 81, and Harry on October 18 at age 87.
Since then, two of their wives, Dad’s wife Bea and Harry’s wife June, have passed away. That means Aunt Gail, Jim’s widow, is still with us, and we’re happy about that.
D’Arleen, when J.C. and the kids lived in Rossburg, would let us come and stay with them a few days at a time. It was always a fun time. She even held a birthday party for my brother, Ron, sister Bev, and me since we all observed the same day in the basement of her home one year. And, nine days later, she would have had her own birthday, but I don’t remember us celebrating that. She probably wanted her privacy.
There was a great turnout at her funeral, which was no surprise to me as she was a former businesswoman, people-person, and friend to many.
Here are some things people said about her:
“My grandma has always been a rock in our family; she was the one who went through so much, hurt every day, and was in so much pain, yet she always had the most beautiful smile,” Kimberlee Bloom, granddaughter, said. “She was always upbeat and always found something good! This is what I need, I need to remember whatever life throws at you, no matter how much pain you’re in mentally or physically. You put on that smile, and you fight another day. She has always been my rock and always will be.”
Jessica Cannady, Kimberlee’s sister, remarked, “I have prepared myself for this call for so long. I prayed such hard prayers to relieve her pain, to give her peace, and let her go walk in the streets of gold with her flowers. Today, on my birthday, God answered my prayers and gave me the best gift in all the world, answering my prayer to let her go be with Him. She has been our family’s glue, our mentor, our person to be so inspired to handle life the way she could, with a smile.”
D’Arleen’s daughter, Deb Rose, said, “My sweet Mama. She was the strongest woman I have ever known. If I am ever half the woman that she was, I will be someone. She endured so much pain and was in a wheelchair for 46 years. She always had a smile. She fought with all her being until her last breath. Rest in Peace, Mom. You were the best.”
Deb’s daughter, Angie Drees, wrote, “Heaven gained the sweetest, most loving, determined soul that we called Grandma today. I am so blessed to have had her call me ‘Ang’ for 50 years and for my children to have had a great-grandma that showed a positive spirit like no other. Her smile lit up a room, and her “I Love You’s” will forever ring in our ears. Fly high, Grandma.”I, too, am glad she was in our lives. I was especially proud of the fact that she operated a popular floral business and all of the people who were her customers, not to mention the women who worked for her over the years, including my mother. Aunt D’Arleen fly high and enjoy life with no more pain. We love and miss you already.
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of D’Arleen Moody Waymire, Jimmie Lawrence, Phyllis Hess, Gene Siefring, Richard Helmer, Bob Turner, Carol Alderson Cox, Darla Harris, and Rocky Leedom.
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Please pray for these people: Don Moody, Kathy Burke, Gladys Neff, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Otis Stewart, Chris Clark, Kyle Kaiser, Tina Ruble Ullery, Keri Marion, Cindy Lovejoy, Janet and Troy Kammer, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Sonny Custer, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Stephanie Klingshirn, Alice Knick, Brenda Schlechty, Dennis and Theresa Wein, Betty Burnfield, Dan Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Pam Norman-Penticuff, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Greg Moody, Kelly Jo Eikenberry (kidney transplant) and son Allen (donor), Larry Linder, Steve Waymire, Jamie Knick, Nikole Baldridge, Chester Bryant, Lester Beisner, Delores Beisner, Kermit Foureman, Chuck “C.W.” Cruze, Mark Lovejoy.
Also, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Doug Winger, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Gary Francis, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Tracy Pratt, Zach Urbancic, John Rimmer, Joan Keen, Larry P. Fitzwater, Jim Thomas, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Jannie Barrow, Kathy Gragorace, Becky Everhart, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all of those who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
February 16 to Jerry Duncan, Chad Young, Shirley Lutz, Kent Stump, Doug Riffle, Gary Garrison and Jack Edwards.
February 17 to Beth DeLong, Paul “Jamie” Gray, Bob Campbell, Joan Trittschuh, Donna Arnett, Mike Gessler, Karen Gessler, Cindy Rismiller, Darrell Fox, Kim Knick, Barbara Marker and Dave Bricker.
Feb. 18 to Steve Garman, Jodi Leeper Reichert, Chris Heitkamp and Sterling Gregory.
February 19 to Marvin Pierron, Larry Singer, Shawn Peters, Jarvis Thwaits, Chris Thornhill, and Angie Minnich.
Feb. 20 to Cheryl Bulcher, Melissa Anderson, Charlene Sanders Hartzell, Dan Lenker, Bev Garrison, Brooke Muhlenkamp and Larry Hall.
February 21 to Anson Norton, Gary Moody, Joey Kunk, Kim Garber-Bloom, John Newbauer II, Jim Owens, Randy Fourman, Maegan O’Connor Rismiller, Heather Meade, and Jeremy Rammel.
February 22 to Janice Osterloh, Lyn Bliss, Jay Schricker, and Jack Lovejoy.
Happy anniversary to Allan and Shirley Phillippi on February 16, Larry and Julie Hall on February 18, Terry and Marge Young and Gary and Denise Heitkamp, all on February 20, and Judy and Gary Middleton on February 22.
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