“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10
Those are the sweet words that were such a blessing for me to read the night before Mom passed away.
In an effort to reach a personal goal to read the Old Testament from beginning to end again, I periodically added that book of scripture to my daily study. During the last week of Mom’s life I had been struggling to find something meaningful to me in the book of Proverbs. I remember feeling quite frustrated the previous night because I was not reading anything that filled my soul or inspired me. Looking back now, I feel that Heavenly Father prompted me to continue reading on in that book so that at the perfect time the spirit could testify truth to my soul through the words written in Proverbs Chapter 31, verses 10 through 31. The truth that my Mother was indeed a virtuous woman! And her value truly was far above rubies. The feelings that flooded my mind and heart that night were feelings of pure joy and gratitude for the blessing of being raised, nurtured, loved and taught during my life on earth by a virtuous woman. That’s my Mom! An extraordinary, beautiful, faithful, gifted and lovely virtuous woman. Since her passing, I have had such strong feelings of joy, thankfulness and gratitude for my Mom. I miss her at times, but mostly I feel so proud of her! Proud of her for finishing her glorious mission on earth, faithful to the end!
Each verse seemed to describe Mom perfectly and brought memories to mind.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
Mom was so good at working willingly with her hands! One of my early childhood memories is of standing next to her as she worked with her hands using the sewing machine to make MY yellow shirt. She was sewing matching shirts for her three girls Lori, Lara and LaReesa out of the same yellow fabric. I loved that fabric and couldn’t wait for mine to be finished so I could wear it! We were living in the first house Mom and Dad had purchased in Weiser at Route 2 Box 22, Cove Road. Mom had the sewing machine set up in front of the attic window that faced west. I remember looking out of that window with feelings of excitement as I watched Mom finish the last few seams in my shirt that would match my sisters. I would wear it proudly to school on picture day.
14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
I remember going with Mom to different orchards in the valley to pick fruit to preserve and bottle each summer. She would always have a massive canning project that we would help with. She always organized us to help her but never made us do it on our own. Later in life I realized that I didn’t know exactly how to bottle and preserve fruit, but I knew that I could do it! I had the confidence to try it on my own because she gave us the opportunity to help in the family project. And we didn’t just preserve fruit, we preserved chickens! Dad would go out to the chicken coup early in the morning and ring the chicken’s necks one by one. Once the chickens stopped hopping around the lawn with no heads Mom would hang them upside down in a row on the side of the garage or barn. There they would wait for us to clean out their inside parts and skin them so they could be bagged and frozen for dinner sometime later that year. Mom really was a miracle worker with food. She could always make something delicious out of nothing it seemed!
One of my favorite memories of Mom and food was when she helped me make a special Family Home Evening treat. It was my turn to make the treat and she didn’t just take the easy way out and buy something. She made vanilla and chocolate pudding and then helped me layer them in tall glass parfait cups. I was so proud to serve such a delicious and beautiful dessert to my family that night!
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
I love having a hot breakfast every morning. It doesn’t matter how early I have to head out the door, I always want to eat breakfast before I leave. I believe that I developed this habit because Mom ALWAYS made sure we had a hot breakfast of waffles, pancakes, or hot rice cereal with homemade biscuits. She had a magical way of making everything taste so delicious!
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
We learned the value of working in the dirt as we planted a garden every year. We did weed the garden, but I remember that most years by the end of the summer the weeds had taken over the garden. Although the garden was not perfect, the lessons learned from the law of the harvest have still blessed my life.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
Mom’s arms were so strong! They were definitely strengthened by carrying each of her 11 babies around as she went about her daily activities of caring for her home and family. That’s a lot of years of carrying babies and her arms were strong enough for the task! One day I remember Mom giving me the opportunity to strengthen my arms. My job was cleaning the carpet on one particular day and the vacuum was broken. I remember Mom having me sweep the carpet with a broom. Right then and there I vowed that I would never have a broken vacuum or sweep carpet again! I hated doing that!
18 She perceiveth that merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Mom was a perfect example of Christ-like reaching forth to those in need. I remember looking up the stairs into the kitchen late at night many times and seeing her sitting at the typewriter with Alan McCord next to her. She helped him write many papers for his English class after she had tucked all of her young children into bed for the night. She reached forth her hands and her heart to many in need and blessed them with her life changing love and service.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Mom clothed me in a light pink, silky Prom dress that she made for me my Junior year of high school. The fabric was actually pink taffeta which is not very easy to work with when sewing but Mom was always up to the task what ever it was!
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
Dad always sat among the elders on the stand during Sacrament Meeting. It was Mom’s responsibility to get us all up, fed, dressed, and to Sacrament Meeting on time by herself. And getting there was only half of the battle! Keeping all of her children corralled on, under, or close to the chapel bench may have been the greater task. Mom did it all while looking beautiful and put together with a smile on her face. She was a great helpmeet for Dad!
I remember keeping myself quiet during a Sacrament Meeting by rolling my knee-high socks down and then back up over and over again. Years later while cleaning up my own children’s things after a Sacrament Meeting in the Weiser Chapel I spotted my younger siblings names, Kira and Derrel, written in crayon on the underneath side of the chapel bench. This was the same bench that our family sat on when I was a child. I am thankful for Mom’s efforts in getting us to church each Sunday and nurturing our testimonies even though it may not have been easy or perfect.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with siwdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Mom took special care to look well to the ways of each child in her home. I loved to play the piano! Even though she had a home full of children of all ages and interests, she always made arrangements for me to have the piano lessons I wanted that fit my schedule. When my schedule became busier during middle school she arranged for me to have lessons in the morning before school so that I could continue to be involved in sports after school. Dad would drop me off for lessons at 7:30 a.m. at the home of my teacher Emily Mowry. Then at about 8:00 a.m. Mrs. Mowry would warm up her light blue Volkswagen Bug and drive me four or five blocks to the middle school. A few years later at the beginning of my Senior year of high School, Mom made arrangements for me to have another very good piano teacher in Payette. With the pressures of a Senior year I soon felt too overwhelmed to continue with piano lessons. I remember sharing my feelings about lessons with Mom. Although she had spent time making the arrangements for my lessons, she didn’t get angry with me or pressure me to continue. She just took care of it and cancelled my piano lessons. Mom continued to be involved in the details of my life as I went off to college. She made sure that arrangements were made for me to have private piano lessons from a teacher in the music department at BYU. I am so thankful for Mom’s efforts to look well to the ways of her household, which in part, was me and my love of playing the piano.
I was confident that she would always be there to support me whenever I performed. So confident in fact, that when I sang a special duet in our Park School 5th Grade Christmas Program I didn’t even tell her. I wanted it to be a surprise and knew that she would be there no matter what. And she was always there. Two vivid memories I have are of Mom are looking up to meet her eyes after finishing a piano solo at the District Festival and seeing her up in the Boise State bleachers at the state track meet holding baby Kirsten who was six months old. She was always there!
The ability to work long and hard was definitely one of Mom’s strongest attributes. She certainly did not eat the bread of idleness! I hardly ever saw her take time for herself. She even preferred to cut and perm her own hair instead of go to a salon. We kept coaxing her to go to the salon and treat herself to a hair cut and style. Finally, she decided to try the salon. As soon as she came home from her hair appointment we could tell that she didn’t like it. I actually think she hated it and never tried the hair salon again! The only time I remember her taking time to do something she wanted was when she spent time writing a song. The song was based on the scripture in Joshua 24:15 and was titled “Choose This Day”. The truth is she wrote the song for us. It was a way to share her testimony and encourage her children to choose Jesus Christ.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Love you Mom! Thanks for being a virtuous woman!
