The Aftermath - In Review - Personal Homepages - http://maxpages.com/louicia/The

The Aftermath
by Louise Cartright

When we were notified that our daughter Janice, her husband Carl and their children Stephenie, Carli and Dean, were gone, we thought that we would be able to deal with everything, one thing at a time. How wrong we were!

First, we had to call the Janice’s in-laws, then our kids to let them know and then everyone else. Make arrangements, call everyone and go through the funeral and prepare to go through the rest of our lives.

Well, it didn’t work totally that way! It was as if the enemy had prepared a total onslaught for us, to destroy us, as well. Let me see if I can recall the perspective of happenings.

2:15 a.m. A knock on the door. I think, as I see a deputy sheriff, that something has happened to our youngest son, Stephen, as he has not returned home yet. He had gone on a sound job and was putting the equipment away at that time. But it wasn’t about Stephen. The deputy said, “Call the coroner at Gifford.” Stephen appeared shortly after the deputy left the house.

We called the coroner to find that not one or two or three were dead, but all five of our daughter’s family had been killed in a house fire.

We begin calling our son in-laws family but so many unlisted phone numbers hindered us. It took an hour before we could get through. I wanted to avoid calling Carl’s parents, the Wallaces, as their health wasn't too good, we attempted to get hold of their boys. Carl’s brothers.
Finally, after several attempts I decided I must get hold of them so I could call my own children and family. So I dial Wallace’s number and since God is in control, I end up with their daughter in-laws parents. Their number is not like the Wallace’s. So they get hold of their children for me.

I called Ben and Dana, our oldest son and his wife. Dana answered. She cannot comprehend what I am saying so I have her put Ben on the phone.

I called John, our second son, and his wife Mary had a hard time dealing with it.

Then I called my sister Connie’s home and Charlie, her husband, answered. I was glad, as she was quite pregnant. I asked him to call the rest of my family. He very graciously did.

The Wallace’s called back to get as much detail as I can give them.

I find out that the police have an “APB” out for Jan and Carl’s van. They assume someone set the fire and stole the van after they found the bodies. At first they thought no one was home and weren’t in a hurry to get inside. Then they thought otherwise. I called to get hold of their pastor and find out they had loaned it to him for the weekend. I had to call a couple of their friends that I knew. I told the police where the van was.

We try to rest a bit but our minds are going 90 miles an hour. We can only comfort one another in each other’s arms.

Ben arrives with his family. We asked John to wait until we had more details so he wouldn’t lose too much work and he could spend more time with us and attend the funeral. My family begins to come in, my sisters Connie, Bonnie, my mother and my brother Ed. My sister Patty was already here so she didn’t have to drive from Kentucky. God’s timing! What an awesome God we serve!

We talk, they had told us that the bodies were sent off for autopsy to Pekin, IL. Later, we found out they didn’t take them from the house until after 5:30 a.m. They wouldn’t be back until Tuesday.

During the next few days several things happened. The gear box on our car went out (the power steering unit. I don’t know much about such things. We sent our kids to school to learn all this stuff.) Our kind neighbors mowed the grass for us and a rock hit the windshield and we had to have it replaced. People brought in a lot of food and then we had no place to put all of it. We rented a refrigerator from Royce Rental for a week. The house air-conditioner went out, it is very hot and humid. We go to get one and everyone is sold out. We go to H.H. Gregg’s and the kid laughs at me for wanting an air conditioner.
An older salesman, realizes there is something different in this request and that we need one for all the company coming and he tells me there is a truckload coming tomorrow and that we can have one if we pay for it now. No problem! Only that is the day of the funeral and we can’t pick it up until the next day. Friday!

We had to decide on the caskets and choose them to match Grandpa Cartright’s as they will be beside him. There are three of the caskets. Janice and Stephenie, Carl, Carli and Dean. The funeral home can’t handle the funeral so we opt for graveside services. Which turned out great. It was miserably hot, sweat dripping from nearly everyone.

We asked pastor Erwin Williams to officiate and to tell about their work in his church because the local people had no knowledge of it. His wife sang a song. The Champaign TV channel had a reporter there with a video camera. We received a copy.

We took pictures of the caskets at the funeral home before anyone came. Really nice ones. The easel of pictures and the pictures on each casket. Even made mention that finally Janice had beaten the boys at something. Heaven! We went a bit early and a good thing we did. It was the biggest attendance or at least the second in line ever for the Stewart-Carroll Funeral Home. Guess what? No film in the camera!

My brother in-law Kenny, took a video and ended up with re-exposing it so there were no pictures at all. It was like Janice said, “Uh,uh, not this time you don’t.”

Our friends and the city were really kind to us. We used the First Christian Church for the dinner after the funeral. There was so much food but we ran out and sent for the food from the house that people had donated.

On the way back from the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, the vehicle the Wallace’s were riding in, was struck on the side by a car. They were both treated and released at our Paris Community Hospital and had to have further treatment at their place in Brazil, Indiana.

Well, we think we finally made it. Got the air conditioner installed and the refrigerator returned before we had to take John home to Texas. He stayed to help clear out Jan and Carl’s house of the stuff that we needed to sort through. John’s wife Mary had an urgent need to return to her job.

When Grandpa Cartright died a few months earlier, he left us his Chevy Celebrity wagon and Steve, Arlie (my husband) and I used it to take John home on Tuesday. They got the final load of stuff from Jan and Carl’s house on Monday. Had a great trip down with him. On the way home we passed through Muskogee, Oklahoma and the car started doing something funny. I pulled into a station and the guys (Steve and Arlie) checked out the motor and realized it was about gone. We limped the 20 miles, on into Waggoner, Oklahoma and to Arlie’s Aunt Martha Rue’s home. Her son was there and we checked out the used car dealers.

The one I called had a car in the shop and the air conditioner wasn’t fixed yet. We could take it as it was or wait until Monday. We drove onto the lot and all I could see was this pickup with a hitch on it and the truck was nice looking. An ‘86 E150 Lariat Ford. I had Arlie and Steve take it for a test drive while I called our bank to see if we could make arrangements to buy transportation.

When they returned, I asked Steve, “Do you like it?” He said, “Yes.” I asked him again, “Do you like it?” And again, he replied, “Yes.” I knew he didn’t catch what I was meaning. I knew I wouldn’t want to be driving it but that he would have it. I just felt it was what Janice wanted and that the Lord had directed it. So, I asked him again and looked him in the eyes, “DO YOU LIKE IT?” And he said, “ YES .” Then he knew that it would not be ours but his. The bank wanted to know if they could fax to the dealer and I told them that he wasn’t set up for it. So they spoke to him on the phone and told him the check would be fine.

Then we had to locate a tow car-hauler. We found one at U-Haul across from Wal-mart. That was the cheapest way to take the car home. I wanted to leave it at a junk-yard somewhere. Ben said to bring it home. The car cost $1,400 to get the engine repaired.

On our way home we passed Joplin and I believe got to Mt. Vernon, Missouri at an exit when we realized there was a problem. The water and anti-freeze boiled out of the truck. The guys filled it with water and we stopped at a small diner and they were ready to close but they told us there was a motel across the exit. So we went there and spent the night. The next morning, we walked to Hardee’s and we saw an auto parts store on down the block. A thermostat and new anti-freeze and water fixed the problem. We sailed on home like a breeze.

When we arrived home the refrigerator was out and we had to empty it quickly. Everything was spoiled including the condiments. Now realize, that two months prior, Arlie’s dad had passed away after a three month notification of cancer which was the middle to the last of March, and the refrigerator had acted up then, and had to be repaired. They told us it was only temporary. We had hoped it would last a few more months. I called Sears and ordered a refrigerator over the phone then went to look at it to be sure it was the one we really wanted. Dwayne, the salesman at Sears, was really nice to us.

The Chevy began having stubborn spells after we had it fixed. So, I began looking for another car. Ben checked out a couple of cars that I found and then the Chevy would die on the Paris Ford, Lincoln, Mercury car lot. The salesman would start it up and I would go home to think about it. A day or two later it wouldn’t start again. When we finally got it started, I went after the new car and the Chevy died again on the lot. I told the salesman that the Chevy liked the lot. He got it started again. I don’t know what they had to do to sell it, but they did.

When we returned from Texas, we found some teen-agers had used the side door of the church for arrow target practice. (They thought it was abandoned). So we had to find a door for the church, later.

While they were taking things from the house I was pressed for them to find Dean’s saxophone in the house. The school didn’t have it. It was found in a corner of Dean’s room between the bookcases.
The case had smoke damage but the horn was fine. It was given to Benae, Ben’s oldest daughter, and two years later she took it to the teacher and he helped her replace the case and she took a few weeks of lessons to catch up and could play by the fall semester with the band. She is really talented.

Each time something happened we thought that would be enough. It was like the devil was saying, “Let’s see just how much these guys can take before they crumble.” Much like Job and his problems. They came one after the other without slacking off. Also, it was like, “Let’s see if they are going to stand on the word they talk so much about!”

God’s word did minister to us. And Jan’s voice rang loudly in my head for many nights. Once I thought of asking the Lord to turn the volume down but I didn’t. Now I realize the enemy was trying to get to my mind and allow thoughts in that I didn’t need. God knew what was happening and fought the battle for us.

Isaiah 57:1 became real to us. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, non considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: They shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

1Samuel 17:47 David said, “The battle is the Lord’s.”
Exodus 14:13 Moses said, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today.

...behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, nether shall thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead. Ezekiel 24:16-17

Janice was “Daddy’s Girl.” Our only daughter. Her children were very close to us. The Lord did not allow us to grieve. He gave us such peace there was no need. There were very few tears. He gave us His joy. We knew they were ready for Heaven.

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Psalm 77:6

Janice wanted to make a recording of Southern Gospel songs. The Lord had developed her voice beautifully. At Bible conference she was asked to sing at nearly each service.

Behold, I have refined thee, but now with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10
We can testify to this verse.

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. The Lord hath been mindful of us: He will bless us... Psalm 115:1,12

Great peace have they which love thy law: And nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165

...Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

As for God, his way is perfect: The word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. 2Samuel 22:31

Until the time that his word came: The word of the Lord tried him. Psalm 115:19

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Psalm 18:2

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

...rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer..... Acts 5:41

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: 2 Thessalonians 1:5

lcartright@comwares.net

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Page Updated Thu May 9, 2002 8:11pm EDT