Memories

Hi everyone. I am writing tonight with a sense of absolute disbelief. A dear friend of our family has gone on home to be with his Lord. Lonnie Owens died in a hospital in Washington after being in a crash in his RV while on vacation. He was driving and the breaks went out. His wife and four of his kids were with him, and thankfully, they all survived. The Owens have been a part of my life for almost 20 years. When we began going to Northside, their oldest daughter and I became great friends. There was a group of us girls that got together almost every Sunday after church at one of our houses, and many times throughout the week. Their family felt like a second family to me. With six children, the Owens home was never boring! We spent countless hours together.
Lonnie was one of a kind. He had an amazing smile that just lit up his face and spread to everyone around him. He had incredible patience with all of us silly girls invading his house and always made sure we had a great time. He enjoyed seeing everyone around him happy. He was an amazing example of the Christian head of the home. He was an incredible businessman who did not let the time at work consume him...rather he put God and family first.
I have so many memories of him that I can't even mention them all, but there are a few that stand out in my mind. His kids sang special music alot at church growing up and their family always sat on the right side of the sanctuary. When the Owens kids got up to sing, he stood up at the end of his pew to videotape it. I bet they have countless hours of those videos. In fact, their oldest daughter has a precious little boy who participated in the same baby dedication as Michaela. I looked out and right in his "spot" was Lonnie with that video camera, capturing every moment of his grandson's special event! I remember he let a bunch of the kids in the youth group work at one of his local businesses in order to raise money to go to the winter CIY ski trip. I will always remember him driving that big van, hauling us back and forth from his house to church and to Mazzio's pizza for lunch. I will always remember how encouraging he was and how he was proud of all of his kids friends just as though they were his own...like when I was baptized and got a great big hug from him and he told me how proud he was of my decision. Lonnie will always hold a special place in my heart, and will always be remembered as an amazing example of living for Jesus.
Please keep this family in your prayers. His wife is still in the hospital with back problems. All of their kids are with her as well as our pastor and his wife. She was not able to be with Lonnie when they took him off of life support as he had been airlifted to a different hospital so she was not able to say good-bye. Funeral and/or memorial service arrangements still haven't been made because they don't know how long she will be hospitalized before being able to come back home. He will be dearly missed.