Carolyn

 One of our dearest friends was Carolyn Burton. We lost her in 1994. I want to write a post about her sometime, but for today I'll use this space to store a few pictures I scanned today. Her husband Mike reposted on Facebook today a story about their courtship and (almost) elopement so I thought I'd share these pictures.

Once they were talked out of eloping, Mike and Carolyn were married in Mike's home church. My father, Charles Shaw, was the pastor at Trinity (United) Methodist Church and officiated at the wedding. That's how I inherited a photo of the occasion. 

We have always loved to visit with the Burtons in Booger Hollow. We may have been on our annual raid to acquire a Redcedar for our Christmas tree here. That's me on the left. Carolyn is holding Brannon. Mike has turned back toward the barn? Is that Gola behind me?

Carolyn with Brannon

Carolyn at the swimming hole on Lake Creek.

Carolyn and Brannon

I helped her build a playhouse for my kids at a home on Cedar Avenue. She worked on several projects at my house (on top of all the insane projects Mike got her into in Booger Hollow and elsewhere.

Carolyn was resourceful in every area of life, including the very practical arts of carpentry.

 

The loss of Carolyn was a terrible blow to all of us and certainly to Mike. He worked very hard to give her a fitting memorial service and it was one of the most touching and appropriate I have ever been a part of. Sheila gave one of the eulogies and I sang "Morning Has Broken" and "The Gift of Love" with Richard Ware on the guitar. In a cruel coincidence that sad occasion conflicted with the happy wedding day for our niece, so we had to leave before the committal to drive to Decatur for the wedding.