A godly lady

After coming home from Bible study last night, my mom let me know that my aunt Doris had passed away a few hours ago. She is actually my mom's aunt but we have always called her aunt Doris. She had struggled with Emphysema throughout her life. She didn't smoke. A fever when she was 5 years old left severe scarring on her lungs. I will remember her best as a godly caring woman--the woman of 1 Peter 3 with a gentle a quiet spirit, adorned on the inside, that the Lord loves. Throughout her life she was faithful in her local church, serving as a church pianist for many years. She was also faithful as a godly wife to my uncle Phil, a godly caring man himself.

Of our times together, I will remember playing Christmas carols on the guitar while she played the piano as our family met together on Christmas Eve to remember the gift of our Savior, the Lord Jesus.

Earlier on Thursday, I had been in a Deuteronomy class at the seminary. My teacher was exhorting us to be Christ's church to people who suffer, even when everyone else has forgotten the tragedy and the loss of someone. I would invite you to pray for my uncle Phil for comfort and for me to serve faithfully, to show Christ's love.

I will try to post a picture of aunt Doris in the next few days.

I thought I would add some more about my Aunt Doris' life...

Doris LaVerne Kemp was born in Burbank on September 19, 1929, and lived in Eagle Rock, California. She had a younger sister Jane and a younger brother Harold. When she was a child she suffered a childhood illness that affected her lungs. At the age of 12, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. Her family owned the Kemp Auto Service business which they sold to purchase an avocado ranch in Escondido. Her father was tragically killed by a tractor accident on Good Friday when Doris was only 13. Her family returned to live in Glendale and lived in an apartment above her grandparents. She attended school in Glendale and rode her bike carrying her trumpet to Glendale High School. Music became an enjoyable part of her life.

After graduation she attended Biola College downtown and played the piano for the Radio Bible Hour. She then attended Whittier College and received her teaching credential. Doris became an elementary school teacher in Glendale and taught 3rd grade. She attended the Glendale Alliance Church and played the piano for their church services. Later she began attending Glendale Presbyterian Church where she met Phillip Jones at the Senior Young Peoples group and was married June 24, 1955.

Soon they moved to Burbank and started a family: Bruce, Brian, and Sharon. They began attending Emmanual Evangelical Free Church and were invovled with the sunday school programs. Doris played the piano and organ there for many years until 1978 when they began attending Grace Community Church. Phil and Doris took many bus tour trips with Grace Community friends. Doris began helping Bruce in his printing business in Burbank. Soon Phil joined in and the business became a family affair.

In 1996, Doris and Phil moved to Santa Clarita where their children and grandchildren lived and began attending Grace Baptist Church. In 2002, Doris fell and had hip replacement surgery. Her health began to decline due to continued problems with her lungs which God employed to bring her to live with Him on April 7, 2006.