The Other Side of Heaven (11 page)

Name:
Brenda R

Name of loved one
: James R

Age
: 23

Relationship:
Brother

How they died:  
Accident

A little about the one who passed:
My brother was a hard
working, hard playing man who enjoyed his short time here. He was messing
around with his hand gun one night with a buddy, the safety malfunctioned and
he accidently shot himself. He died instantly. He loved his family and friends
and was the “great protector” of his siblings although he was the youngest. He
liked to play pranks, laugh and tease.

How would one moment change your life?
It would help with some
closure if I knew that he was with our parents, that he was okay and that he
knows how much we all really love and miss him. I had a dream shortly after he
died where I walked into my mom’s house and he was there, on the couch. He
jumped up, grabbed me and while swinging me around he kept saying I am sorry, I
am so sorry, I am fine. It would mean everything to me to know that these
things were true.

What would you want to say:
I love you and are you alright? You
came to me in a dream and I really believe it was you!

Name:
Cindy

Name of loved one
: Rick

Age
: 53

Relationship:
Brother

How they died:  
Self Inflicted

A little about the one who passed:
My brother disappeared 2
years ago without a trace. I feel he went to a hidden spot and committed
suicide because he came to me in a dream so this is maybe a death. We don’t
know. I think so

How would one moment change your life?
I would know what really
happened and if he did what he was accused of doing

What would you want to say:
Why did you leave us this way with
so many questions?

Name:
Ione Couch

Name of loved one
: Gabrielle Aiken Martinez Hastie

Age
: 33

Relationship:
Child/Daughter

How they died:  
Natural Causes

A little about the one who passed:
Gabi had only been married
for 2 months, she had been in Australia for about a year and a half. She had a
lot of issues mental and physical that were not addressed. She was retired
Army. Newly married she was also a stepmother.

How would one moment change your life?
I do not know anything
about my son in law. I only know what he has told me about her life the last
year and a half, about her death. When she died in June I couldn’t grieve as
her niece and nephew were here for the summer. When her body was released in
August I wasn’t able to go to Australia for the funeral. We didn’t have the
money to bring her body here. Sometimes it feels like it didn’t happen.

What would you want to say:
What happened? I had just talked
with you on the phone 3 hours before you were found. It is not known yet how
she died,

Name:
Stacy Ruff

Name of loved one
: Benjamin Marble

Age
: 31

Relationship:
Child/Son

How they died:  
Accident

A little about the one who passed:
Determined against odds,
smart and a smart ass, robust

How would one moment change your life?
I relive every moment of
Ben’s life and feel sad and guilty for the moments when I wasn’t enough, when I
didn’t do the right thing, when I didn’t make enough time. When I let life get in
the way and didn’t choose love. In my head I know he knows how much I love him
and that he forgives me, but to have one more moment when I could say and share
with him how much I love him and how sorry I am if I ever made him feel unloved
or not perfectly Ben just like he is. I know in my head that he knows how much
he was loved and treasured but one more moment would allow me to know it in my
heart. To be able to say I love you for always and please forgive me for when I
fell short, also to have him say I love you Mom, and there is nothing to
forgive, those are all little things that don’t matter in the love we have.

What would you want to say:
Please Forgive Me

Name:
Susan P.

Name of loved one
: Michael Deveau

Age
: 22

Relationship:
Child/Son

How they died:  
Accident

A little about the one who passed:
Michael was a joy to be
around. He loved life and his girlfriend.

How would one moment change your life?
I never got to say
goodbye. He was at my house two days before the accident and I let him leave
without telling him to wear his seatbelt or telling him I love you. I didn’t
hug him one last time.

What would you want to say:
I love you and miss you every minute
of every day.

Name:
Sophia Neuzil

Name of loved one
: Michael Anthony

Age
: 0

Relationship:
Child/Son

How they died:  
Natural Causes

A little about the one who passed:
Out of the 4 lost, this one I
knew the sex of and we named. I lost him when I picked up something heavy early
in pregnancy and I bled for those 7 months.

How would one moment change your life?
Being able to hold him
and the others, being able to express my love, knowing I would be able to see
them again when I die. To know his personality, his face (and the others).

What would you want to say:
That even though he was not born
that I love him as a mom would a living child. And want to make sure he is ok;
did he get another chance to be a baby? And that when I die can I spend my
afterlife with him (them).

Name:
Susan Hayes

Name of loved one
: Levearl

Age
: 83

Relationship:
Father

How they died:  
Sickness

A little about the one who passed:
My dad was wonderful! He was
so funny and loved to tease others. He and my mom were married for over 60
years. They were great partners and even greater parents. My dad’s weaknesses
were my mother’s strengths. My mom’s weaknesses were my dad’s strengths. He was
the patriarch of our family even though he was the middle child of 3. He had a
brother who was about 8 or 9 years older. His sister was 11 years younger. He
was an excellent role model. He worked hard as the manager of a company that
manufactured clothes for our armed services. Daddy taught us to be responsible
adults but he also taught us to enjoy life, to treasure family, to laugh out
loud and to never give up. He had an opinion about everything and was stubborn
as a mule. I miss him every day and will forever.

How would one moment change your life?
I know my daddy would
hold me close, make me feel like an idiot for how stupid I’ve been, but he
would tell me he loves me anyway. Then he’d tell me to straighten up and get my
life in order.

What would you want to say:
Daddy I love you and miss you more
every day. I hope you know how much I have learned how to be a good person. You
were right about most things and I wish I had listened better. Please forgive
me for the mistakes I’ve made since you passed. Thank you

Name:
Cathy

Name of loved one
: Bob

Age
: 68

Relationship:
Father

How they died:  
Sickness

A little about the one who passed:
He worked hard all his life
and was in the parachute regiment in the 2nd World War. I was proud of this and
had happy memories of childhood, like we would go to the park on Sundays and my
twin brothers and I would keep finding pennies in the grass as we walked and it
wasn’t until I was an adult that I found out dad was flicking them over our
heads for us to find. When I was 12 things changed my brothers were sent away
to a special boarding school as they had bad eyes and my dad started to abuse
me.

How would one moment change your life?
I have forgiven him but I
still need to know why me, out of 3 daughters. What was it about me that made
him do this to me.

What would you want to say:
I want to ask why.

Name:
Amber Williams

Name of loved one
:
Jerry Wayne
Beavers

Age
: 36

Relationship:
Father

How they died:  
Natural Causes

A little about the one who passed:
I was 2 1/2 when my father
died in his sleep. I am now one year younger than him when he died. He drove a
wrecker in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where we lived. I have only heard things
about him from my mother. She has crazy stories, and he was unfaithful to her.
I have a half sister around my same age. I still would
love
to meet him.
My sister got a ticket when she was of driving age, after they had removed his
gravestone due to not being able to pay for it. I remember going to the court
meeting for that ticket.

How would one moment change your life?
It would give me peace to
know that I was able to say how much I miss him and how much I love him, even
though he was not perfect. The only picture I have of him is his gravestone
picture and his driver’s license.

What would you want to say:
I love you. I never had the chance
to say it as I was too young.

Name:
Priscilla Norris

Name of loved one
:
Edward Norris

Age
: 64

Relationship:
Father

How they died:  
Natural Causes

A little about the one who passed:
He was a silent man. Didn’t
say much and I didn’t ask.

How would one moment change your life?
I would love to get to
know you dad. Tell me everything please about your life so I can really know
you.

What would you want to say:
I love you Dad