We are home . . . for now

We arrived home shortly after midnight Monday morning. And except for the fact that I have caught Scott's cold - we are all doing well. Packing our shipment will happen on Friday and then Sam and I will leave early next week for the memorial service in Arizona.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying and comforting and supporting us during this time. We calculated that we have driven at least 2000 miles in the past week and quite a bit of it late at night.

Dawn and family.

Joan Mary (Hying) Niedermeyer, age 60, went to be with the Lord unexpectedly on October 20, 2008 at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Joan was born January 7, 1948 in Highland, Wisconsin to Leo and Mary Jean (Tomashaska) Hying. Her mother predeceased her on July 5, 1959. She married James Niedermeyer on November 16, 1968. Together they raised three daughters in Arizona.

Joan was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend with many passions. First and foremost was her personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Second was her dedication to her husband of almost 40 years. She treasured the time spent with her daughters and grandchildren.

She touched many people throughout her life by giving to others. She was an avid volunteer with many local community groups and churches. She always made time to “visit” and stay in touch with family and friends all over the world. Her concern for others still continues today. Her final wish was to donate her body for medical research and this wish will be fulfilled at Duke University.

In addition to her mother, she was preceded in death by two nieces (Kelby and Jessie Schmelzer) and one nephew (Tyler Laufenberg).

Joan is survived by her husband (James), three daughters: Wendy (Michael) Lemme, Dawn (Scott) Zook, Tiffany (Gary) Brawley and seven grandchildren. Other survivors include: her parents Leo and Bernadette(Wienkes) Hying, married on Oct 19^th, 1960, her younger siblings Pat (Cindy) Hying, Helen (Bruce) Laufenberg, Evelyn (Jess) Schmelzer, Tim (Kathy) Hying, Alice (Tim) Yanna, Curt (Barb) Hying, Bruce (Vicki) Hying and 18 nieces and nephews. She will also be greatly missed by her devoted and faithful friend, Karen Zehm.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 11:00 am at Ss Anthony and Philip Catholic Church, Highland Wisconsin. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Joan Hying Niedermeyer Scholarship Fund at Highland High School or Boscobel Pregnancy Helpline, 409 E. Kansas St, Boscobel, WI 53805.

My Mom died Monday

Sunday after church my Mom was found slumped over in her car in a restaurant parking lot near her newly built cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My Dad does a weekly commute to Atlanta and when he called her at 1 PM the emergency room answered. He immediately turned around and when he got there they were preparing her for transport to Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem NC.

She nearly died several times that night. We packed everyone up and headed down there, a 9 hour drive. We arrived around 8 in the morning on Monday and she was stable but sedated and on a ventilator and receiving nearly lethal doses of blood pressure medicine to achieve almost 100 on her blood pressure. My 2 sisters and 4 of my Mom's 7 siblings arrived also. After an echocardiogram it was determined that she had fluid built up around her heard and an Esophageal Echocardiogram it was determined that she had a Aortic dissection. My Mom died in surgery between 5 and 5:30 PM Monday evening.

Our move to India has been postponed to November 13th. We have 1 memorial service in Wisconsin Saturday 10/25 and another one in Phoenix on 11/6.

I'm home for just a but before we are headed to Wisconsin.

I've been writing more - but I'll post it as I have time.

Dawn

Houston - we have a roll-over

Last night Sam rolled over for the first time - of course Scott is on the other side of the world. I'm trying to get video - but so far he hasn't done it on cue.

Dawn