THOUGHTS OF AUNT NAOMI
 

Naomi "Marie" Billings Coleman
 

I am Naomi's namesake, her niece by Bernadine Billings Reeves.
 

My first clear memory of Aunt Naye, as we called her, is when I went

 to Lowell School in G. Junction and I had to walk to her house after

 school to the, what was called a "boarding house," which she managed

 and lived in. I stayed until I walked to the Telephone Company to

 meet my mother who worked there. The boarding house had rooms for

 mostly single little old ladies and a common bathroom. I'd help

 Naomi clean, mop, and dust the banisters on the weekend after she'd

 worked her full time job during the week. I would stay with her in

 the summer sometimes after we moved to California and I remember her

 walking from the courthouse to come home for lunch. She had such a

 brisk, firm step and a command of herself.  

I'd make her cream of chicken soup with saltine crackers with mayo,

 cheddar cheese and a tomato slice. She liked that. She always liked

 to color my hair when I was older and she liked it mostly auburn red.

 It was fun for her. I guess because she didn't have any children of

 her own. Uncle George mowed the lawn there and I remember the lilac

 bush that smelled each spring of that delicious fragrance.
 

When they moved to Court Road, we would come and visit in the summer

 and I remember helping her do the laundry and the most exciting

 thing was her washing machine. It had a ringer and I got to ring the

 clothes through by hand before hanging them on the clothesline.

 The things that excite a child! And we would watch wrestling and 

remember this was back when we didn't know it was "fake" for sure.

 She loved wrestling and a bowl of ice cream in the evening. But most

 of all I remember her sense of humor. She loved to "shock" everyone

 with a joke, an off color remark to get a reaction which was always

 followed by a "tee hee hee" her trademark laugh. My mother and I

 would laugh when we were there until our bellies hurt sometimes.

 The most fun a girl could ask for.
 

One time we went to Reno and met my mother, Aunt Naomi and Aunt Kay

 (her other sister) and I gave them all a facial and had them looking

 pretty before we went to a show that evening. All through the show

 Aunt Naye would "Oh, Ah, giggle, elbow you, and act as if she didn't

 know this was going to be a "nude" show, when clearly she did know.

 And of course, the "tee hee hee."
 

Always kind and thoughtful, always remembering everyone on their

 birthday or any occasion or no occasion, always was doing what little

 she could for someone else. Making sure she was financially set so she

 wouldn't be a burden for someone else, and being self-sufficient and

 independent all her life with little real pleasure and joy in her life.

 She will be missed, not only for her kindness, but for her "tee hee hee"

 as well. I hope you are with Grandma and Grandpa Billing and your brothers

 Aunt Naye and your body is whole and painfree and your soul at peace.

 Bless you for the memories you gave me.
 

Your loving Niece
 

Gaye Marie
    

A Prayer of Thanks for My Aunt Naomi

Dear Lord, I lift up this prayer
and ask for you to guide my words that I might honor you for the love
you have shown my Aunt Naomi and thank You for the love and kindness
she has shown me for so many years.  Lord may my words be gracious
and pleasing to You and to loved ones who hear this prayer. May their 
hearts be touched with Your peace and comfort.  I thank you for the
many sweet memories of Aunt Naomi. She was just a teenager when I was
a child, so I loved the attention she gave me and looked up to her.
She could scold me when I did something wrong, but show me the right
way to do things. When I was about eleven or twelve she gave me a gold
bookmark. It had the Ten Commandments engraved on it and she encouraged
me to learn them.Later, when she married her husband, George I was happy
for her and enjoyed knowing him and liked the way they kidded with one
another. They remembered  my birthdays and holidays. When Jon and I had
our 25th Wedding Anniversary she remembered us with a beautiful, fresh,
white flower arrangement. She loved her parents and always helped them.
She loved her stepson, Gordon and helped him through his teen years.
Later we moved to California. One time when we went to visit, our son
came with us and I thank You Lord for that visit because our son shared
praise songs of his faith in You Jesus and how she enjoyed hearing him
play his guitar and sing those songs. We invited her to come to Calif.,
but she loved Grand Junction and her friends and memories there, so
we've missed her so much in the last few years. I just have to thank you
Lord for all the things she's taught me; Love for family was her priority
and also love of friends and community. I read somewhere that the name
Naomi means "Little Lamb". I think it is an appropriate name
because You are the Great Shepard and because she humbly carried on in
spite of great pain and suffering, never giving up until You said it was
time to come home. I love your Word that says "Come unto Me all who
are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, for My yoke is easy
and My burden is light.Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am
gentle and humble of heart and you shall find rest for your souls.
Lord, thank You for all those who helped care for her these last years.
Lord You are so good and we thank You for loving your lambs.  
 Amen Kay Lynn

My Aunt Naomi was a valiant and spirited lady. She had a unique laugh that was contagious and made others laugh. She always made me feel welcome and shared whatever she had. She had an appreciation of family. She cherished memories of family and friends. She encourage us in our lives and pursuits. May we all be as brave in our difficulties and laugh with the same level of joy during the good times as our Aunt Naomi. Love Always, Kathy Van Gennep and family.

"If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you walk out of the door,
I would hug you and kiss you and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time I heard your name lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word, so I could play it back for days.

If I knew it would be the last time to spare an extra minute or two,
I'd stop and say, "I love you, instead of assuming that you know I do.

If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,
Well, I'm sure you'll have many more, so, I'll let this one slip away.

For surely there is tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
And we'll always get a second chance to make everything all right.

There will be another chance to say our "I love you's,"
And certainly there's another chance to say our, "Anything I can do's."

But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
and today might be your last chance to hold your loved one tight.

So if your waiting for tomorrow, why not do it all today?
For if tomorrow never comes, You will surely regret the day,

That you didn't take the extra time for a smile hug or kiss.
And your surely too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their last
wish.

So hold your loved ones close today and whisper in their ear.
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll all ways hold them dear.

Take the time to say, "I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, or it's OK."
And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

Apologize and start new.
And tell the one who loves you, that you love them too!"

Author Unknown

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