Copper Harbor Lighthouse

Copper Harbor Lighthouse

Monday, November 27, 2017

In Memory

Shirley J. Quinnan, 60, passed away on Saturday, November 25, 2017 at Gilchrist Hospice Center, Towson, MD. She was the wife of Stephen J. Quinnan of Parkton, MD. Shirley and Stephen were married on January 12, 1977, sharing 40 years together. Born on July 3, 1957, in Flint, Michigan, she was the daughter of the late Charles William and Etta Ellen (Bentley) Webster. Shirley worked as a customer service manager at Walmart Supercenter in Shrewsbury for 18 years. In addition to her husband, Shirley leaves to cherish her memory, a son, Jason E. Quinnan, his wife, Brittany and their daughter, McKenna of Abbottstown, PA; 8 siblings, David and Linda Webster of Port Charlotte, FL, Judy and Bill Clairmont of Port Charlotte, FL, Betty and Steve Carlton of Stewartstown, PA, Ellen Green of Vassar, MI, Patrick Webster of Vassar, MI, Kim and Lee Plakiotis of Port Charlotte, FL, James and Becky Webster of Saginaw, MI, Renee Webster and Scott Baldwin of Millington, MI; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Shannon M. Quinnan and a brother, Rev. Thomas C. Webster. All services are private at the request of the family. Hartenstein Funeral and Cremation Care, Inc., New Freedom, is assisting the family. Shirley loved children and her family. If you knew Shirley, you knew you were loved.

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Sweet Shirley was one of the sisters of my first husband, the late Tom Webster. I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Shirley's passing. I can't stop thinking about her great sense of humor, and her infectious laugh has been on rewind in my mind since hearing of her death. I'm sorry that her precious granddaughter will not have the blessing of Shirley's abundant love and attention as she grows up. The earth is certainly a little less bright without Shirley on it, but I know she had a joyous reunion in heaven with her beautiful daughter, Shannon, and my beloved Tom; and we will see her again in the Sweet By and By. Please join me in asking the Lord to help Shirley's family through this difficult journey of grief. 

As I was thinking about Shirley this afternoon, my mind suddenly remembered something that happened here on Saturday. I had been watching a young deer in our yard for a couple of hours that morning. This was the youngster my husband has named Milkdud. It's the offspring of Chloe, our most frequent deer visitor. Chloe and Milkdud are here so often that they're almost pets. In fact, they're out there right now as I'm typing this. They're normally inseparable, so I was surprised that Chloe was absent for so long that morning. Finally, Chloe showed up and they had a sweet little reunion near the bird feeders. I snapped a few photos of Chloe licking Milkdud's head. 

When thinking about Shirley's reunion in heaven with her daughter, Shannon, it occurred to me that Chloe and Milkdud were meeting up in my backyard about the same time Shirley passed away on Saturday. I checked the time stamp on the photos. Sure enough! It was shortly after Shirley passed that Chloe was greeting Milkdud with a lick. The symbolism was not lost on me. It was just a sweet little picture of the wonderful greeting between mother and daughter in heaven!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

4 comments:

  1. Julie, thank you for sharing this with us. We are so sorry to read about her dying so young. She sounds like a wonderful person and you were blessed to have her in your family. We are especially blessed to read about her reunion in heaven with her daughter, and your analogy of the deer greeting each other is a beautiful reminder that in Jesus Christ no one whom we love is ever "lost" to us. I'm reminded of the words of the hymn, "What a day of rejoicing that will be!!" Thanks be to God for His great gift of salvation in Jesus Christ!! We thanked the Lord for bringing you and your precious husband together after the passing of your first husband. You allow the Lord to bring joy and blessing out of sorrow as you share your wonderful blog with others. Thank you, dear blog friend. Bev

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    1. Bev, I was so blessed through your lovely and thoughtful remarks. Shirley was indeed a blessing. She had a very kind heart, yet she knew great grief herself. Her teenage daughter was tragically killed when she was hit by a car as she walked to school one morning. Even though we know our saved loved ones are never lonely or afraid in heaven, it's somehow comforting to think about those who have gone on before waiting there to greet them. I thanked the Lord for reminding me of that sweet little deer reunion I witnessed in my backyard just minutes after Shirley's passing. It was almost a little glimpse of heaven! Thank you so much for your sweet note. I was recently challenged to share more of my personal stories and some of the ways the Lord has worked in my life, and I'm praying about doing that after the first of the year.

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    2. Julie, we are looking forward to reading your personal stories that the Lord puts on your heart to share with us. It's always an encouragement to read about how the Lord works in a Believer's life. I would also love to read about some of your personal concerns about our world at this time, things that you think we should be praying about, etc. Also, what do you think the Lord is most concerned about for His people to be doing right now? Love your writing and the beautiful pics. Hope your back is doing well. Blessings, Bev.

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    3. Wow! That's a tall order, Bev! Guess I have more to pray about in that list! My lower back continues to give me fits, but that's just part of this earthly life. Makes thoughts of heaven even sweeter! Thanks for your concern.

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