Saturday August 13 2016  A PICTURE INTO THE PAST: MONTGOMERY DELMAR

NOTE INSERT: Montgomery was still living in 2011 when we had the reunion.  He lived in California and was too ill to travel to Arkansas for the reunion.

Below is the short biography of Montgomery used at the reunion.

 

“Montgomery Delmar

1929 – 2013

Married:

Willie Etta

 

Children:

Montgomery Delmar Jr.

William Ernest

Galen Lewis

Gail “Lynette”

Our wonderful Uncle “Gomery”, how we miss your presence here tonight.  You have been the spiritual rock of our family.  So many comforting words have come from your heart, so many words of eulogy spoken over our loved ones.  You have been there for so many, offering your services at not only funerals but officiating marriages, counseling and “uncle love”.  We so appreciate your dedication to our Lord and to our family.  You have been our spiritual physician.  Your wonderful smile and calming words have been a gift to all of us.  Uncle Gomery, thank you for serving in the United States Navy for 10 years.  We admire you for helping our country become a safer place to live.  Your sacrifice and willingness to serve will be remembered!

The entire family sends their condolences for the recent loss of the love of your life.  Though our love can never replace the love of Willie Etta, we send our heartfelt love to you now across the miles.

During Montie and Willie Etta’s journey of life, they too buried a dear and precious son, Montgomery Delmar Jr. at the age of three months.  They reared two more sons and a daughter.  “Montie” and Willie Etta served for a time in Manila as missionaries working to transmit Christ’s message to a lost world.  Through all the years since returning to the states they have helped with financial support.  Montgomery worked with electronics in Manila as well as in the professional world.  He worked for Lockheed and Sylvania.  He served on the staff of First Assembly of God Church in Fremont California and later went back into electronics and worked for Singer Link.

Montgomery, your gifts have been many.  You have given to others the gift of hope. Your continued visitation to those in the hospital has brought much joy to many.  Your gifts of mercy and generosity have been given freely, as well as your gifts of help and encouragement.  And you have been the gate keeper of words, as God has bestowed you with a gift of writing, which you have shared to touch the hearts of many.  Thank you for all the kind words you have written and spoken over the years. 

The words of your children are such a tribute to you.  You are remembered for your unwavering kindness, the love you have always had for your family, including your brothers and sisters, and for the many hours of being a prayer warrior.  You have been an example of Godliness to your children as well as to the rest of the family.  To know you is to know more how to be like Jesus.”

 

So what do I know about Uncle “Gomery”?  (Gomery is what we called him as kids.)  As we grew up a bit he was sometimes referred to as Uncle Monty.  He said, “You can call me anything you like as long as you don’t call me late for dinner”.   And boy, did Montgomery like to eat.  Especially the sweets!  He was a bit spoiled too because he married a good cook and she could really make some great desserts.  Both of them were slim and trim.  And I also want to say that his wife was dedicated to her husband.  She was quiet, stayed behind the scenes, and always willing to help do the work it took to feed and clean up after a big family gathering.  They are both enjoying their heavenly reward.  “No more dishes to wash Aunt Willie Etta!  I always loved you too!”  They both have joined their firstborn son who died of crib death when just a few months old.

Monty was a small, slight boy.  His sister Annie remembers the boys at school taunting him with the words, “You’re no taller than a cat’s ankle.”  He would get furious and lay into these great big boys with his metal lunch bucket.  His bucket was always dented and battered because of how many bigger boys he would haul off and hit with it.  Annie said he never laid a finger on a girl however, except once.  And it was Annie herself.  She was taunting him with a note she had received from another girl who was sweet on him and Annie would not let him have it.  He finally got the note and then took Annie (they were teenagers at the time) over his knees and gave her a thorough whipping.   Annie also said that he was ALWAYS a true gentleman with the ladies, even as a young boy.  I guess that was true, EXCEPT to her!

The true gentleman is the uncle I remember.  He was always sweet and kind to all of us nieces and nephews.  Even his voice was gentle.  As a child of 7 or 8 years old he had a hankering to get up on the bed of the truck and “preach” to his brother’s and sister and would not allow them to leave.  He later grew up, attended Bethany Bible College, graduated and became a minister.  He was the first child of the clan to attend and graduate from college.  So we had a “family minister”.  Later his sister Annie, whom he put in her place as a teenager, graduated with a nursing degree and became our “family nurse”.

As a young person I thought it was only Uncle Gomery that knew how to “marry people” and knew how to “do funerals”.  He was the go-to guy.  I believe he was the one to console, comfort, and counsel many in our clan.  He never did grow to be what is called a “big man”, but in my eyes he was one of the biggest.  Never did I hear anyone in our family speak critically of “the little guy who was no taller that a cat’s ankle” after he was grown.  He was always looked up to and respected.  And like the rest of us, he wasn’t perfect, just almost.  He was truly a man of God.

I had only three blood uncles and each and everyone one of them was my favorite; each one for different reasons.  I was so fortunate to have the connection with these three abused boys who grew up to be awesome.  Yes, some had some rough bumps, along the way, but ultimately were able to overcome those obstacles, and each walked tall in my eyes.

When I look back over some of the things I found out about how Montgomery was as a kid, it makes me chuckle.  Most of William and Gracie’s children were born with an inner spunk.  I don’t believe they could have survived without it.  All I know is that each one is special in my heart and as a family we sure laughed a lot.

One final interesting fact about Uncle Montie, he wrote beautiful poetry!  I truly believe we were kindred spirits.

Below is the poem I wrote for the 2011 reunion regarding Montgomery Delmar:

 

Montgomery Delmar

1929 – 2013

 

You Are a True Man of God

Kathleen Martens

April 2, 2011

 

So many girls – finally another son!

And for this family, just the right one.

With a twinkle in his eyes and a heart of gold,

He was a gift to this family fold.

 

With a heart for God; a man now stood

As he worked for the Lord, did all he could.

Such comforting words have come from his heart,

His blessing on marriage – new couples to start.

 

In time of grief – he was always there,

Helping wounded hearts, by words he shared.

“We love you Uncle Gomrey, you’ve helped us through life,

And we send our love at the loss of Your wife.

 

You’ve given such joy to so many others.

You’ve loved unconditionally your sisters and brothers.

Your gift of encouragement has helped us all,

And in our eyes you’re ten feet tall.”

 

Montgomery’s FIRST PLACE AWARD from his children is for:

“PRAYER WARRIOR”.

“ WE ALSO REMEMBER YOU FOR YOUR OUTREACH TO OUR FAMILY IN SO MANY WAYS AND YOUR UNENDING LOVE FOR YOUR FAMILY.”

“YOU ARE A TRUE MAN OF GOD”

A pretty good first award certificate I would say.

 

TO PAINT A WORD MOSAIC

By Kathleen Martens

August 13, 2016

 

How am I so blessed

To be part of such a clan,

With every single uncle

Such an outstanding man?

 

Little boys and little girls

Who battled years of toil,

Working harder than a grownup

Never time to be spoiled

 

Growing up to be so giving,

So helpful to each other,

Looking out for brothers and sisters

As well as for their mother.

 

It is a world that now is gone

And their history left behind.

But a mama’s love and prayers

To each other helped them bind.

 

And every single child

Born into this large brood,

At one time or another,

For each other they have stood.

 

Through all the struggles experienced

A better life one day found.

Each helping the next

Because through love they were bound.

 

And I am so thankful

For all the bits and pieces

That I am now discovering

Of uncles, aunts, nephews, and nieces.

 

Little bits of stories

Written to hopefully last,

To paint a word mosaic

OF A PICTURE INTO THE PAST.

 

Thank You God for all my cousins.

Thank You Lord for our children and all my cousin’s children.

And thank You too for our grandsons.

Thank You for smiles.

Thank You for quiet moments by myself.

Today I thank You especially for Aunt Annie.

Thank You for the love You grow in my heart for my family.

Thank You for grapes. 

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

P.S.  I will be discontinuing Sunday blogs so as to take a little time off from writing.  Still have work to do on a book I am compiling and editing for publication.  Lord willing I will resume this series on Monday.  And…it is about Aunt Annie!  She was (and still is) the “pistol of the family”.  And you know what, this could be made into a long series if I started a round on the cousins.  Oh my, what I could tell you!  But I don’t think I will because there are a few things they could tell about me as well.