September 24, 2019 (Tuesday)
Charles T. Studd wrote a poem that begins with the words, “Only one life.” My dear mother-in-law, Berta Holiday Sadler, heard it one day and never forgot it. Before her death in 1985, she chose a monument large enough to include the name of her husband, Louie J. Sadler, alongside hers, and asked that the words of this poem be inscribed on it. Mr. Sadler died in 1987. When the engraving of the stone was done, the quotation was too large for the front of the marker, and so it can be seen on the back of it, in one long line above both graves: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Not included on the marker, a second verse of the poem reads, “And when I die, how happy I’ll be if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”
Wanda has been buried near her parents’ graves since 2002, in Ferguson Cemetery near Oletha community, where I was ordained to the ministry in 1951 and was pastor of the Oletha Baptist Church. I will be buried beside Wanda. The oldest marked grave in Ferguson Cemetery bears the date of 1866. A historical marker has been placed beside the gate. The cemetery is maintained by a cemetery association.
Wanda’s great great grandfather, John Sadler, was buried there in 1885. He fought for Texas Independence at San Jacinto. His nephew, Jonathan Lindley, died at the Alamo. My first visit to the cemetery was in 1950, when I sang at the funeral of Wanda’s grandmother. At the time I did not know Wanda or her family. I was 19 years old.
Today I celebrate my 88th birthday. Twelve years ago I was Interim Pastor at First Baptist Church, Rockport. Twelve years from now I will be 100 years old if I am living. Getting older made me think of the poem above, and that brought memories of the cemetery and all the rest of what I wrote about today. The main thing I wanted to say is in the words of the poem.
At the close of each Tuesday blog I will write about the presidents, in the order of their service.