Nancy and Tony

  It is hard to bury a friend, especially one with so much promise, so much joy, one so much larger than life.  But we did it.  Carolyn, chair of our deacon board, and Linda TIllis of Making Peace Conference fame, and chair of our trustee board, along with choir and a host of others pulled together to give Nancy Roberts all that we could give her in thanksgiving for her presence among us @ Mayfield Church.  Linda and Joan had invited Nancy to Mayfield four years ago or so.  Nancy introduced us to the American Refugee Committee and the joys of global citizenship.  While she had as her primary residence DeKalb, Illinois, always in her heart were children and adults in the toughest straights around the globe.  Once in a refugee camp when she met lots of almost dead moms and children near the Mekong Delta, Nancy was told EGGS, bring them EGGS for help and protein and more.  Roads were bad and eggs would crack on the journey, so Nancy found a way to get them boiled and to the people in need, and she was there for distribution.  Nancy in 1974 had married Tom Roberts, Jr.  She and Tom carried forth the legacy of DeKalb Ag(riculture) as it was known in those days.  Feed the world with hybrid corn, feed and clothe refugees and assist them through the proceeds from hybrid corn.  Nancy found her way to Mayfield, this global citizen so comfortable with queens and kings and the rich folks of renown, and found a home with us.  God, I weep.
    When I told Tony Bartlett about her funeral, he said,  "Holy Saturday, great day for a funeral. Christ harrowing Hades! Tell folks how much we loved Nancy."  So Tony, I'm telling folks how much you and Linda loved Nancy.  When Nancy insisted on going on the drum stalk @ MP3 and was injured, she kept her jovial bearing as Linda dressed her wound.
    And then there was this morning, when Tony's phrase got translated and put into the morning message.  Ikes, yikes, MG is swearing in worship.  Christ harrowing Hades became "Jesus scaring the hell out of hell."  Cross Purposes, Tony's book, was in the background of my thinking.  There is no place Christ is not.  And no place from which he won't come and find you, get you.
    Tony lets us know that Jesus says, "Come on, join me in resurrection.  Come on out from your abyss, the abyss.  It can't hold you."  I was in prison, until I got w/ the preaching peace guys.  Tony, thank you helping me to get what's really happening with Jesus.   Thank you for reminding me with "Christ harrowing Hades!"  Thank you, Nancy, for daring to live the life of joy promised us BEFORE you died!

Mary McKinney
Mayfield Township
Sycamore, Illinois

Comments

[nancy]

My memory didn't kick in until you mentioned MP3, Mary, and then it did so with a rush. Despite the assurance that Nancy's with Jesus, the grief must be very real. Even the brief acquaintance we made left me with warm and loving images of her. My deepest sympathies to you and Linda and all of those who knew and loved her and are missing her now. Shalom!

[mary]

Thanks, Nancy. Nancy Roberts spoke of how she enjoyed being with the another Nancy @ Peace Camp, as she called it!

[Scott Hutchinson]

What a delightful, generous, and "spirited" human being!