K.
Delia Wells Stovall Compton, Mother, lived to 102 and one half years. She lived through the most productive and world-changing times since the world began. She found the love of her life, Bruce Alexander Compton, and between the two of them; they conceived and raised 5 children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce, her eldest son, Robert Ezell Compton, and her eldest daughter, Nancy Claire Compton Stewart. She leaves her son, Kenneth Paul Compton, her daughter, Sandra Elizabeth Compton Wenzler, and her daughter, Rebecca Jane Compton Russ, many Grandchildren, Great-Grandchildren, Great-Great-Grandchildren, and to our best reckoning, a few Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren, and also many Nieces and Nephews. I would like to read to you a letter that Jane and I talked about this when we were planning this service. Jane and I believe Mother was received into the open arms of Jesus Christ and is now with Dad, Bob, Nancy, and all of her family who went before her. We hope that others who knew Mom would come forward and say something about their experiences with or recollections of our Mom. We decided that we would let this letter speak for Jane and me. This is written in the first person, I, but it represents the thoughts and sympathies of Jane and I in concert. Mother’s Day – 2013 I love my beautiful mother. She has always given me love, shown me respect and never turned her back on me. There is no way for me to ever pay her back or tell her enough times that I love her, that I thank her, and that I admire her. It’s a shame I had to grow up before I realized fully how much she does love me and how much she sacrificed for me. She never told me she was sacrificing for me, and she never tried to make it a point that I knew how much she was giving up for my benefit. She just did it, over and over. All those many things I took for granted are now more valuable to me than the things I earned for myself. I am sad that so many years went by before I ever realized and understood that everything I had as a child, and even older, was by her hand and that I never thanked her at the time and told her I loved her. I let too many years go by before I finally grew up enough to realize how much I should have been thanking Mom every day, and how difficult for her it must have been at times to continue to love me enough to provide not just things I needed, but so many things I wanted, knowing that I was too spoiled to give her a simple thank you. I don’t like who I was. I regret not showing her the appreciation she deserved and never got. I could have and should have done more. That speaks for her character. Her love for me is why she did it, and I have known no greater love in my life than the love my mother has given me (and gives me today) in her sweet heart. All through my life I have been blessed more by my mother than I deserved and more than I could have ever earned. Her agape love, that unselfish, unconditional love has always been there for me and has sustained me. That wonderful and unconditional love a mother has for her child that never falters and never wanes. I don’t know if all mothers love the way my mother did, but my mother loved and cared for me unselfishly, and now, all the ways and times that I could say thank you to her, would never be enough. No mother could have ever loved a child more, or cared more, or tended to, or been more dutiful to, or protected a child more than my mother did for me. Maybe more important than what she did is how she did it; unflinchingly, never haltingly, devotedly, freely and generously with no expectation of reward or gratitude. She gave and gave. How marvelous is God’s creation… my mother. I love my beautiful mother. I thank her every day of my life. Thank you, Mother. I love you. Happy Mother’s Day – 2013. Your son, PaulJane’s and my feelings of love and respect for our Mother. We love you, Mother. You and Dad save us a place. We want to join you again one day.