I’m in my home office working today listening to my wife rehearse ‘Amazing Grace’ and a few other songs and it’s giving me chills. We lost a very special lady today. My grandmother, Eunice Mae Rohrscheib, was born on May 13, 1918.
She was 97 years old and lived each one of those years to the fullest. In some sort of weird way I think it makes her passing a little easier on us knowing that her last years she wasn’t able to do the things that she enjoyed doing, like cooking for the entire crew on the farm or planting a huge garden.
I know it’s sort of cliche for everyone to say their Grandma is a special lady, especially at their passing, but my Grandma was truly an angel. In my 42 years of life I never once heard my Grandmother speak ill of anyone, and speaking as one of the black sheeps of the family I can’t ever remember my Grandmother not loving me and encouraging me, even when I was screwing up. I wasn’t alone either, Grandma had 14 grandchildren (and we were all mean) and she loved us dearly. Some of my most favorite memories growing up were heading down to Grandma & Grandpa’s house on Christmas morning or hunting Easter eggs in her front yard on Easter morning. I can remember growing up and having to start hiding the eggs instead of hunting them, it was sort of a rite of passage in our family.
In addition to all of the grandchildren, she had 33 great-grandchildren. I think either Spencer or my cousin Dewayne’s son, Cooper, was her last great grandchild born. I can remember bringing Spencer to her house for the first time right after we adopted him. She had been calling my dad in the days leading up to us making the trip to remind him for us to be sure to bring that baby by to see her. She loved unconditionally and even though Spencer was a load to hold and she didn’t have the strength she used to have she insisted on holding him. I grabbed my phone and shot the video. Wouldn’t trade anything in this world for this clip either. My grandmother Davis passed on my second birthday, I have no memories of her but fortunately thanks to technology Spencer will at least be able to look back and see how much his Granny Rohrscheib loved him.
In Grandma’s 97 years she never drove a car. I know that’s hard to believe but it’s true, well actually there was once that my Grandpa bought her a new car and put her behind the wheel for her first and last driving lesson. I think the car ended up in a ditch and they walked home.
I’ve got all kinds of funny stories about Grandma, her laugh was contagious. Her voice was also very recognizable. We used to have two-way radios in all of our farm trucks so we could communicate back and forth with one another on the farm. Everyone always knew to watch their language on those radios too and mind their manners because Grandma had the base station sitting on her kitchen counter and could hear every word we spoke. Every now and then Grandma would need to get in touch with my Grandpa and would call out, “Base to Judge”, that was my Grandpa’s name, Judge. Her high-pitched voice over the airways made all of us jump out of our seats too many times to mention. We’d always get a big kick out of it.
I can remember having the chicken pox when I was little and didn’t have an appetite for anything but Grandma’s potato soup. A few years ago she put together a cookbook that she passed down to all of her daughters (my Mom got one), she had handwritten all of her favorite recipes in it. (note to self: check to see if her potato soup recipe is in there). She was also famous for her Chicken-N-Dumplin’s, turnip greens, and white beans and cornbread. I can remember all of us working in the shop one winter on farm equipment getting ready for the next season and Grandma calling us all in to eat White Beans & Cornbread, it was amazing.
I know we are all going to miss her, especially my Dad and his brothers and sisters. I was blessed to be born into a family that is so close knit and loves each other. It’s not going to be the same driving by her house and not seeing her sitting under her patio that they built for her a few years ago, she spent countless hours out there before having to go to the nursing home. My aunts, each and every one of them are amazing, they looked after Grandma and spent every available minute with her that they could –my prayer is for them specifically, I know they are going to miss her dearly.
Talk about a legacy though, Grandma’s obituary was published today, it reads:
Eunice Mae Rohrscheib, age 97, of Lexa, Arkansas passed away Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at Helena. Mrs. Rohrscheib was born May 13, 1918 at Strawberry, Arkansas to the late Lonnie Doyle and the late Bessie Louise Sharp Doyle. She was a member of Lexa Baptist Church.
She is survived by three sons, L.D. Rohrscheib (Marie) of Searcy, Arkansas, Henry Rohrscheib (Billie Sue) of Lexa and Leonard Rohrscheib (Mandy) of Lexa; four daughters, Nancy Hill, Emma James (Jerry), Cathy Pryor (Jerry) and Pat Delk (Dennis), all of Lexa; 14 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and 15 great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Bobbie Jean Holland (Don) of Des Arc, Arkansas; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; stepmother, Euda Doyle; husband, H.W. “Judge” Rohrscheib; sister, Nolie Ross; two brothers, Paul Doyle and Edward Doyle; grandson, Rocky; and daughter-in-law, Nadine Rohrscheib.
A service for Eunice Mae Rohrscheib will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, July 2, 2015 at Lexa Baptist Church. Visitation will be Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Roller-Citizens Funeral Home. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Park in West Helena. Brother Tommy Jacobs and Brother Randy Williamson will officiate.
Pallbearers are L.D. Rohrscheib, Leonard Rohrscheib, Henry Rohrscheib, Cotton Rohrscheib, Curtis Rohrscheib, Dewayne Woodyard, Pokey Rohrscheib, Scott Pryor and Bruiser Pryor. Honorary pallbearers are Jerry James, Jerry Pryor, Dennis Delk, Carl Woodyard, Donnie Pankey and Dale Rohrscheib.
In closing, please continue to keep our family in your prayers as we keep Grandma Rohrscheib in our hearts forever –until we meet again. I really like Matthew Henry’s Concordance on 2 Corinthians 5:8…
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
5:1-8 The believer not only is well assured by faith that there is another and a happy life after this is ended, but he has good hope, through grace, of heaven as a dwelling-place, a resting-place, a hiding-place. In our Father’s house there are many mansions, whose Builder and Maker is God. The happiness of the future state is what God has prepared for those that love him: everlasting habitations, not like the earthly tabernacles, the poor cottages of clay, in which our souls now dwell; that are mouldering and decaying, whose foundations are in the dust. The body of flesh is a heavy burden, the calamities of life are a heavy load. But believers groan, being burdened with a body of sin, and because of the many corruptions remaining and raging within them. Death will strip us of the clothing of flesh, and all the comforts of life, as well as end all our troubles here below. But believing souls shall be clothed with garments of praise, with robes of righteousness and glory. The present graces and comforts of the Spirit are earnests of everlasting grace and comfort. And though God is with us here, by his Spirit, and in his ordinances, yet we are not with him as we hope to be. Faith is for this world, and sight is for the other world. It is our duty, and it will be our interest, to walk by faith, till we live by sight. This shows clearly the happiness to be enjoyed by the souls of believers when absent from the body, and where Jesus makes known his glorious presence. We are related to the body and to the Lord; each claims a part in us. But how much more powerfully the Lord pleads for having the soul of the believer closely united with himself! Thou art one of the souls I have loved and chosen; one of those given to me. What is death, as an object of fear, compared with being absent from the Lord!
