When I heard about the sudden death of my younger = cousin=20 Jerry, I started thinking about the many barriers to a full-life he had=20 confronted in his life, and even how he exhibited an upbeat faith and = full=20 participation in the life afforded him.

Jerry shared with his seven brothers and sisters a = sense of=20 isolation from his extended family out East, as he expressed so = forthrightly=20 just a year ago. That = hasn=92t kept=20 him from entering fully into the barn/heritage center project of the = Stadem=20 family, being one of its largest contributors. His job wouldn=92t let him = take summer=20 vacations, so he was able to attend only one annual reunion over the = years, but=20 he kept in touch, even giving updates on the Ginthers for the family=92s = newsletter.

Jerry did not share a father with his siblings, = another=20 isolating factor, but he took the Ginther name [he had to pay a substantial = fee and=20 court cost to do so, as well as appear in court and fill out the = necessary=20 paperwork=97Ed.] and also = compensated=20 by taking full advantage of his relationship with his mother Pearl. At last report, he accompanied = her to=20 the hospital when she fell and bruised her hand at age 100, and gave the = extended family a full report. =20 Isolation took many forms for Jerry. As the youngest in the family = he shared=20 the fewest memories with the others. =20 He never married and lived alone, and so had no one to share his = life=20 with on an everyday and intimate basis. =20 But he used his gift with technology to make possible not only = his own=20 sharing, but that of our whole family creating the family web site [now = on http://www.plainviewheritage.c= om/].

What gave Jerry the ability to overcome the = barriers of=20 isolation in his life, avoiding the pitfalls of withdrawal and = resentment? It was surely his faith. =93For God alone my soul waits = in silence,=20 from him comes my salvation. = He=20 alone is my rock and my fortress. I=20 shall never be shaken=94.=97Ps. 62 =20 He saw at close range how that faith carried his mother Pearl all = the way to=20 her 101st year, without resentment at having lost her husband = at a=20 young age, having to raise eight children alone, enduring poverty, and = yet=20 giving of what she had and doing so joyfully.

From early on, Jerry took note of this faith, = deciding to=20 concentrate his college work in the area of theology, as well as=20 psychology. He sense in = his brother=20 Ron a true living saint and collaborated with him in the making the = family web=20 site a testimonial to the faith of the fathers. They chose to name their = joint=20 work Butterfly Productions, an allusion to the transformation that we = all=20 await. At work = Jerry was a=20 servant. He served in = special=20 living settings, hotel settings and at the airport. He knew he had the approval of = his=20 Master who came not to be served but to serve. Like other members of his = family, he=20 knew the truth of the Psalm when it says, =93Those of low estate are but = a breath,=20 those of high estate are a delusion, in the balances they go up: they are together lighter than = a=20 breath.=94=97Ps. 62

Jerry Ginther=92s life was counterintuitive for = me. The youngest of his family, he = took on=20 responsibility for the whole extended relationship. Raised without a father, he = embraced the=20 =93faith of our fathers.=94 = Raised in=20 poverty he became one of the greatest contributors. One of the youngest of his = generation to=20 pass from this life, he has left behind a legacy as big as the name he = gave the=20 web site: = Christianity. Unsung during his life, he has = left a=20 clear and shining example for us who remain behind. Though I only knew him from afar, I will not forget him.=Rennard Svanoe