This Page Is Memory
Of
Athron Thomas Hood
April 5, 1908
December 20, 2001
11 Children 35 Grand Children and
37 Great Grand Children
From your loving wife to my loving
husband whom I cared deeply for. I
will miss you and keep you safe in my heart.
We had eleven children who
we raised right or wrong, we know we
done the best we could. I know they
had to know we loved them so.
You got to see all our children raised and
married and how wonderful they became,
and for that I feel lucky.
I know God is sheltering
you with so much love,
and I thank God for seeing you
through 93 years. I am proud of the fight
you gave to be with us and
will always remember the
strength you had to do that ..
your wife,
Margie Hood
I remember daddy's hands folded silently
in prayer And reachin' out to hold me,
when I had a nightmare. You could read
quite a story in the callous' and lines.
Years of work and worry had left
their mark behind. I remember daddy's
hands how they held my mama tight and patted
my back for something done right.
There are things that I'd forgotten that
I loved about the man but
I'll always remember the love in daddy's hands.
Daddy's hands were soft and kind
when I was cryin'... Daddy's hands
were hard as steel when I'd done wrong...
Daddy's hands weren't always gentle
but I've come to understand.....
There was always love in daddy's hands.
I remember daddy's hands
workin' 'til they bled. Sacrificed unselfishly
just to keep us all fed. If I could do things over,
I'd live my life again and never take for
granted the love in daddy's hands.
We Love And Miss You Dearly, Daddy,
Your Children
Johnny ~ Anthony ~ Jackie ~ Jimmy ~ Loise ~ Faye
~
Betty ~ Sara ~ Linda ~ Violet ~ Brenda
If my dad could speak to me now,
he would say peace I leave you; my
peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let
your hearts be troubled and
do not be afraid. {John 14:27} My father who
was not perfect but really
tried to the best of his know how to do
right. He was a strong will man,
with a stubborn streak that would reach
one end of the earth to the other.
Like all parents we make mistakes
through our life and it really takes
a real man to make them right. The
last days of my fathers life all
though he could barely speak, he tried
very hard to let all his kids
know he loved them and needed their
forgiveness for anything he
might have done wrong. I believe he spent
many hours praying to get ready
to meet his wonderful father in heaven
and he spent many hours
struggling to talk to each child so that they
would know that he loved them dearly.
My dad lived a hard life and lived
with more pain than we could ever know.
I know now to never leave
nothing unsaid because you may
never get the chance to say it. Our
family was really lucky to be giving
the chance to say what every needed
to be said. We had a week before he died,
to shower him with more love
than he could possibly could have
felt here on earth and I thank God
ever day that he give us.
Daddy would say to all of his children, Let me
go and know that I live now in
the beauty of heaven,
cradled in God's
arms, always remember
me in your heart, do not worry about me I was
ready to go home...
I love you daddy and I will always miss you!!!!
Out of the arms of his
children Into the arms of Jesus
love your daughter
{{Brenda}}
Dear Daddy:
I want you to know I love you so much,
you tried so hard to give
me the love you only knew how.
I feel so glad you had 93 years to learn
and I know you suffered a great
deal in your life. You tried to make
things better for me.
And I didn't understand
then, but now I do and I thank you.
I love and miss you so much!!! I hope
the Lord gives me 93 years to grow
into the man you knew I could be.
Love your son.
Jackie
To My DAD
Sometimes we don't understand
and sometimes we do,
but when we do it's
always to late, It's like you find
what you're looking for in the last
place you look. We go through life looking
for the secret of life and
always working on our creativity.
You know that most of the time we
already have it, You Did ! Because
"the secret of of life is not to do
what you like, but to do what you do",
and you did. As for creativity,
"it's like Driving a car at night,
you never see further than your
headlights, but you can make the
whole trip that way", and you did, and
just to remember "
Diamonds are only lumps
of coal that stuck to their
job" as you did.
We will all miss you!
Love Jim
We will always remember,
we will never forget and the circle wont be
broken. We will always
remember how great a dad.
Love your daughter
Sara
Come gather Around children
Near the bed where I lie
Come say a prayer with me
For soon I may die
I need you here with me
For I have something to ask
Forgive me my family
The mistakes of my past
The way I sometimes handle things
The how and the why
I know you don't understand
Neither do I.
Please- try to find something-
Something right I did-that helped you grow.
Hold on to that memory and
never let it go.
But what's really important to me now
is that you love me-Just as I am
The imperfect father-The imperfect man
I've made peace with God
And we already know
But don't any of you worry were I shall go.
Not by the works or deeds I have done.
But the sacrificial death of my
Gods own son.
He'll finish the work
He started In me
He promised-So be Assured
That one day you'll see
The father you always wanted me to be
Dad
I knew your heart enough to know
that this is what you were trying to
say in your last days, But while
you were trying to deal with your
mistakes as a father we were trying
to deal with our mistakes as your
children, I was looking beyond your
mistakes and seeing your beauty, Just
as you looked beyond mine.
In this life no-one is perfect, but seeing
each other through the eyes of love;
The way God does; Well you cant get
more perfect than that on this side of heaven.
Love Now And
Forever
Violet
God's Dressing Room
Dad went through God's dressing room,
The angel must have worked real fast.
Dad's mind was very sharp and his heart
had become so tender,
He was able to tell Jesus all the things
he could remember.
Jesus must have said must have said my
son relax, I already know.
I have a coat of righteousness, and when
you where it you will glow.
The angels gathered all the threads of forgiveness
dad had confessed.
They made and wove his coat to his perfect
size, it was called
righteousness.
Jesus tied the knot because no one else
was able.
And when it was all finished God put his
seal inside, made from the
threads of life and modeled by Jesus Christ.
Washed by his blood so handle it
with care,
May be only worn by the man in which it
was prepared.
And all the fabric of the old coat was
taken and thrown away.
Except the threads of forgiveness for those
he had forgave.
And along with God's forgiveness for which
this coat was made.
Dad looked so very peaceful as he said goodbye,as
we sang, "Jesus Loves
Me," heaven's gates had opened wide.
He had a little grimis when he opened up
his eyes,as if to say I'm going
now to my mansion in the sky.
It hurt hurt a little because he loved
us so, but he closed his eyes
real quickly so he could get up and go.
A table was prepared before him he had
hungered so.
So when we think of daddy we know he tried
with all his heart and soul.
But life had given him some clothes not
suited for his role.
He had great strengths and weaknesses,
and I saw him try real hard, the
rest around could tell.
I saw him struggle with allot of things,
but his shoes they fit him
well.
No one could take them from him he worked
so hard for those, because his
clothes were tattered his shoes were what
he chose.
They were prepared by the reading of God's
word.
They were called his gospel shoes and they
never did get old.
So always remember and never forget.
Honor your father and you won't regret.
When we speak of him speak only the good.
Because we know no one could love us like
our daddy could.
Please do not use this poem without permission;
Written by Sarah A.
Ponder, daughter,and Sarah D. Ponder, great-grand
daughter. February 25,
2002
R. I. P.
R. I. P.
