“When Ellie smiled the sun broke through

Whatever darkness she might face

When Ellie smiled you knew ~ you knew!

That she would fight to win this race.”

For Ellie, losing was never an option

And this battle was HERS, start to finish.

When the tumor returned, she fought back ~

To regain strength, to overcome, to keep victory in her grip.

Her sweetness and beauty growing daily

Her smile a beacon of light in the worst of times

Radiating peace, love, and joy to those around her ~

Her absolute iron will a miracle.

Oh, I never saw anyone work harder.

Her warmth, her wit, her unshakeable faith ~

Challenged you to look at yourself and ask

How could I ever shrink from any daunting task, after knowing Ellie?

How could I fail to fight the impossible fight, after knowing what Ellie could do?

I didn’t have a chance to thank her for that, but I will.

Ellie’s fight with cancer was over on July 18, 2014.

She was my dearly beloved cousin ~loved by so many, many people.

She made a difference in this world! She still makes a difference in my life.

A very special lady in a thousand ways.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for our loved ones who have gone before us. How we loved them ~ love them still!

How grateful we are that they walked this earth to remind us of You. Please comfort and hold us close in our sadness, because we miss them! Help us to learn from their example and to remember to dedicate our lives to becoming more and more like Christ daily.  Amen.”