Plain View Farm, Rural Bryant, SD
"Myrtle Stadem-Svanoe's Homegoing"
by Daughter, Mim Svanoe-Rinderknecht
Dear Ones...
TIME FOR REFLECTING
Thank you for giving me time...as my Mom said after Daddy died and she waited quite a while to write everyone...and she said, "I guess I needed these weeks for reflection." I did too. This is a short version of "When My Mommy Went to Heaven". If you want the detailed version let me know. There were just so many ways the Lord stepped in and took over, I couldn't write them all here!
A LAST, WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING FAMILY GET-TOGETHER FOR MOM
At Thanksgiving, 1999, the Svanoe "kids" [we adult children and all our children!] all had a big Reunion at Naomi and Bernie's Timber Bay, Minnesota home. It was all a wonderful time. Ren and Gracie from Mexico, Al and sister Rachel from California, and a bunch of relatives joined the group! Mom got to see all her kids, hear them speak about their lives, most of them giving their efforts in service to others and also got up herself and gave a talk, expressing her Joy. Now Mom had fallen last June and had a slight fracture, ignored it, thinking she could handle that, but it got infected and turned to cancer. Before the fall she was on a super nutritional program of vitamins, supplements, protein, and a detoxification program with a doctor, and she was feeling better all the time, stronger, and the pain had gone. However, at Thanksgiving time she left all her vitamins, etc., at home, thinking "I can go without for just a weekend." It turned out to be five days. After Thanksgiving she returned home to Eden Prairie, caught a cold, and nursed herself for a few days till Victor came back from his Lake Street friends and found her quite weak. He made her soup and prepared food. Naomi joined in and they nursed her together, but she became weaker...and said in her journal for Dec. 16: "Still fighting this cold."
Further Weakness, and Too Much Sleeping, Then the Move to the Hospital
Well, we found out later that the cancer in the hip had started dissolving the bone, with bone calcium completely saturating the body, making her go into a deep, deep sleep. One of the girls from her church City Hill Fellowship said [by telephone to keep me in touch], while she was caring for her, "Mim, I can't wake her up. It's 2:00 in the afternoon, and she has been sleeping for hours." We let her sleep, and when she "came to," I think she felt the Lord calling her home. She didn't feel that the Lord wanted her to have her body cut into for surgery at age 87, and told Glenda from her church that she wanted her to pray that [a certain son] would "let her go." When Glenda told me that, I hopped on a plane [we live in Park City, Utah]. Naomi and Deb and Jeff called the ambulance, and Debbie's Jeff saw Mom through all the hospital arrangements. I flew in, relieving Naomi who was tired, so tired, and of course I told Mom, "If you're sure [you want to go home to Jesus now], of course I love you and want for you what God wants. You know how much I love you, don't you, Mom?" She smiled and said, "Yes."
Respecting Her Decision, But Showing her "Jesus and His Angels"
From then on she asked that we do nothing to prolong her life, with no resuscitation. So we proceeded to love her, pray and care for her. I have two sisters who are massage therapists and they gave her full body massages every day. We played Karen Svanoe's CD of beautiful gospel songs on the harp. Even the nurse said, "I think Myrtle thinks she's already in heaven." Whenever she "came to," and was quite anxious to go see Jesus, she said to every person she saw or who came to visit, "You know I just want to go home, I just want to go home [to Jesus]" We showed her the huge picture of Jesus we had there for her, standing in the mighty heavens surrounded by His thousands of angels, and the heavenly hosts [all seemingly] welcoming Mom into heaven, and down in the corner we had put a little picture of Dad in the corner, Mom and Dad hugging and sitting on each other's lap, and when she would get anxious, we'd say, "Mom, you have to wait. All the kids are flying in to be here with you." Sure enough, every single one of her brothers and sisters called and talked to her about 15 minutes too! She would listen, and couldn't respond much, but she DID respond to EVERY one!
Many Calls, Plus A Special Pastor's Tribute of Love and Gratitude
I got to hear all the calls, because I would hold the receiver to her ear till they were done. Her former pastor Fred Herzog and his wife came. They had pastored the church that started in Mom and Dad's home [on Lee Valley Circle, Edina, Minnesota]. They were there for hours, and brought Mom total joy in hearing that their church, started in the Svanoe home, had now grown to over 23 churches, and that they were now pastoring over 4,000 other people! Mom said, "I prayed a long time for that."
Call from Missionary Sister Cora in Brazil, with Many Loving Tributes from Others
All But one the immediate family came, and we had beautiful times with Mom on Tuesday and Wednesday. Her brothers and sisters all called her on Thursday. [Pearl the oldest Stadem sister called, saying how much she was missed on the farm at the reunion, missing her sweet smile while she was serving coffee in the kitchen at Plain View Farm], and Cora called from Brazil on Friday a.m., [Cora asking Myrtle to tell her husband Carl how much she loved him]. But on Wednesday and Thursday, Mom made comments such as, "What's holding up the program?" and "We've got to get this show on the road!" and "I've got to get outta here! [earth]" As I held up the "Jesus and His Angels" picture in front of her, I'd say, "Mom, it's SO CLOSE, look! Jesus is on His way to get you! Look, Mom [as I pointed to the picture of Dad and her snuggling and giggling like two high school kids], Dad is waiting for you at the gate!" Then she would smile and it gave her peace. Everybody told her what a blessing she'd been in their lives. Monday and Tuesday she told the doctors how wonderful they were, and how the hospital service was "First Class," with everyone waiting on her every need, with loving care.
"I want you all to know, the Holy Spirit is totally in charge here."
The nurses gave her baths each day and readjusted her position every 2 hours. The pain had slipped into the spine, so they gave her pain-killer for it. She coudn't have been more loved. She saw Jesus in the corner of the room Thursday, and then Victor [the only one missing, who was the last of the family to join us at the bedside] walked into the Hospice Room where she had been moved by us, greeting her with, "Hi, Beautiful." [Now our circle of love was complete!] All of us sang to her after supper, served at six, and we ended up singing in 3, 4, and 5-part harmony all night till 1.00 a.m. in the morning. At 2:00 a.m. she just fell asleep [and awoke in heaven!]. It was beautiful, the Lord's calling [her home to His arms]. For Mom had said at the beginning of her last week with us, "I want you all to know, the Holy Spirit is totally in charge here," and He was. He worked miracle after miracle!
Final Thanks to All
I love you all. Thank you for being a part of Myrtle's life in so many ways. I've been reading all your cards and letters to her and have been totally endeared to you all over again! My Mom was the most wonderful Mother. She taught us kids with love and Bible verses. I am so pesky THANKFUL that I had this dear Mom, this good person, this patient, loving, Christian, praying woman in my life, my dear Mom, for my 57 years! I can't thank God enough! May God so richly bless you for all you have been to Mom! With love and hugs, Daughter Mimsie
P.S. Of course the funeral was wondrous--singing, fellowship, and a tribute to JESUS (Mom wore her big JESUS pin right to the end!). Aunty Be and Aunty Estelle wrote wonderful messages. Estelle made up a tribute with pictures to Mom. Aunt Ruthie took all the pictures and sent them to us within minutes, and the Stadems and Spildes and Ruthie drove all the way from SD with their big "clans" in the middle of winter to be there. I can't thank you enough.
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