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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 2017)
2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 The Absolutely Amazing Rest of God! God wants us to enjoy our everyday lives. John 10:10 says that Jesus died for us so we “may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overfl ows]” (AMP). But it seems so many people who say they believe in Jesus are not really enjoying their lives. It’s tragic to think that Jesus paid the price for our sins, that He suffered to make that sacrifi ce, and yet there are Christians who are struggling just to get by and make it through each day. The key to having abundant life in Christ is living by God’s grace through faith. Because grace is His power working in us that en- ables us to do whatever we need to do in life. When we try to do everything in our own strength and leave God out of the equation, we just get worn-out and frustrated by our mis- takes and failures. But when we lean on God, we actually enter into His rest and can enjoy our lives, no matter what our circumstances may be. Hebrews 4:9-11 (AMP) says, “So there remains a [full and com- plete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his human labors…. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves]….” Now the rest of God is not a rest from work—it’s a rest in work. It’s partnering with God to do what He is calling you to do by His grace, and leaving the part you can’t do in His hands, trusting Him to do it. Hebrews 4:3 says it this way: “For we who believe [that is, we who personally trust and confi dently rely on God] enter that rest….” So we start by believing. When I’m trying to believe, I haven’t entered God’s rest. But when I do believe, I have complete rest in Him. Living by faith is not a life of struggle—it’s rest. And you can enter into God’s rest in every area of your life. I’ve discovered that the stress in my life is caused by the way I approach my circumstances and the attitude I have toward them. It was a turning point for me when I realized that the world will prob- ably never change, but I can learn how to change the way I go about handling situations that are challenging. One key to this is knowing that as believers in Christ, we are part- ners with God—we have a part and He has a part in everything He calls us to do. When we don’t do the part we can do and we try to do His part, that’s when we live stressed-out with worry, fear, anxiety, frustration, no peace and no joy. The reason this happens sometimes is because we think God needs our help. We meditate on the problem—rolling it over and over in our mind, worrying, trying to fi gure out how things should work out. It’s like we’re telling God, “I kind of think You need my help, and I’m not sure You can take care of this situation, Lord.” We need to realize that worrying is useless! It’s like sitting in a rocking chair, rocking all day, wearing yourself out and getting nowhere. Trusting God means we give up worrying, reasoning, and anxiety and we enter into His rest with simple childlike faith—we live by grace through faith! Ephesians 2:8-9 is a great scripture that says we’re saved by grace through faith. And we walk out our relationship with God and His plans for our lives the same way we receive salvation: by grace through faith. This is possible because Jesus made the perfect sacrifi ce for us when He gave His life, taking our guilt and condemnation and pay- ing for our sins. Through a personal relationship with Jesus, we access God’s grace so we can do what He’s calling us to do. It’s so amazing to know that God is always with us, giving us His grace for everything we need to do in life. Trust God’s uncondition- al love for you today. Do what you can do and give Him everything else. And when you fi nd yourself getting frustrated or feeling over- whelmed, like you just can’t do it anymore, remember to stop, get your focus back on Him and enter into His rest once again. For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-CD series Sit, Stand, Walk, Run. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org. Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefi eld of the Mind and Unshakeable Trust: Find the Joy of Trusting God at All Times, in All Things (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org. IN MEMORIAM Sandra White 1928-2017 Sandra G. White of Cottage Grove died on September 11, 2017 of nat- ural causes at the age of 69. She was born on April 29, 1928, in Downey, CA to parents John and Betty (Dodd) Cooksey. She attended Dinuba High School in Dinuba, CA. She married Philip C. Parker, Sr. in 1967 in Santa Cruz, CA. She later married Richard B. White in Reno, NV in 1986. Sandra worked in restaurant management as an offi ce manager and business owner. She later was a full- time caregiver for her husband of 31 years. She enjoyed gardening, and loved her dogs. She is survived by her husband, Richard B. White of Cottage Grove; mother, Betty Adkinson; son, Philip C. Parker, Jr. of Cottage Grove. No services are planned. Arrangements in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel. BIRTHS Nan Chen and Michael Losey of Cottage Grove welcomed a baby boy on September 15 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Med- ical Center RiverBend. Shauna Wilkinson and Aar- on Vale of Cottage Grove wel- comed a baby boy September 11 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend. Melvina Curlutu 1925-2017 Melvina “Mel” Curlutu, 92, of Cottage Grove passed away Sept. 9, 2017. She was born Feb. 25, 1925 in Pas- adena, Calif. to Carl and Mabel (Tay- lor) Asmus. She graduated from Pasadena City College and worked at Lockheed in Burbank, Calif. as a Rosie Rivet- er and at Monitor Piezo - a defense plant making radio crystals. She also worked as a personnel assistant at Central Lab making solar cells and as an offi ce manager for DeAn- za Campland and DeAnza Harbor in San Diego, Calif. On June 12, 1943 in Monterey, Calif., she and Ferdinand “Jerry” Curlutu were married. He passed away Feb. 26, 2001. Mel and her husband, Jerry, built a ski boat in their garage Timothy Daniel Eckstine that allowed them to enjoy her family’s hobby of water ski- 1992-2017 ing. She enjoyed gold panning, bowling and her main goal in Timothy Daniel Eckstine (aka Carl) of Cottage Grove, life was spending time with her born February 15, 1992 in Cottage Grove, Oregon to Paul and family. She also loved to fi sh. Denise Eckstine went home to be with our Heavenly Father Survivors include two daugh- on September 9, 2017 in Dallas, Texas aft er a courageous bat- ters, Judee Daniels (George) of tle against Ewing’s Sarcoma surrounded by his loving wife, Washington and Lyndee Beaver Nichole and his parents. Timothy was the ultimate example of of Cottage Grove, six grandchil- strength, optimism and faith leaving a beautiful legacy of true dren, eight great-grandchildren kindness and humor that will be woven into the future of his and four great-great grandchil- friends and family. dren. Aft er graduating from Cottage Grove High School in No service is planned. Ar- 2010 Timothy began pursuing his dream career as a Wildland rangements under the care of Firefi ghter with the Oregon Department of Forestry, where he Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral made numerous life long friends. Timothy was also a Volun- Chapel, Cottage Grove. teer Firefi ghter with South Lane Fire and Rescue in Cottage S entinel C ottage G rove www.cgsentinel.com @ cgsentinel @cgsentinel #cgsentinel Cottage-Grove-Sentinel Grove. At the young age of four, Timothy met his fi rst love, Soc- cer. Following an outstanding high school career he continued to play in rec leagues, even playing while receiving treatment for his cancer. It was a love aff air that lasted a lifetime and was only overshadowed by his love for his wife. On July 7, 2017 Timothy married the love of his life, Nichole Needham in Cottage Grove, with family and friends witnessing the continuation of their amazing love story. Timothy is survived by his wife, Nichole (Needham) Eckstine, parents Paul and Denise Eck- stine, Grandparents James and Lucille Eckstine each of Cottage Grove, siblings Jeremie (Jakelen) Eckstine of Cottage Grove, Matthew (Maria) Eckstine of Chile, Sarah (Evan) Pope of Idaho, Th om- as Eckstine of Eugene, Mary (Darrion) Wells of Cottage Grove, Rachel Eckstine of Springfi eld, Nieces and Nephews Brynnley, Adelae, Jameson, Apostle, Halia, Bailey, Natalie, Tenley, Norma- Jean, Jaylee and Maximiliano. Timothy is also survived by numerous Aunts and Uncles in Cottage Grove, Creswell, and Australia; plus, numerous cousins and second cousins throughout the United States. Timothy was preceded in death by Grandparents Kenneth and Norma Hoehn, and his Uncle PJ Patterson. A get together soccer tournament will be held on Monday, September 25, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. on the back practice fi eld at Cottage Grove High School to remember Timothy’s love of the game. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at Riverside Community Church of God, 1255 S. River Road, Cottage Grove, Oregon. Memorial contributions may be made to Northwest Community Credit Union Timothy D. Eckstine Fund, Cottage Grove and the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation, Seattle, Washington. Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily refl ect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries. z å Funeral & Memorial Planning e Funeral & Memorial Planning e Cremation Options e Cremation Options e Monuments & Memorials & e Memorials Cemetery Options e Monuments Cemetery Options Please Celebrate the 4th of July Safely! 123 South 7th, Cottage Grove, Oregon th 123 South 7 , Cottage Grove, Oregon 541-942-0185 •www.smithlundmills.com z www.smithlundmills.com å Bobbie Maxine Reeve 1929-2017 Bobbie Maxine Reeve (Maxine) passed away unexpectedly on Septem- ber 11, 2017. She was born in Grac- emont, Oklahoma on November 12, 1929 to Jesse and Leonia Fields Blue and moved with her family to Cottage Grove in 1936. She grad- uated from Cottage Grove High School in 1947 and married Paul Reeve June 30, 1950. Maxine’s fi rst focus was her family including a large extended family in the area. She was an in- credible cook who also enjoyed gardening, reading, sewing, and quilting. Early in their married years, Maxine and Paul discov- ere d the joys of rock-hunting and made many trips to high des- ert country of eastern Oregon and Nevada. When the youngest of Maxine’s children started school she began working as med- ical assistant at doctor’s offi ces in Cottage Grove and then Eu- gene. Maxine had a deep and abiding faith that she demonstrat- ed quietly in all that she did and to all with whom she came in contact. Several people have commented that she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She enriched the lives of everyone who was blessed with coming in contact with her. She lived well, loved well and was well loved. Maxine is survived by her loving husband of 67 years, Paul and their children Susan Meeker of Salem, Janet Cox (Steve) of Fircrest WA, Paul Stephen Reeve (Leslie) of Cottage Grove, Me- linda Cook (Joel) of Zephyrhills FL and Sarah McCarty (Jim) of Acworth GA, 12 grandchildren 3 great grandchildren, numer- ous nieces, nephews and cousins. She is also survived by broth- ers Bryan (Yvonne) of Cottage Grove and Charles (Sue) Blue of Athens TX. Th e family would like to thank Dr. Dougherty and the staff of Willamette Valley Cancer Care Center for the care and kindness they provided Maxine over the past year. A celebration of Maxine’s life is being planned in several weeks when all of her children are able to be present, and will include a service and potluck following. Details will be updat- ed on her Smith Lund Mills website as well as published in the Sentinel. In lieu of fl owers, please honor Maxine’s memory by shar- ing an extra dose of love with those around you. Jimmie M. Merrell March 25, 1929 - July 26, 2017 Cottage Grove, Oregon Jim was born at Barnard, Mis- souri to John and Lolita Merrell. After graduating from Barnard High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on February 10, 1948 and retired honorably on Novem- ber 1, 1977 as a Chief Engineman ENC-7. He spent 20 years of ac- tive duty during the Korean and Vietnam wars and nine years in the Reserves. He married Patsy Meredith on October 4, 1952 in San Diego, California while in the Navy. Together they had three children - Jim- mie, Jack and Kathy. They later divorced in 1962. Patsy died in 1999. Jim later moved to Long Beach, California where he became em- ployed as a Certifi ed Tech Mechanic for R.O. Gould Chrysler Plym- outh. He met Claire James at Lakewood, California, formerly from Saratoga Springs, New York. They married on September 20, 1969. Claire has two children - Karen and Kim James. Jim and Claire later purchased the Oasis Motel in Borrego Springs, California. While managing the motel, they enjoyed many hours with family and friends. After ten years, they sold the motel and moved to Hemet, California. They enjoyed their retirement together traveling the U.S., Canada and Hawaiian Islands. In 2000, they moved to Cottage Grove, Oregon, purchasing their home in Middlefi eld Estates. Jim enjoyed many long walks and hours of golf with friends and neighbors. Jim and Claire were married for 48 loving years. He was preced- ed in death by one brother and three sisters, all from the Missouri and Kansas areas. Jim is survived by his wife, Claire, his three children, Jimmie Merrell (Laura), Jack Merrell and Kathy Womac (Roger), fi ve grand- children – Eric Merrell (Julie), Casey Merrell (Joy), JC, and Kristina Anderson (Jeremy), all from California, and Malia Parker (Mark) from Oklahoma, 11 great-grandchildren, a step-daughter, Karen Schultz (Richard) from Idaho, and a step-son, Kim James from Colorado. Jim’s ashes will be buried with military honors and a Christian service in their family plot in Barnard, Missouri with the assistance of loving nieces and nephews. Jim was loved and respected by his wife, Claire, and all who knew him; he is greatly missed. May he rest in peace.
