Comments (14)

  • My Dear Anne,
    The Lord has the most wonderful new angel at his side and Don is no longer in pain. I wish that I were better with words and that words could ease your pain. My prayers, love and thoughts are with you.

    Much Love
    Cheri in Colorado

  • I lover you! God is Awesome and has done (and will do)so many glorious things through this.

  • Hi - I came over from Cheri's site.

    My deepest condolences. May the love of family and friends sustain you. May God give you all the grace and comfort that you need during this time.

    My thoughts and prayers will be with you.

    Mary Beth aka skanickadee

  • Dear Anne,
    My deepest condolences to you and all the family. May the Lord hold you all in the cradle of His hand now, and until you are able to carry on in His grace. May Don's love be a comfort as well, for you all.
    much love from Gilda

  • My dear sister Anne:
     
    Don had the most perfect soul I have ever encountered. Yours was the most Blessed marriage I have ever seen.
     
    Take comfort that Don’s legacy is his children. Don lives on, not only in our hearts, but in each child.
     
    During these past difficult days I talked to each of your children individually. I saw a facet of Don’s personality in each.
     
    Kirstin: her ability to take charge in a crisis. As the ‘big sister’ she tried to take charge. She did so wonderfully. During stressful times, in the past, Don was the calm voice. We will miss Don’s calm voice. Don did love his first-born daughter.
     
    Jonathan: His level-headedness. Don was ALWAYS level-headed. So many times I, in my attorney-arrogance, would make some ‘statement of fact or law’, only to be brought up short by Don who, being very well read, would gently inform me of the true facts. I must admit: even though I was a “licensed attorney”, if Don told me otherwise, I believed him. Don was my Supreme Court. Don loved, without reservation, his first born son.
     
    Jessica: Emotional. Pure and simple. Don had emotions, but he tended to keep them ‘under control’. Don was ‘old school’. His daughter Jessica? She wore her emotions “on her sleeve” to his delight or despair, depending on circumstances. How he loved his daughter Jessica.
     
    Alexander (Alex): Faith. Pure and simple faith. Alex most resembled his father in appearance. Alex flew in from his station in Japan, and our ability to deal with Don’s forthcoming death was made easier. Thank you, Alex. I well always recall your father’s delight in your birth.
     
    Charles: You inherited your father’s empathy. Don always was a thoughtful man, and his ability to ‘see from all sides’ of an argument was one of his strong suits. When I talk or ‘argue’ with Charles, I see his father. Charles: please keep talking to me. I see your Father in every sentence you utter. How he loved and respected you.
     
    Dema: As I talked to you these past difficult days I see “Don” in every utterance. You have grown into a fine man, full of emotion and empathy. Don, your adoptive father, was a man who was ready to take ‘chances’, such as adopting you. How Don loved you! My parents were, due to age, perhaps, and past prejudices, ready to resist you when you first arrived in the USA. However, my father and mother quickly learned to love you; not only due to your sweet spirit, but due to your new father’s insistence that you were worthy of love. Don, as was Anne, were your anchor in this strange, new world.  I assure you: My father and mother now think of you as an “Ivy”, which is high praise indeed.
     
    I knew Donald Ivy for 39 years. I came to consider him my ‘brother’, as opposed to my ‘brother-in-law’. I will say this in closing: my father and mother loved him. I heard my father, on many occasion, say “Don is one of the finest men I have ever met”. I agree. Don Ivy was one of the finest souls I have ever met. I shall miss him greatly.
     
    However, I rejoice that I shall see and hear Don whenever I happen to meet with one of his children.
     
    Anne and children: Thanks for Donald Ivy. I loved him, as I love you.  
     
    Louis and Mary
    November 29, 2008
     
     
     

  • We are so sorry, Anne.  Our hearts and our prayers go out to you and your family.  May God continue to be your comfort and strength. 

    -Gregg Wilbur

  • Oh Anne

    There is nothing to be said at a time like this.   The only thing that will help is to bring you to the throne of grace in prayer.  The comfort of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, is the only hope we have in life and death.  I will continue to lift you up in prayer and our Lord will continue to lift you up. 

    I love you.  I'm so sorry.

    Heather

  • While I'd love to take credit for my "comment" up above, that must have been your son Alex (or Beth) that made it from my computer.

    Anne, I love you. I've known and loved Don all my life. We will miss him so much. He's been such a rock...a foundation...in our family. I can't imagine the grief you are going through. However, I see clearly God's hand holding you up through this time. You've been so strong and that strength could only come from God and knowing His love and sovereignty. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints."

    You know I'm here to help you in any possible way I can.

    Love,
    Elaine

  • Oh (((Anne))), I am so sorry! This was so sudden! You're in my prayers.

  • I don't know you that well except through this blog.  I did want you to know that as my tears flow for you and your family, that I am lifting you all up to the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I have been praying and will continue to pray for you and your family. 

  • ((hugs)) I continue to pray for you and yours, Anne. :love:

  • Dearest Anne,

    Lots to say, but I'm feeling uncertain what might be most helpful at this point.  Having "been there and done that" with a mother and a daughter, I am encouraged for your sake that the hope of the gospel for family in the Lord (and for ourselves too!) now shines brighter for you and your family, and will shine brighter still in the days ahead.  You will learn just how faithful the Lord will be to all of you, you in particular.  Not that He has never shown Himself faithful before, of course.  But, you're now dealing with the last enemy to be destroyed.  As Christ has overcome death, so now too has Don.  All he awaits is his share in Christ's resurrection.

    I'll warn you about something that vexed me but no longer vexes me.  For a while after Cheska died, my "attitude" toward the world generally went ... what? ... sort of sour.  I worried that it was a sort of depressive funk that was unbecoming someone who professed faith in Chirst and His redemption.  I finally figured out that my loves had become divided in a way they never had before.  Someone I loved deeply -- my daughter Francesca -- was now in heaven somewhere, and I was not there with her.  I was feeling pulled two ways.  The death of my Mother helped focus this for me even further.  Paul's words in Philippians 1 have significantly greater meaning for me now:   'But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you."

    No, I'm not so spiritual as Paul.  But, neither, I suppose, is my apprehension of Jesus what Paul's was.  I do have a pretty solid history with my daughter and my mother, enough for my heart to be anchored in heaven precisely because they are there and I am not (not yet). 

    The point:  if this world seems to be more or less permanently diminished with Don's departure, that's normal.  Your expectation to join him will make this less worrisome.  Meanwhile, those who remain here -- your children, your grandchildren -- are fruitful fields which you may tend and bring forth much fruit in the days the Lord alots you.

    I don't think the crowd at the memorial service this afternoon will allow me to say these things, so I'll simply remind you then to look here. 

    Much love in Him,

    Bill Mouser

  • Oh Anne, I'm so sorry to hear this. I know it was all so sudden. We will keep you in our prayers. I know that the Lord will be a comfort to you now. {{BIG HUG}}
    Joyce

  • Dear Anne,

    I'm so sorry to see you lose your dear one so soon in life. Having lost several close to me, I do know something of how it feels. My deepest condolences.

    God will support and comfort you through this.

    agape and aloha,

    TL

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