Remembering Ms. Marie

I am so proud of this community. When Ms. Marie passed, a beloved sixty-four year old resident at Village Oaks, we came together as only a family would.  With the help of the Village Oaks Resident's Council, we asked the family if there was anything we could do to help, and there was. Her brother asked if we could open the community center on Saturday after the funeral to host dinner for family and friends. We jumped on the opportunity. All we had to do was knock on doors and ask for volunteers to donate side dishes, and in a matter of 45 minutes, the sign up sheet was full.

Mr. Keith Maxey, Ms. Marie's brother, was happy with our efforts. On Monday, I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize and it was Mr. Maxey. He had this to say: "I just want to thank you for what you all did. They way everybody came together to make Saturday so nice...we had everything we needed. There was so much food there.  It was an great experience. We had a chance to relax and listen to music and get our minds off of the ordeal. We had peace of mind. It was awesome the way things came toghether. When you are in need, like what happened on Saturday, felt like we hit the lottery!  As in Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good for those that love the Lord"."

We have decided to dedicate our Wednesday Bingo for our elderly residents to Ms. Marie. It will be called "Ms. Marie's Bingo from now on. We will miss her and the awesome fish plates that she fried for her friends.

Ms. Erma Marie Tatum-Coleman (April 15, 1948-October 8, 2012).

-- Jayda Ekundayo