Funeral in El Paso

Kristi Benton and I flew to El Paso to attend the rosary and mass for Lorie. The viewing was on Wednesday afternoon, the rosary Wednesday night, and the mass yesterday. It was a very emotional time for everyone. Lorie has a very large family and it's easy to see why Lorie was the way she was. Her family is like that. They are extremely close and are a great support for each other.

It was nice to see where Lorie grew up, visit her home, and meet so many new people who I'm fortunate to have now as lifelong friends. They are very gracious and awesome people.

It appears Aurelio and the girls will be moving over the coming weeks to be with the family. Many of you have asked how he and the girls are doing. They are doing fine. The baby is much better now.

The family was so appreciative of the web site as that's how many of them were kept updated on everything going on here. They asked me to thank you all so much for everything you did for them and for Lorie while she was here.

Thank you so much.

Funeral services for Lorie

Arrangements have been made for Lorie's Memorial Service. Viewing will be held at Hillcrest Funeral Home located 5054 Donaphin El Paso, TX on Wednesday, January 11, 2006 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Rosary will be held at St. Anthony's Church located at 424 Lincoln Avenue Anthony, NM Wednesday, January 11, 2006 at 7:00pm. Funeral Mass will be held at St.Anthony's 424 Lincoln Avenue Anthony, NM Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 1:00pm and Lorie will arrive at 12:00 for viewing. Internment will be held at St. Anthony's Cemetary located on Acosta Road Anthony, NM. Following the services there will be a reception at the Anthony VFW located at 1800 Fourth Street Anthony, NM

Hannah has Faith

1/7/06

Dear Lorie, the title is what gets me through this letter I write you. My heart is heavy. I first met you when you came to the Marketing department about six years ago. It did not take long for you to win my heart. At first I would tell Yonna "I wish she would keep her religious beliefs to herself and not push them off on me." I guess God sent you to give me a gentle nudge. Shortly after, I lost a dear family memeber and decided I was not living by Gods wishes. You reminded me that we are all God's children.
We shared a close bond. We both were blessed with two beautiful daughters. We both wanted children and It took us a long time to get them. We both had girls. I will miss all those stories about rotten they both are... Remember when I gave you Kenzie's toddler bed for Faith? I asked you later if she would sleep in it, and you said "No, but she will sit on it!" I told you not to fret over it, she will sleep in her bed when she is ready. I told you to cherish this time with her, let her sleep with you, she is only a baby once. When she is sixteen you will wish she still slept with you! :) Both Aurelio and Donnie love their daughters with all their heart. Boy, someday they will break their daddy's hearts won't they?
Aurelio is so blessed to have had you for his wife. Faith and Hannah had the best mommy in the world. I'll say it one last time, "Faithie is a bump on your butt girl, she is a spitting image of you!" I believe Hannah was a gift from God before he took you home. Your girls will make their daddy happy and proud. They will take good care of him. Your daughters will be close. They are your legacy.
I look forward to seeing your beautiful smile again my friend. Until then... I love you and I miss you.
Marti.

Update on baby Hannah

The baby came home from the hospital yesterday around 5:00 p.m. The final diagnosis was gastric reflux and a bad chest cold. She did not have RSV. She is being treated with antibiotics and breathing treatments. I got to hold her for awhile. She is so precious. Faithie stays glued to her daddy :) They are both beautiful little girls.

They are leaving for El Paso this morning so again I ask your prayers for a safe trip for them as they travel.

Thank you!

Lorie's Memorial Service

What a tribute to someone that was loved so much. The memorial service for Lorie on Saturday was amazing. There were several speakers including her sister and her husband. Her husband was the last one to speak. You would have had to be there to experience the feelings in the church when he spoke. It was so touching. The service ended with him singing two songs. I can't find the words to begin to tell you how wonderful it was. The final service will be in Anthony New Mexico this Wednesday evening and Thursday. I will be flying to El Paso to join the family on Wednesday.

Thank you all so much for your generous giving, love, support, friendship, and prayers during this painful time. The family wanted to thank you for everything. I want to thank you too. You are the best!

Food for the family past today PLEASE READ

FYI, all of Lorie's family except her sister, husband, their two kids, and her mom and dad went home this morning. Several of them had to get back to work. The rest of the family, including Lorie's husband and the two children, will be leaving in the morning for El Paso. That is if the baby is out of the hospital. As soon as I have an update on her condition I will let you know.

So, we do not need any food beyond today which has already been taken care of. Thank you all so much for the food and for the donation of items and money yesterday. My car was packed! The family was overwhelmed when I took them to the house. They said to tell you all thank you so much for everything you've done for them, and for what you did for Lorie.

MEMORIAL SERVICE INFORMATION

Lorie's funeral will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 7th. Iglesia Piedra Angular - 13016 East 4th Place, Tulsa. 664-4150 (Church)

If you have questions, please call Yvonne at 638-0327 (cell).

Update - PLEASE READ AS THERE ARE TWO ISSUES

I still do not have word on when the memorial service will be. It could possibly be Sunday. I'll update the website over the weekend so please keep checking it for the date, time, and place.

Also, Lorie's baby, Hannah, is at St. Francis with what they believe is RSV. She very sick. Lorie's husband is with her while her sister and brother-in-law are at the funeral home making arrangements. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

Donation Items

UPDATED 3:56 PM LK Again we have removed those items we no longer need. The contributions from Lorie's many DTG friends has been wonderful. Thank you all.

UPDATED LIST as of 1:22pm 1/6/06 lk
I have removed items that we no longer need. Thanks everyone so much for your kindness!!!
The family is in need of the following items. If possible, please bring your donations today to the 5th Floor, DTPW, to Lorie's cube by 5pm. Please contact Lavonna Krause at Ext. 3070 if you have any questions. These things will be delivered to the family.

Bottled water
Soft drinks

Funeral services

I do not have details on the funeral yet. As soon as I do we will post them for you. I do know that they plan to take Lorie back to Anthony, NM to be buried. There will be a church service here in Tulsa prior to taking her back.

Thank you

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for the thousands of prayers I know were said for Lorie and her family over the last several days. For some reason though God's plan was to call her home instead of allowing us to keep her here. Heaven sure got a wonderful babysitter didn't they? I know the crown Lorie must be wearing has so many stars and jewels that she's having a hard time holding her head up straight. She was so special to so many people. She certainly changed my life and the lives of my family. I can't imagine life without her but she would want us to go on and to carry on with the work that she will no longer be able to do here on earth. She's watching over us though and will always be just a whisper away.

My heart hurts for her family, especially her husband and those two precious little girls. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as the coming days and months are going to be really hard for them.

Heaven has a special angel this morning. That angel is our Lorie. Lorie, you were loved so much and will be missed by everyone. I'll leave you with one of Lorie's famous sayings "find a happy place." That's where she is this morning.

I love you Lorie.

You're Oklahoma mom Yvonne

I Knew You Were Special As Soon As I Met You

I went to work in the Marketing Department 6 yrs ago. It doesn't seem that long ago. I have had the pleasure of working closely with you from the first day. I will never forget something that you did for me. You did it everyday in your walk through life so you probably didn't know how many times you touched a life. I've kept the message and the gift you gave me tucked away at home.

Dear Kristi,

May this Bible (The Word Of God) guide you for years to come.

Remember that He is our all in all. Comforter, Provider, Father, Friend, Healer, on and on (all in all). He loves us. Even when we stumble he's there to pick us up. When someone hurts us, he's there to comfort us. Trust Him. Live for Him. Believe that even though circumstances may say one thing God's word reigns supreme, and he watches over his word to perform it.

He loves you Kristi, right where you're at!!

Be Blessed Always,

Lorie Anaya


He loves you too Lorie, right where YOU'RE at!!!

This is from someone who wishes to stay anonymous:

A bright, green ribbon is woven through your dark, wavy hair. It brings such light to each strand - making its way slowly, with quiet joy. Unassuming. Beautiful. Who put it there? A secret angel. She hovers gently as she laces it through each strand. She works in her own time - with steady, soothing care. The ribbon is narrow yet strong, appearing and receding, as if its length is pre-ordained. It bursts through the ends of your hair like the golden sun - forming two strands. She lovingly joins them together. Each half of the bow is now endlessly intertwined, and perfectly made - Faith and Hannah.

I just liked this photo and thought I would put it out there. Keep 'em coming.

Photos

We need your photos as well. Deborah Barrett mentioned that we should compile photos as well. so please send your photos to brett@redhounddog.com.

I'll compile the comments from the site and any photos you send me. Deborah is asking the Regional Sales Directors to chip in on the production cost.

When you send the photos, if you could include maybe a date and the event or reason for the photo that would really be helpful.

Outpouring

This site has been up less than a week and in that time it's had over 500 visitors and almost 80 comments have been left.

My plan is to put the comments in a notebook for Lorie's girls so they can read about their mother throughout their lives.

We all have great stories about Lorie. Please leave your thoughts and stories. It will mean a lot for many years to come.

Brett

A Bag of Silverware

A little over three years ago, right after my divorce, Lorie brought a bag of silverware to me. Lorie and I worked together but weren’t really friends at that point. She had just heard about my divorce and decided to stop by my office to see how I was doing. That’s just the type of person she was. At some point during the conversation Lorie decided that I needed help setting up my new home, so the next day she brought a bag of silverware to my office. Her husband was working for a property management company and it was his job to clear out recently vacated apartments. I guess in the process of vacating their apartments some tenants would leave things behind, so over time Lorie and her husband had accumulated a lot of silverware. Lorie gave me a bag of mismatched forks, knives, and spoons; there were way too many forks and too few knives. To this day I still use that mismatched and uneven set of knives, forks, and spoons. I guess I really did need that silverware and Lorie recognized that. I guess I really needed Lorie too.

When God Calls An Angel Home

The test results came back tonight. I am in a surreal state of shock so it's hard for me to tell you that our beloved Lorie is gone from us. They said that it is irreversible and there is nothing else that can be done.

Lorie's family was surrounded by many friends and loved ones tonight when they received the news. Please pray for her family's safe journey from El Paso tonight. They are going to keep her on life support until her family arrives and can be with her.

The family has been overwhelmed with the love and support that everyone has shown them. Right now please just pray for strength for her family.