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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=484510601-06022013>Dear
Newkirk Family and Friends,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=484510601-06022013></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=484510601-06022013>We are
so sad to learn about Helen's condition. Oh, my, the amazing memories we
carry of Helen and Bill. Jack and I were a couple of young naive interns
who showed up at the Decalceolate Carmelite Monastery at 4th and Rhode Island
Ave. DC on January 1, 1971. How could we have been prepared for the likes
of Helen Newkirk? She and Bill (and Linda who was attending U of Md) were
priors and there was a youth component, including Larry Philbrook.
Needless to say, it was a very lively place. Helen was the most
irrepressible person I'd ever met. That is putting it mildly. Her
question was always: Is it MISSIONAL? Will it get the MISSION
accomplished? It was always about the mission. Her very favorite
saying was "That's no problem". No matter how large or small the issue, to
Helen it was simply "No problem." I remember her telling the story that
she and Bill never cancelled an event just because of the weather. You
could always figure out a way to have a picnic! Do you remember the hours
we spent in the Collegium Room (the large end of the basement) covering those
damp and crumbling walls with burlap? Bill apparently had a contact
through the Forest Sevice to get us burlap that is usually wrapped
around the ball of trees. Days and days were spent stapling the walls with
burlap and it worked well enough to keep the moisture out and the walls
together. Many Odysseys and area events as well as daily life went on in
that room. I think no one realized what hit them when they first
encountered this truly spirit-filled woman. She seemed unflappable.
We are always grateful that Bill and Helen were selected to stand for the order
at our Chris' baptism after he was born that year in DC. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=484510601-06022013></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=484510601-06022013>Helen
has always continued to be the one with the big smile, the sparkle in her eye,
the one full of optimism. Please send our hugs, our prayers and our love to
Helen as she makes this Great Transition.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=484510601-06022013></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=484510601-06022013>Our
love and prayers go to the family as well: Linda, Jim, Patricia, Lisa and
David and all the family members.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=484510601-06022013></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN class=484510601-06022013>Louise
and Jack Ballard</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
dialogue-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net
[mailto:dialogue-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Carol
Crow<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, February 03, 2013 10:43 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
Colleague Dialogue; Order Ecumenical Community<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Dialogue]
Helen Newkirk<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>Dear Friends,
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I have been asked by Patricia to forward this letter from her sister,
Linda Knutsen. Helen lives with Linda and Lester in Virginia, (DC area)
and is nearing the end of her life. They would love to hear stories from
any of you who have lived with Helen and Bill - please send them to <A
href="mailto:ljknutsen@gmail.com">ljknutsen@gmail.com</A>. The family
will read them to Helen and share with each other. Patricia leaves this
afternoon to share these last days with the family. By evening Lisa will
also have arrived. Dave and girls are already there and Jim will not be
able to come from Serbia but was here last summer. Other extended family
are there and arriving.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Attached is a letter Linda sent out earlier this week.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-SIZE: medium"><B>Subject: </B></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica; FONT-SIZE: medium"><B>Update on Mom/Helen -
Feb 1, 2013</B><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-SIZE: medium"><B>Reply-To: </B></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Helvetica; FONT-SIZE: medium"><A
href="mailto:ljknutsen@gmail.com">ljknutsen@gmail.com</A><BR></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV>Hello everyone,<BR><BR>I am sorry that I haven't kept you all in the
loop more frequently on how Mom is doing...it has been a good, but
challenging month.<BR><BR>As anticipated, Hospice has been just simply
wonderful, and has made this last few weeks so much more manageable than I
could have imagined. While Mom continued for most of January to make her
way, usually on her own, out into the living room into her recliner to watch
her favorite shows, record her life stories, read, or just hang out, her
strength steadily declined. Thankfully, we have gotten her pain well under
control, and she claims to have little to none. Starting last Saturday for 4
nights she 'traveled' all night long, talking constantly for most of 7 hours
(!) with family members and some strangers in all corners of the globe.
These episodes were mostly typical, illogical dreams with memories woven in,
and were often quite funny! I have many quotes from those nights that I have
shared with my siblings, and we have laughed and laughed! My favorites
are:<BR><BR><SPAN style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class=Apple-tab-span></SPAN>"Oh,
this is just terrible...my tacos are FREEZING!" ...and...<BR><SPAN
style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class=Apple-tab-span></SPAN>"LINDA, JUST TELL ME
WHAT THE PLAN IS!" (yes, very loudly!)<BR><BR>We have lots of family help
here now to be with her. She has slept well for the past two nights with
little dream-talking, and her spirits are excellent. Her humor and her
intellect are most definitely intact! But she can no longer bear any weight,
and sleeps most of the time. She slept nearly 15 hours yesterday after her 4
days of 'traveling' and even then was still quite tired. But today she was
quite responsive and interactive, though for very short periods between
naps.<BR><BR>She is ready to 'go home' and quite at peace with the most
**amazing** life she has had, and she has SO enjoyed hearing from all of
you, her ***MOST*** amazing hoard of much-loved, far-flung, wild and
wonderful friends and family.<BR><BR>Many of these I mention are gathering
here as I type to wish her yet another blessed journey, and she will
definitely be thinking of all of you, near and far. (As I write this I
realize that neither she nor I have checked her email for maybe a week or
more, so I will do that now and share with her all your loving
communications.)<BR><BR>Love and
peace,<BR>Linda<BR><BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>Thank you for sharing in this
special time in the Newkirk family.In caring community,</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Carol Crow</DIV>
<DIV>Patricia's Housemate in Bothell, WA</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>