She ran a good race; now is the time for her rest

Death is an inevitable conclusion of our lives here are on this earth.

Death is a path all will take.

Still the sting of death among a friend or relative always hurts.

It brings back the memories of those good days that you were allowed to enjoy with them, and brings to mind the things you should have said or should have done.

That opportunity passes quickly.

There no second chances.

This past weekend, I received news of the passing of my dear aunt -- Katherine Sergesketter, or Aunt Katie as most of the family knew her.

She was 93.

Aunt Katie was a small woman by stature. She barely stood 5 feet in height, but she had a heart that was 10 feet tall.

She was a very private stay-at-home housewife in old school terms -- raising three daughters. She had a meal on the table at lunch and supper every day and tended to the household chores.

She didn't socialize much.

She was happiest in her own home.

Living for more than nine decades is a true blessing.

If you asked Aunt Katie, she would say she lived a good life that was provided for by a good husband, who loved her and worked hard -- most of the time carrying out two jobs.

My Uncle Irvin, who died 10 years ago, was a mechanic and tire re-treader by day and in the evening in his backyard he also toiled as a foreign car mechanic and fixer of anything that had working parts, an electrical plug or an engine.

This precious couple lived about a block from me in my hometown of Tell City and was more than just another uncle and aunt.

They were my second parents and mentors after my Dad passed away just a couple months after my fifth birthday.

They were there when I needed them, providing assurance, encouragement, guidance and love, even though that word probably wasn't expressed enough. We all knew there was a special bond there, we just didn't voice it much.

Their home was always a welcome haven of peace and comfort for me and a place I truly enjoyed.

Growing up and even into my adult years, Sundays weren't complete without visiting with them, even if it was just for a short period of time.

When we moved away, a trip back home was never complete without a stop at Aunt Katie and Uncle Irvin's house.

In recent years, our visits became fewer and fewer. We were in, our own minds, too busy, running late or just didn't do it.

For that, I'll always regret. Those opportunities have since past and all that remains are memories of the good times we shared. We have the recollections of sitting and talking so many times and being family.

I was talking with David, my cousin, after receiving word of Aunt Katie's passing and we reminded each other that our family is growing small in numbers with a sole surviving aunt from a family that numbered four daughters and two sons.

It's a sure sign that we all are aging as the branches from our family tree are being pruned away slowly each year by God.

As we lay my aunt to rest today there will be tears and there will be smiles.

She lived a good life, longer than most.

Her memory will remain with us.

I am reminded of one of my favorite passages in the Bible which puts this life and death thing into a perspective that I can understand and respect.

Ecclesiastes 3-8 (New International Version (NIV) reads:

"There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace."

May my Aunt Katie find the peace that she deserves. She ran a good race, but now it's her time for rest.

Nick is assistant editor for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at 847-4487 or 1-800-947-4487 or by e-mail at schneider.nick@gmail.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @GCDWSchneider .