James Russell Belew
5/18/1919 - 10/27/2012
5/18/1919 - 10/27/2012
James Russell Belew, age 93 of Devine, passed away Saturday,
October 27, 2012 in Southlake, Texas.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Elmer and
Odell Elizabeth (Gaston) Belew; daughter, Janet Denise Belew; brother, Wayne
Paul Belew;
sisters, Pauline Elizabeth Hill, Modean Knox, and Betty Jo
Maxwell.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred (Lawrence) Belew;
daughter, Lana Gayle (Belew) Lustig; sister, Phyllis Jean Barrington;
grandchildren, Dr. Jason Harold Lustig and wife Destin, Dr. Jeremy Russell
Lustig and wife Kerry, and Jennifer Lustig McBee, Esq. and husband Michael;
great-grandchildren, Madison, Savannah, Nicholas, Lindsay, Elizabeth, and
Rebecca Lustig, Madeleine and Jason McBee.
Russell and Mildred celebrated their 70th wedding
anniversary on October 13, 2012. He and Mildred traveled the world, many times
and enjoyed fifty-five cruises and countless land trips.
Visitation will be held Thursday, November 01, 2012 at the
Hurley Funeral Home Chapel in Devine from 2pm to 9pm. Funeral service will be
held at 10am Friday, November 02, 2012 at the First Baptist Church with
interment to follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Martin
Lustig, Jeremy Lustig, John Williamson, David Maxwell, Jason Lustig, Michael
McBee, Kenneth Cox, and Jack Kelley. Honorary pallbearer will be Jim Weber.
During Papa's last weekend, Jeremy spent the night by Papa's bedside. He loved his Papa so very much.....we all did. Papa has been my Papa for over half of my life, now, and longer than any of my own grandparents. Nana and Papa have so sweetly adopted me into the circle of their grandchildren. I truly feel loved by them and I just love them so much!!
His final weekend of life was a beautiful reunion of our family coming together to be with him. God is so great how He plans moments in time so very perfectly!
The cousins made "thank you" signs for the nursing staff at the Carlyle. They are just so sweet. The great-grandkids played a very special part in Papa's life as well as in that heavily blessed weekend
We hung them in the hall by Papa's room
Just so many miracles happened over that weekend, that I could not even start to explain them. We just saw Jesus' beautiful Face in everything.....so often He is hidden in our world, but in the moments of life and death His Holy Face is truly glorified, and Papa's last days with us on earth were no exception. Papa had been preparing to see his Holy Father's Face his entire life! This is what we were created for....we were created for Heaven! To be with our Holy Father....to live in His house for all of eternity!
Just so many miracles happened over that weekend, that I could not even start to explain them. We just saw Jesus' beautiful Face in everything.....so often He is hidden in our world, but in the moments of life and death His Holy Face is truly glorified, and Papa's last days with us on earth were no exception. Papa had been preparing to see his Holy Father's Face his entire life! This is what we were created for....we were created for Heaven! To be with our Holy Father....to live in His house for all of eternity!
PRAISE BE TO OUR LORD JESUS!
But....as we are created for Heaven, we are not designed to say goodbye and so that is why our hearts, while filled with so much faith, ache with pain....
I cannot imagine not ever seeing Papa's joy-filled face on this earth or hearing his silly laugh, or hugging him, or kissing his soft cheeks!!
As our Nana bravely and lovingly said to her one true love, into his ear, before he was taken by our Father...
"I love you so much!" "It is okay for your to let go now and go up to Heaven." "I am going to be okay, but wait for me there.....I will be with you in Heaven soon"
WE love you so much Papa!
