Annie and Tom

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Joy to the World ~ 2018

In Isaiah’s beautiful prophecy of the coming Messiah, he wrote: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The Prince of Peace.” Perhaps we’ve both needed and experienced all those roles this year, as we travelled the road of life in both sorrow and joy.

After 5 months of struggle to stabilize Annie's mother, Beverly, from the debilitating effects of an August 2017 stroke, we were gratefully able to bring her from Seattle to Corvallis at the end of January this year. We only had a precious few weeks with her before her passing on February 24^th. She was such a grand lady!

We were joined by Seth and Laura, along with cousin, Eleanor Howe
to hold her hands as she passed into the next world.

On a beautiful Spring day in late May, we joined other Howe family members from across the country and many friends from the area at her home on the Olympic Peninsula to celebrate her life. It was a bittersweet time for all of us as we gathered and shared memories. Beverly spent a lifetime making the world a more beautiful place and blessing others with her genuine interest, engaging personality, and meaningful service. As we noted on her memorial program, “Her life was blessed with family and friends whom she thought of often and tended to regularly.” We appreciated her sunny optimism and so our family commemorated that with the song: "Keep On The Sunnyside of Life." We’ll miss our shared times at their beautiful home on Discovery Bay.

Farewell, dear Beverly

Howe children and spouses
(except for Tony & Lynne who had to leave early)

Members of the extended Howe and Sherry families

Sherry family with our daughters all in dresses made by Beverly

Farewell to Dick and Beverly's home on the beach we all loved so much ~ Gardiner, Washington

Family members gathered at "Howe Rock" in Alta, Utah to spread Beverly and Dick's ashes

Cecret Lake at Alta, Utah just after we scattered Beverly's ashes

Through the year, we had lots of additional opportunities to be together with our family and we loved every moment. Here are a few samplings of the happenings:

Hiking near Mt. Rainer with Andersens, Dittos, and Watts families on the 4th of July

A hike to the waterfall that wasn't ~ but we had fun!

On a walk near Jesicca & Matt's cabin in Oakley, Utah

"Bio-daughter Reunion" ~ Laura, Emily, Leah, Annie, & Sara

White Salmon River

Emily, Sara, Laura, Annie, Leah

Glorious blackberry season with Matt, Emily, and Seth's families ~ yummy!

At Mt. Hood musical festival

On the Salt Flats with Lucy and Kate Wright

Successful harvest at Leah's home as we made applesauce, jam, and pies
(thanks to the gleaned fruit from friends and neighbors!)

Taking a ride with Seth and Caroline's kids ~ Tommy and Cali

Our 46th Wedding anniversary get-away at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon

Wonderful time dog sledding with these amazing athletes

Lambing season ~ Rue Watts loved it!

Mt. Hood with Tommy and Cali Sherry

Visiting with Camilla and Luke in Las Vegas

Couldn't be more proud and grateful for Alex ~ our first grandchild to serve a mission(He's now back in school at BYU)

In October, we moved Tom’s mother from her SLC home to an assisted living facility here in Corvallis, Oregon. She turned 92 this month and it’s so nice to have her close by. She's a spunky lady that keeps you on your toes with enthusiasm and fun. For her 92nd BD party, she took Seth & Caroline's family with us to ride the unique carousel in Albany, Oregon (with all figures hand carved by local artists), and then out to dinner ~ a great party!

Virginia Sherry Broennimann

It’s the delight of our lives to share family, friends, and faith ~ and we trust there will be no end to any of them.

Our best to you this glorious holiday season,

Annie & Tom

At Red Rocks near Las Vegas on a hike with Luke and Camilla

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And now for the annual "cavalcade of kids"

Matt & Jessica with Sofia and Lizzie Jane Sherry ~ SLC, Utah

Tyler, Cooper, Alex, Sara, Birch, Nathan, Chloe, and Alysee Ditto ~ Yakima, Washington
(in Hawaii celebrating the return of Alex from his 2-year mission to Romania)

Sage, Truman, Emily, Hazel, Mila, and Ryan Andersen ~ Yakima, Washington

Lucy, Geoff, Kate, Isaac, and Leah Wright ~ Mapleton, Utah

Caroline, Willie, Thomas, Seth, and Cali Sherry ~ Corvallis, Oregon

Jared, Sawyer, Isla (in her baptismal dress!) Rue, and Laura Watts.
Newly moved from Elko, Nevada to Lompoc, California

Camilla and Luke ~ Las Vegas, Nevada

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Merry Christmas 2017

"Home for Christmas"

We found a quote recently that captures much of what seems important to us: “Fill your minds with truth, your hearts with love, and your lives with service.” Chief among truths we treasure is the living reality of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world ~ and as the saying goes ~ “the reason for the season.” We contemplate the grace of our Heavenly parents as they sent their beloved son to earth that “whoso believeth in Him might have eternal life.” We’re grateful to share with you the light He brought, and the joy we feel in His love.

We feel that love from you as well, and treasure our years together ~ they have added so much richness to our lives. We had opportunity to catch up with many of you via Luke’s wedding to Camilla Dudley in September. We gathered in Provo, Utah to celebrate the wedding and were grateful to see many of you there.

The wedding made a family reunion possible for the second time this year, as we began earlier in May with a family reunion in Cascade, Idaho where 34 of our 35 family members gathered (grandson Alex is a missionary in Romania).

Luke ~ wishing Camilla would have been part of the family then!

Then again in November, 29 of us were able to gather in Corvallis for a Thanksgiving celebration. We had such a good time together!

In August, we travelled to New Hampshire to stay at the family cabin on Squam Lake where Rockywold/Deephaven family camps are located (started by Annie’s 2^nd great grandmother in 1897). We joined Laura’s family there for a few days and also had Annie’s 92 year-old mother, Beverly Howe, with us as well. After they all left, we stayed on and traveled to Prince Edward Island where Tom’s family of origin has lived since the 1840’s when they emigrated to escape Ireland’s potato famine ~ they are still potato farmers! We loved our time on that beautiful Island of “green gables” and rolling hills covered with lush farms and red cliffs tumbling into the blue ocean.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables -

Cousins : George and (2)Tom Sherrys ~ Seacow Head lighthouse on Sherry land

8 mile bridge from Nova Scotia to PEI

A little over a week after Beverly left us and returned to her home on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, she suffered a significant stroke that permanently disabled her. What sadness. Just days earlier she was hiking with us in the NH hills, paddling a canoe, and swimming in the lake. Now she is confined to a wheelchair and largely unable to communicate. We are left to primarily love her with our eyes and hugs, giving back something of the wonderful years she cared for and served her family and so many others.

Notwithstanding our sadness, we are grateful for the knowledge that through the atonement of Christ, we will all be healed and made whole again ~ free to love and rejoice in all the many relationships that have become integral to our lives. With that hope, we send our love to you this blessed season.

Annie & Tom

For those who know some or all of our children: