Obituary

Frank Baylus Whorton (May 3, 1925 - October 12, 2008) FRANK BAYLUS WHORTON, SR. went to be with Jesus on the Lord’s Day, Sunday, October 12, 2008. He was born in Rappahannock County, Virginia on May 3, 1925. He was the 7th of 13 children of Henry Taylor and Lillie Margaret Cloud Whorton. Baylus is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Lois Carolyn Utz; four children, Linda Winstead, Jackie Rawlings, Frank Baylus Whorton II and Vickie Watts; six grandchildren, Heather Whorton Meade, Carson Winstead, Melissa Whorton Garza, Jessica Rawlings, PFC Frank Baylus Whorton III currently serving in Afghanistan and Nathan Rawlings; four great grandsons; one great granddaughter; three step grandchildren and five step great grandchildren; three sisters, Ressie Utz, Mary Elizabeth Dodson and Eunice Whorton and numerous nieces and nephews. Baylus served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the South Pacific aboard the USS McDermut (DD-677) and was awarded ten battle stars for his service. He has been a member of the Washington Area Carpenters Union since 1949. He and Lois are charter members of Centreville Assembly of God where Baylus served as trustee, song leader, Sunday School teacher, member of the jail ministry team and deacon for 27 years. He and Lois worked in the nursing home ministry for over 20 years. Baylus loved to hunt, fish and the Blue Ridge Mountains and beginning in 1971, faithfully kept a daily diary. Besides his love for his wife, “his babies and grandbabies,” Baylus had a passion for Jesus and wanted to share with everyone the difference his personal relation with Jesus had made in his life. In addition to his parents, Baylus was preceded in death by his six brothers, Charles, Robert, Johnny, Roy, Dee and George; three sisters, Grace Corbin, Virginia Clatterbuck and Lou Ada Brown. The family will receive friends from 7:00-9:00 P.M. Friday, October 17, 2008 at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas. Funeral services will be held 1:00 P.M. Saturday, October 18, 2008 at Manassas Assembly of God, 11500 New Life Way, Bristow, Virginia. Interment will follow at Stonewall Memory Gardens, Manassas with military honors. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of flowers, or contributions to Rehabilitation Fund for Wounded Soldiers, c/o Dave Reover, P.O. Box 136130, Fort Worth, Texas 76136 in loving memory of Frank Whorton, Sr.

Pictures from Daddy's Funeral

The sunset on October 18, 2008, evening of Daddy's Funeral.



Daddy was a WWII Navy Veteran. He was given a Military Honors Burial.

In the Navy, during the war, the custom was to bury them at sea at sunset.


TAPS


Two Honor Guards watch over Daddy during the service.



Daddy is being carried by his grandchildren: Nathan Rawlings, Jessica Rawlings (she is standing in for "Bubba" a.k.a. Frank Whorton III), Carson Winstead, his brother in laws, Jerry Buchanan and Joel Grizzle, his nephews Danny Whorton and 2 Corbin boys (Aunt Grace's boys)



Daddy arrives at Stonewall Memorial Garden with Honor Guard Saluting his arrival.




Entire family singing, I will meet you in the Morning just inside the Eastern Gate over there!




Daddy's grand-daughter and nurse during his final days, Jessica "Whorton" Rawlings




Daddy's grand-daughter, Melissa Whorton-Garza. She's a mother of 3 boys, 1 girl. Daughter of Frank Whorton II



Daddy's first grand-daughter, Heather "Jane" Whorton-Meade. She is a mother of 1 son, and daughter of Frank Whorton II



Jackie Whorton-Rawlings sharing Daddy's humor. Marke Rawlings in background.


Mom with Kedric and Thelma Chambers. Kedric was one of Daddy's favorite friends and they often hunted together. I remember once they had some scheme to make a trip to Alaska. They never made it. Maybe there are things to hunt in heaven just for them!


Mom with Kedric & Thelma Chambers, again.




Kelly Grizzle-Woods w/back to camera talking with Daddy's former pastor, Rev. Godfrey and his wife.



Saturday, October 18, 2008 Manassas Assembly of God Church
1 PM



Daddy's favorite band, the "Whorton Reunion" band.

Daddy has gone home.....

It's been a while since I was on blogging and much has happen.

On October 12, 2008 at 2:25AM my Daddy peacefully closed his eyes and went to be with Jesus.

I will miss him more than words can ever express but I know he is in a better place and he is no longer in pain.

Now we are left with our memories and the fun times we spent with him. His humor and his hilarious writings in his diary. Even more importantly, he left us with a shining example of how to live our lives so that when it comes our time to close our eyes in death...we will be ready.

We didn't have a normal funeral, we had a celebration of his life. It was 2 hours and 19 minutes (this according to the videographer) Dad had always said he hated "creeeeppping" funerals, especially those that are for Christians and you know they are in a better place.

By Dad's request, there was live music played by his son Frank, his nephews Bobbi, Ronnie,Gary, Marty Whorton, his son-in-law "Smokey" Jim Winstead, his grandson Carson Winstead, his brother in law Joel Grizzle, and a great nephew Joshua Baird, and one other friend on the Dobro. Dad's favorite songs were played by the bluegrass family band which consisted of piano, accordion, banjo, Dobro, steel guitar, rhythm guitar, mandolin, drums, upright bass.

For the service, Dad's nieces Kelly Grizzle-Woods & JoAnn Grizzle-Baird along with,"Smokey" and Joel Grizzle sang and played with the band some of Dad and Mom's favorite songs.

Dad's grandchildren all wrote a note to him and each read it. Dad's grandson, Frank B. Whorton III was unable to attend as he is in active Army duty in Afghanistan. The service took a moment to stop and say a special prayer for FB a.k.a "Bubba".

Dad's daughter, Jackie Rawlings had written some funny things that Dad had done throughout the years that had cracked us all up. Marke Rawlings, Dad's son-in-law, also spoke about Dad and his incredible example he had always, everyday, set in front of all of us.

Mom had wrote Dad a letter which Davide Baird read, it was incredible. It made me remember the song that was played on their 50th Wedding Anniversary..."If they want to see how true love should be....they'll just look at us! Chances are, we'll go down in history...when they want to see how true love should be...they'll just look at us".

The service included congregational singing and joining on the stage with the band and singers was Dad's daughters, Linda Whorton-Winstead, Jackie Whorton-Rawlings and Vickie Whorton-Watts.

The closing was video complied of photos of Dad's 83 years of life with his children singing in the background, Led by the Master's Hand, Sheltered In His Arms, Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me.

The final song played was my Daddy singing in 1954.....

"This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world any more.
Oh Lord you know, I have no friend like you. If heaven's not my home, tell me Lord what would I do. The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Daddy always said to bury him under a hickory tree, we did the next best thing; he was laid to rest in a hickory casket at Stonewall Memorial Gardens in Gainesville, Virginia

She Sleeps!

If I had known she'd be content to sleep in my slipper I could have saved a lot of money and not bought a crate and play pen for her!

She is so spoiled she has to be fed from a spoon and BABY FOOD no dog food for her! Of course that is polished off with warmed milk!
Geesh!

We had a Pom many years ago and I have come to the conclusion, either the Pom was extremely stupid or this dog is a genius! In 1 week I have trained her to go pottie only in her pottie box (like a kitty box) or on pee-pee doggie pad on the floor. She is brilliant! The Pom NEVER figured out the pottie thing and pissed everywhere all the time!

Our Genius will probably do something next week and I'll be on here trying to GIVE HER AWAY! LOL

Joking!!!

PS. I have another pair of house slippers just like those in the picture...I just can't find them. Thank goodness I lost the opposite of each pair. :)

We have a new Baby in the house!

We welcomed Miss Scarlett O'Hara Watts into our family on Monday, Feb.4.

As the neighbor lady used to say back home, "the bottom rail has risen to the top"! Vickie has agreed to let an ANIMAL in the house! Yes, a real one that pees and poops....

Scarlett is a birthday gift for Brieanna's 15th birthday.

At first, we thought we were buying a Yorkshire Terrior puppy but now I am not too sure. She oinks like a pig and hops like a rabbit!

If the breeder is correct, Scarlett will only be about 4 pounds full grown! That would be like a loaded bagel! :)

I thought about the funniest thing the other day....just had to share.

I have discovered the very best life crutch and or excuse!

I read the joke about the guy in the flood who kept praying for God to rescue him and he kept refusing help as it came along, until he ended up in heaven with God whereupon he was admonished, not only did he TRY to rescue him but he tried many times with no cooperation.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I am waiting on God" before making any move?

I have visions of these people sitting at an imaginary bus stop type bench as if God was coming thru....right on schedule.Or, maybe they are waiting for him to "catch up".

When in actuality, nothing has been done and nothing is getting done; and God is so far ahead of them that his brightness looks like a speck equal to the northern star....all in the name of "waiting on God".

Usually, you have to stop and wait when you have far passed another, but if you are just sitting on your duff what do you guess is the expectation?

God is lapping and will be back around to get them?

Or, maybe they expect God to "draft" along behind them so they need to wait for him?

Visions of the picture of Footprints where there are two sets of footprints, then one set, comes to mind; there should be a sequel showing one set of prints and fingernail clawing along behind! :)

I bet whenever you hear that expression again, you'll have the same vision as I just had! :)

Raise the Bar or Pass the Bar?

Raising the Bar or Just Pass the Bar

I find myself some days in the position of having to give wanted AND unwanted advice to a TEENAGER! So many times the explanations about life can be so difficult and make no sense whatsoever.

However, I discovered the concept that so many think will work of sharing/caring/giving is 50/50.

!OH SO WRONG!

Using the logic and visual aid of a grand dining table all set with china and crystal and then given the instruction to move that table thru a major obstacle course and not let anything slide, or fall.

Picture you and your partner, what if both of you decided to move this "dining table" contributing only 50/50. This being each of you picking up with only one hand and trying to carry.

Imagine how unstable the table and it's contents would be. Imagine when you'd come to a high obstacle that required raising the table(aka raising the bar) .....and you would raise your side but your partner didn't...guess what happens to all that china and crystal!

You guessed it, everything slides and dumps on them!

Nobody likes being dumped on and no one likes to feel like they are having to carry the load.

All my life I have heard it preached over and over about being "unequally yoked"...the emphases was always about the partner needing to be a Christian but you know what...it's more than that.You seriously need to find a partner that is willing to "raise the bar", be willing to use BOTH hands to carry the load and do whatever else it takes to keep things level.

I explained that one person's idea of "raising the bar" and another's may be totally different, therefore you need to really find out long before making a commitment where your partners personal bar level stands.

For some, their idea of raising the bar may be turning the local bar into a 2 story building!