Our dear brother Kevin

Some of you may or may not know, but this past March we lost Jeremy's big brother Kevin. He was the oldest in the family and was living in Ephraim. He passed just before this 48th birthday. A month before, he walked into church for an early meeting and started having a seizure. It was the first in his life. We later found out he had a tumor on his brain. He was scheduled for surgery to do a biopsy on March 8th and everything went well. He was sent home 3 days later and received a phone call from the surgeon 5 days after surgery saying that with some radiation the tumor would be gone in about a month. That same night he started getting a major headache that progressively got worse. He was life-lighted to U of U hospital in the early morning hours of March 13th. The same surgeon who had done his surgery and made that earlier call was dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say to the family. After scans had been done they found bleeding and swelling on the brain that even after hours of medication would not bring our Kevin back to the same man he was. The family said our good-byes and took him off life support late on the evening of the 14th.

It has been one of the hardest things to deal with in our lives. Since we don't live near by and don't get to go down to Ephraim/ Manti as often as we'd like, it is hard to even realize he is gone. It has been hard to come to grasps with the fact that it was his time to go...so young and taken so quickly. We have had to really put our trust and faith with our Heavenly Father who is the only one who knows our path. 

His viewing and funeral was the most amazing thing I could have witnessed. There was so many people in attendance that the viewing went hours over and there was a line constantly out the door. The funeral was the largest anyone there had ever seen. People where sitting in rows in the foyer of the church and down the halls just to listen to the service. He was truly loved by all those that knew him. He will be greatly missed in our family as well as in the community and town.  

He was transported from the church house where the funeral was held to the cemetery in Manti in the back of an ambulance. Kevin was a volunteer for the search and rescue. Along the highway that runs from Ephraim to Manti many were pulled over on the side to let the progression go by and held there hats on the hearts. So many didn't even know him but was so respectful of the line of people going to give their last respects. Every 20 cars or so was a policeman leading cars from one town to the next. It was an amazing site and such a great feeling knowing him and especially being his sister.

One of the neatest parts of the graveside service was when they did a "last call" over the radios of all service men/women. So many were in attendance that it echoed through the town and off the temple. A last call is when the dispatcher is trying to reach someone on the radio. Everyone with radios in the Sanpete County heard the last call and did a moment of silence for Kevin. The dispatcher on the radio was breaking down and could hardly finish. There was not a dry eye in attendance.

Many of our friends and family came to the service. I am so thankful for them and the sacrifice it was for them to be there. I am so thankful for the prayers on our behalf. Many came from Johnson Mathey (Jeremy's work) to support both Jeremy and Weston (Kevin's son) who also works there. The whole week we felt so much love and support from our family, friends, neighbors, & ward family. Thank you to you all!!! We love you! You really helped our mourning process to be a little more sweet.