SHE Was a grat frend CAROLE TURNER AND VERN NOGLE SHE HELPED US A LOT WITH OUR PROBLRMS WITH MARK. AND WE APPRECIATED THAT. IT WS A GREAT PRIVAGE TO KNOW HER. I THANK GOD FOR HER VERN NOGLE

I met Ethel on a plane flight from California to Albany, NY, where she was to meet a dear friend of hers. We met waiting at the gate in our matching wheelchairs. I fell instantly in love. We did not talk much about why we were in chairs, but went directly to the heart of what our lives were. I felt a kinship. I am an herbalist with a young son; she told me of a book she wrote I may be interested in. I still want to read it. Before leaving the plane she handed me a wallet picture of her and her husband, with her email and phone on the back. I was a couple months in calling. I reached a man who told me, hopefully, that she was coming back from the hospital soon. So I waited a couple weeks. When I called I learned she had just passed. I spoke, I believe, to her husband then son, both of whom I felt kinship with as well. I hung up and cried, so hard. I called my dearest friend and asked why I would cry so hard over someone I hardly knew. I thought to write to let her family know how she touched me in that short time, but figured who would want to hear from me. So now I see this space - to leave a non-invasive note. I also must add that she spoke of her upstate New York co-writer, how they had met at a writing conference, and how unlikely a team they were, yet great friends. I saw that when they wheeled away together at the Albany Airport. As we passed at the baggage claim, we joined hands. This brief interaction will stay with me a long time I am sure.

Het is lang geleden dat ik ETHEL heb leren kennen. Ze heeft heel veel voor mijn betekend.
Ze is voor mij een groot voorbeeld geweest. Oprecht eerlijk en trouw aan de Heer.
Ik wens jullie Walter en kinderen Zijn vrede toe.
Gerrie achter de Molen

TRANSLATED FROM DUTCH

Ethel You Were A Pearl In God's Hand

It has been a long time that I met Ethel. She has meant a lot to me.
She has been my great example, upright, honest and faithful to the Lord.
I wish you, Walter and children His peace!
Gerrie achter de Molen.

A gift Some gifts are wrapped in brown paper Others in red and green. Ethel was wrapped in blue—baby blue To match her sparkling eyes Exuding warmth and life. Around her table we sat Month after month Year after year—for decades, Listening, reading, critiquing with “her girls” Marking out “was” or “is” Learning to “show not tell” Staying on topic. Her lessons were vast— Less sermons A kaleidoscope of word and grammar colors Covering the pages with smatterings of soul-drops Increasing heart rainbows Peering into heaven’s glory Taking Jesus’ hand in trust amidst scorching fires. Laughter and tears swirled together around her table As unknown quantities of stories, books, songs, and poetry Blew around the world to vast places Warming strangers’ hearts—who knows where? Comforted, encouraged, strengthened for the fight, let loose As we before them fought through the mire Then wrote and reframed our stories That others might gain and grow and win With the gentle Shepherd by their side Perhaps even in ignorance of His presence Yet conscious of communion. This gift—handed to us in our poverty That we, and others after us, might become rich By our passing on the gifts to them That she had generously, faithfully…softly given to us. We look to heaven and God’s mercy to us And to our memory of her—thanking Him for His generosity. Her gift touched us all profoundly. We gained and so did those to whom our words dance across the pages. Earth is richer, now heaven bursts with a bright light. We wait for that time when we join her We’ll shine together And perhaps write of His love together—in His radiant, awesome, eternal Presence. Wanda Viola November 13, 2012

Ethel touched so many lives through her writing and her living. Warm, gracious, and witty, she exuded God's love and grace in a winsome way that drew others to her and to her Lord. She invested herself in encouraging writers to pursue excellence by her teaching, her writing, and her godly example. We will miss her greatly, but we rejoice that she is now home with her Lord, where she is experiencing His glory and eternal victory over death, a lasting legacy of a life lived in the prayer of "Lord, Show Me Your Glory."

I knew Ethel back in high school days, in Turlock. Later she helped out at Mt. View S.S. where my family and I also taught Sunday School. I remember her singing solos with that beautiful low voice of hers. Our friendship also grew when we rode the bus to MJC together. One memory from those days is of her befriending a foreign student and she invited me to go with her to visit the student in her home. She showed such Christian love and grace in all that she did. It was obvious even back then, that she had a special walk with the Lord and was always listening to His voice. In later years, I didn't have the opportunity to be with her because we were so far apart geographically. I did get to watch her life from afar, through her books and website. I think as she got older, she reminded me more and more of her wonderful mother, who was also an example to so many. I look forward to getting to know her better in Heaven, and I expect to still be learning from her there.

I'm so sorry to hear of Ethel's homegoing although I KNOW she was welcomed with a "well done, good and faithful servant." I will always treasure my memories of her.

My life has been so blessed. God allowed me to be born into a family that included my Godly Grand mother, Blanche Brittain and my wonderful cousin, Ethel. She was always the big sister I didn't have. Even when I was a less than perfect teenager, she treated me as a worthy individual. She invited me to share a weekend with her at Multnomah, as if it were the most natural thing for a grown up college girl to spend time with a gangly 14 year old. So many memories, and all of them filled with love and laughter. Snow ball fights between her brother Tom, my brother, Dick and the girls team - Ethel and Judy (we won), and long letters back and forth after they moved to California. She ALWAYS had time for me and I loved and admired her all our lives. I was blessed again to spend the last five of her days here on earth with her, Walt, Tim and Martha. We laughed and cried together as a family and Ethel and I put our heads together and talked - really talked - about what was coming. She was so looking forward to seeing our God, though she was sad to leave her loved ones behind. Only for a little while, she said. She will be our guardian angel until we meet again. What a day that will be. Thank you dear cousin for being my friend, my mentor and my spiritual guide for nearly 70 years. I will miss you terribly, but I know you are watching over all those you love and I'm SO grateful that includes me.

someone speaks; a voice far away, i'm not listening... i have to sit up, listen...and hear...a gentle voice; soft... "it's okay; yes, i AM talking to you." we talk briefly; and then again...and again and again i have to look .it's been a long time since i've LOOKED... and the train has left the station...moving fast, but somehow we're on board, and off to some distant place or time together, now--talking, searching, for elusive truths that maybe could connect our 'we's' and 'they's'... and drop the wall that separates our 'mine' and 'yours...' yes, ours; probably not the world's we’re here. “back then,” lost behind some crazy hairpin turn and still we talk and learn and laugh and feel...and wonder, when there's time, where the station is, to slow us down... or even if there is one— there’s just the clacking of the iron wheels, and the joyous whistle scream and the stillness of an hour that calls us out to play... pushing, pulling, prodding...but together; always a gentle word to soothe a guessed-at hurt...we seem to know and the Master Planner sits alone, and beams... that's the way it was, and it's what i'll carry in my pocket (and my heart) for always...

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" Psa.116:15 Precious memories linger in the hearts of all of us who have been priviledged to be the recipients of Aunt Ethel's welcoming hospitality, sincerely loving interest, and good conversation often filled with spiritual challenges as well as gentle and kind words. In my book, Aunt Ethel is one of God's precious heroines.

It is my greatest privilege to have had Ethel as my friend, mentor and mother for over 50 years. They say that no matter who someone is when life is good, when life is NOT good, you find out who they really are. Last night as I watched my mother struggle to make sense of her unspeakable pain and suffering, the only words that came out of her mouth were praise and glory to God in a spiritual quest to find meaning and/or strength to submit to His plan. She cried out for God's mercy and His glory. I saw the stuff of which she was made and I felt humbled to be her daughter. I am thanking God for the gift and legacy of my mother, Ethel L. Herr.

I saw Ethel for the last time on this earth on Sunday. She said, "Jane, God has told me that He is removing everything so that the only thing left is Him." I don't think He had a very hard job, because Ethel's smile, her open arms and home, her strict attendance to writing well, her gentle spirit and great love for others were so full of Him already. I know she was glad to open her hands and give them to Him as He drew her into His arms in Heaven. I hope Walt and the rest of her family can hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." ringing in their ears.

From the moment I met Ethel in the Cancer Support Group, I knew she was a very spiritual woman. No matter what was happening, she always had a beautiful smile on her face and she always had a positive attitude. I remember her saying that she is in God's hands and that whatever He wanted, she would accept. Her spiritual relationship with God showed in everything that she said and did. I feel blessed to have gotten to know Ethel and even though it was for a short time, I thank God for allowing me to smile and laugh with her. My heart and prayers go out to Walt. You were always by her side and the love you shared was obvious to all. I am praying every day for you and your family.

I didn't know Ethel well - I first met her several years ago when she was my client. She was gracious, thoughtful and wise. Then I had the opportunity to meet her again this spring and over the weeks I watched her calm gentle nature and Walt's wonderful smile, always deferring to her. Then last week during a visit to her hospital room I realized what was there - the dictionary defined it as: an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person. It wasn't just around Ethel, she filled the whole room with her radiance, surrounding each and every person in her visual surrounding. The love and respect for each and every one of her children and her wonderful Walt she told me in those few short minutes. And Dr. D - I said aren't we lucky to have had him and she said we are blessed, truly blessed. Thank you Walt and your family for allowing me to have that brief glimpse into your family - your love, courage, laughter and thoughtfulness to each other is unique and so, so special. I appreciate you sharing with all of us.

I got Ethel's Book Chosen Women of the Bible in 1976. Yhe bbbook has been such A blessing to me and I have loaned it to others to use in teaching Bible studies. Ethel was A very special niece of mine. She even came last year to help me celebrate my 95th Birthday. She was one of God's Chosen Women. I look forward to seeing her again.

I posted this on my Facebook: So sorry to hear of the loss of Ethel Herr, author of INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN WRITING and popular speaker. I count it a privilege to have served with this gracious lady at numerous writers' conferences. See you at the House, Ethel!

I wrote before but I think it may not have posted, so I wanted to write again just to say that I will ever be in debt to this woman who taught me so much about writing, and friendship, and leading, but most of all, about living for the glory of God. She was my prayer partner and the wisdom she imparted every time she wrote or we talked, was worth more than gold. In my final email from her she shared of the struggle, and related the following poem: Oh God! How crazy this roller coaster! How wild the ride! I've always thought it was an essential part of my witness for you to be strong, vibrant, joy ful, always glowing. But today, at the end of myself, tears engulfing me, fearing I shall never glow again, I cast myself upon your mercy, and plead with you for a new kind of strength – "the joy of the Lord!" Thank you, thank you, and thank you again! Hallelujah! I know you are dancing in the streets Ethel, and all of heaven is rejoicing to have you, but oh how we will miss you.

Since I forgot to sign my name--our name--I just thought of the time she picked me up and took me to Multnomah for a weekend. I don't know if she was trying to inspire me to follow her walk through that college, but we had a fun weekend, eating out a couple of times on the way and on the way home, standing in line for meals, talking of my future music major---. Raising our families took precedence but we always stayed in touch. My, I can hardly believe she is no longer here, but she will be waiting for us when we all get there---

Well, I already made a few comments, but in thinking of her today-- I think of how I looked up to Ethel when I was a little girl and wanted to be like her. She was always full of wisdom and inspiration to me. Being an only child it was always fun to be with my cousin Ethel. How well I remember Ethel and Walt coming to see me when I was a student at Seattle Pacific University with their brand new baby girl. We sat on the grass and Ethel's flowery dress spread out all around her and she had such pride as she held her new baby. We had such a nice visit and she was full of encouragement for me and told me not to give up. The last time they were here and spent the night was such a blessing. I will miss my cousin.

Two weeks ago today, Ethel visited her oncologist upon her return from a trip to New York, during which she had been hospitalized twice. The doctor told her that it looked like her cancer had aggressively attacked her liver in recent weeks and that in order to fight the cancer she would have to undergo more chemotherapy and be administered estrogen blockers. She would have to undergo more tests in the next couple of days to verify his diagnosis and then start the treatment.

This was not good news and most of us, myself included, would not have been able to put together even two kind words. But my mother gave the doctor a smile. You know the one. That smile that exudes a mix of confidence and determination, and she said something positive, pointing out a good point in the situation.

I cannot recall now exactly what it was she said, nor can I think of a positive or good thought related to that moment. But she did. And her doctor said, 'Ethel, you always make lemonade out of lemons. You are the Lemonade Queen.'

And he was right. My mother is the Lemonade Queen. She always saw the good in every situation and every person, even me.

Last Tuesday night, Ethel refused the nurse's offers of food, water and ice. She had been admitted to the hospital that morning to undergo a procedure to reduce the pressure on her abdomen that was caused by her barely functioning cancerous liver. The nurse had tried to get her to eat and she simply refused.

I asked, "Mommy, do you want to eat something?"

She said, "No."

I asked, "How about some ice cream?"

She opened her eyes and they twinkled as she said, "Now that sounds good."

When I went to fetch some, the nurse informed me that the hospital did not have ice cream or sherbet. But they did have popsicles. So I asked mom if she would try a popsicle.

She gave me a skeptical look and said, "Ok, maybe I'll try it."

The nurse helped me cut the popsicle into ice chip sizes and I presented a spoon full of grape popsicle to mom's lips. As soon as the popsicle chips touched her tongue, a big smile came to her face and she let out a satisfied cry. "Wow!" she said. "That's the best stuff I've ever tasted."

By the following afternoon, the hospital had run out of grape popsicles and she had to settle for orange. Reluctantly, she accepted her fate . . . until she had the first bite of orange popsicle and then she had a new favorite food.

After coming home, nested in her library, she continued to have the occasional popsicle. And she commented that popsicles were amazingly good and she could not understand why she had not discovered them earlier in her lifetime.

I will never eat a popsicle again without thinking of the big smile and satisfied expression of my mom as she rediscovered the joy of popsicles in the last week.

For her to live was Christ and to die is gain...but she will be so missed by those she has left. We are so thankful for special memories and the knowledge that we will someday see her again.