Daddy

We were at Topsail from Saturday until Sunday. Sunday Daddy's prognosis changed and the conversation with the doctor switched from treatment plans to end of life.  As soon as I got home, I started getting ready to return to Jena on Monday.  I washed all our clothes, grocery shopped for the week, called Jessica to tell her I wouldn't be able to help with VBS, and asked Glynessa to give the kids a ride to VBS.  I've spent time this past week recording all the events of that week in my journal.  Maybe eventually I'll move them over here, but for now I just want to write about two ways I saw God work last week.  The two pictures on the bottom show my Ebenezer stone jar.  We made them in a Bible study several years ago.  After Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, God told them to bring twelve stones out of the middle of the river for a reminder of what God had done for them. Sometimes it's hard to remember what God has done for us, so we made these jars with rocks as a reminder.  Through the years I've added rocks with words written on them here or there.  This week I added two.  One says Paul Daily and the other Twin Lakes.  First, Mr. Paul came Tuesday and shared the gospel with Daddy.  While Daddy could not talk on the vent, he visibly responded to Mr. Paul so as Paul says in Thessalonians we do not grieve as those without hope.  Second, MG and Annie were supposed to be at camp the last week in June.  We couldn't go to Daddy's funeral on Saturday and then drop them off for a  week on Sunday.  I called Twin Lakes and they could easily accommodate Annie a later week, but Mollie Grace is a LIT (Leader in Training) and those spots were more limited.  However, a LIT had called and canceled for the same week they had room for Annie.  It was amazing seeing God work during a hard situation.

Mr. Paul gave Will, Zac, and I each a knife at the funeral.  I was sitting on the second row and reached over Mama's shoulder to take the knife from Mr. Paul.  I grabbed it by the string and unsheathed it.  Thankfully it just glanced off Mama and didn't cut her!

The flowers are two I took to dry from my favorite arrangements at Daddy's funeral.  We didn't have flowers on the casket, but his saddle instead. 

Annie and Marlee chased kittens all evening Saturday and took pictures.

William Stapleton Obituary

"Mac" William Malcolm Stapleton, age 67 of the Little Creek Community, in Trout, Louisiana passed from this life on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

He was born to the union of G. C. Stapleton and Ada Elaine (Bignar) Stapleton on Thursday, November 17, 1955, in Jena, Louisiana.

Mac was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters Sue Purvis, and Nadine Parker, a brother Gary Stapleton, two nephews Beau Stapleton, and Charlie Bill Stapleton, one great niece Rebekah Perkins, and two great nephews Andrew & Christopher Fuglaer.

Those left to love and miss him are his wife of 45 yrs. D'Juana Stapleton, a daughter Rena (Stapleton) Elder & husband John of Decatur, AL, two sons Will Stapleton & wife Danielle of the Little Creek Community, Trout, LA, and Zac Stapleton & wife Lori, of the Little Creek Community, Trout, LA, two sisters Gladys Elliott & husband Grover of Jonesville, LA, and Nina Terrel of Gautier, MS, a brother "Dub" E. W. Stapleton & wife Glenda of the Little Creek Community, Trout, LA, nine grandchildren Ben Elder, Mollie Grace Elder, Annie Elder, Emalee Stapleton, Rylee Stapleton, Marlee Stapleton, Lane Stapleton, Reiny Jo Stapleton, and Cash Stapleton, a host of nieces, nephews, other family, and friends.

The family will receive friends on Friday, June 23, 2023, at Searcy Baptist Church, from 6:00 PM until 10:00PM and again on Saturday morning June 24, 2023, from 9:00 AM until the time of services.

Serving Mac and his family as pallbearers will be Gary Jack Stapleton, Curt Stapleton, Chad Stapleton, Jamie Parker, Luke Stapleton, Cody Pritchard, and Justin Paul. Honorary Pallbearers are Bo Bignar, Keith Ganey, James Gulde, Rickey Huffman, Bill Morphis, Buddy John Sanders, and Roger Whatley.

The family requests in lieu of flowers please make donations to Wild Horse Ministries, The Gideons, A Charity, or a Ministry of your choosing.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Searcy Baptist Church with Rev. Todd Norris and Bro. Paul Daily officiating. Mac will be laid to rest in Hawthorne Cemetery, of the Little Creek Community, Trout, LA.