Doug's Place

A number of you have asked about how to contribute to a scholarship fund in her name.

Cindy spent her professional life in various capacities of on-campus residence life. For more than six years, Cindy was housing director at William Carey University in Hattiesburg. Previously, she worked as a residence coordinator at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and an area coordinator at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

WCU has established a scholarship fund in her name — which will benefit a student in work study in residence life.

To contribute, please send a check to…

Cindy Morris Scholarship
William Carey University
Grant Guthrie, Box 2
498 Tuscan Avenue
Hattiesburg, MS 39401

Please indicate on the memo line of the check that the gift is for the Cindy Morris Scholarship.

My great thanks to Grant Guthrie, budget director at WCU, for his help in this matter.

My great thanks for your continued kind thoughts and prayers following the passing of my wife.

The first of two funerals will be held Monday, January 15th, at 11:30 a.m. at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg. The second funeral will be held in her native Delphos, Ohio, on Thursday, January 18th, at 2:00 p.m. at Harter and Schier Funeral Home.

After the second funeral, Cindy will be buried next to her father, Marvin Houdeshell, at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Delphos.

(A friend of mine just e-mailed me this. I’ve been in tears as I tried to post this. –D.M.)

Miss Me — But Let Me Go
Author Unknown

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room.
Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little–but not too long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me–but let me go.

For this is a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone.
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss Me–But Let me Go!

Visitation for my wife will be Sunday, January 14th, from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Moore Funeral Home in Petal.

The first of two funerals will be held Monday, January 15th, at 11:30 a.m. at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg. The second funeral will be held in her native Delphos, Ohio, on Thursday, January 18th, at a time to be determined.

After the second funeral, she will be buried next to her father, Marvin Houdeshell, at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Delphos.

After Tuesday’s encouraging signs, Wednesday was a totally different story.

Doctors wanted to do another MRI on Cindy. During the MRI, she had another seizure.

The medical professionals at Forrest General Hospital did everything they could to make my Cindy better. Their best efforts couldn’t help.

We’re still unsure of what caused the initial seizure. We’ve decided for the sake of closure to order an autopsy.

My wife is now in a safe place, free of whatever she suffered and is reunited with her father who left this earth a decade and a half ago. Cindy is also reunited with a fantastic leader in Dr. Larry Kennedy, who served as her boss at William Carey University; he lost a brave battle with ALS.

Cindy, I love you — always and forever. It was a joy, honor and privilege to know you for four and a half years — whether as a lunch date, a friend, your boyfriend, your fiancé and ultimately your husband of one and a half years.

I would not trade these last four and a half years for anything.

This is not the way to start a new year. My wonderful wife had a seizure last night. She’s in ICU as I type this.

I was at the hospital for 12 hours. Her folks came in from out of town late last night. I’ll be headed back to the hospital in a couple of hours or so. I’m here just to pick up a few things, including changes of clothes, for Cindy.

Responses are disabled from entry because I wish not to be flooded with responses. Instead, please pray to the deity of your choice.