Showing posts with label Funeral. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funeral. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Funeral Closing Prayer: David Savage
Dear Father in Heaven, . . . . We are so grateful to have been here to celebrate the life of Karen, sister, companion and friend. We’re grateful, Father, for the spirit that has been here with us and we are very grateful for Karen’s life, her example, her faithfulness to the Gospel, for her love of Thee and Thy son. Father, may her influence be felt in the lives of her sons, Blake and Brig. As they think about their mother, may they have peace and comfort throughout their lives and remember her example, that it may be passed down to their children. Father, we also take comfort with the assurance of the great Plan of Salvation and know that we will be together again through eternity. Father, we now ask for they dismissal. We ask for Thy blessings to be upon us. We ask for Thy protective hand to be over us as we travel near and far. We ask and pray for this blessing, in the name of Thy son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Funeral Remarks: E.T. Clark, Bishop
As many of you know, I am the Savage’s Bishop. I want to convey to you the sense of love and appreciation from the Ward members down in Arizona to the Savage Family. We announced in our Sacrament Meeting about 3½ weeks ago that Karen was in a situation that was very grave. We asked the members to fast and pray for her. I can report that there has not been a Church meeting that I have attended in that period in which we not specifically asked the Lord for His blessings to be on the Savage Family, Blake, Brig and Eric. It is interesting that those prayers have changed a bit. We realized what was happening here in Salt Lake. At first it was pleading for Karen’s life and that she would be accepting of the Lord’s will. The words were that “Thy will be done” and the great blessings to us as we recognized that, accepted and have come to understand.
As I thought about Karen’s life, I just want to share with you two thoughts that have come to mind. Karen underwent a life-long physical challenges that refined her and prepared her to return to her Heavenly Father. There are a lot of scriptures that talk about the refining process. One is in John 15:2. It is very brief. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
That is one of the great callings and challenges we have, is to bear those challenges well as Karen has done.
Another thought that came to be as I was thinking about Karen is the great love she and Eric have for each other. I have a picture of them as I sit up on the stand on Sunday. They sit on the very back row of the chapel in the middle section, with her head on Eric’s shoulder, just like Brig’s is right now. I think that was sign of the great love they had for each other and also a sign of Karen being truly tired and worn out many, many times. She never complained. She always attended her church meetings and did the best she could. She was called to serve with my wife as Activity Day Leader and that was a big challenge for her. She worried about that calling. I know the feeling was that she would make a great difference just by her example in the lives of those young women in our ward. She did that marvelously. My wife, who worked with her, said to me that Karen would be in the kitchen, back yard or the church building where they would have Activity Day and one of the girls would show up and cough and sneeze. Karen would quietly withdraw, frequently she would wash her hands, but never complained. She was always there and did what she was asked to do. That, brothers and sisters, is one of the great legacies of Karen’s life to each one of us.
I want to share a brief scripture with you. It is found in Revelation 14:12-13. The Book of Revelation is not an easy book to understand. The last sentence of the chapter heading says, “The Son of Man harvests the earth.” That is the theme of this chapter. This is part of the revelation that John received.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Karen’s greatest work is the work she did in her home. She was not supposed to have children. She did. She was not necessarily obedient in that regard, but she was a great Mom, a master of great work. That is her children’s light to carry on her great work as the Lord spoke in Revelation.
I am grateful to have known Karen. I am a better person because of it. I am more compassionate. I am more brave and I believe I am more patient because of her example. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
As I thought about Karen’s life, I just want to share with you two thoughts that have come to mind. Karen underwent a life-long physical challenges that refined her and prepared her to return to her Heavenly Father. There are a lot of scriptures that talk about the refining process. One is in John 15:2. It is very brief. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
That is one of the great callings and challenges we have, is to bear those challenges well as Karen has done.
Another thought that came to be as I was thinking about Karen is the great love she and Eric have for each other. I have a picture of them as I sit up on the stand on Sunday. They sit on the very back row of the chapel in the middle section, with her head on Eric’s shoulder, just like Brig’s is right now. I think that was sign of the great love they had for each other and also a sign of Karen being truly tired and worn out many, many times. She never complained. She always attended her church meetings and did the best she could. She was called to serve with my wife as Activity Day Leader and that was a big challenge for her. She worried about that calling. I know the feeling was that she would make a great difference just by her example in the lives of those young women in our ward. She did that marvelously. My wife, who worked with her, said to me that Karen would be in the kitchen, back yard or the church building where they would have Activity Day and one of the girls would show up and cough and sneeze. Karen would quietly withdraw, frequently she would wash her hands, but never complained. She was always there and did what she was asked to do. That, brothers and sisters, is one of the great legacies of Karen’s life to each one of us.
I want to share a brief scripture with you. It is found in Revelation 14:12-13. The Book of Revelation is not an easy book to understand. The last sentence of the chapter heading says, “The Son of Man harvests the earth.” That is the theme of this chapter. This is part of the revelation that John received.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Karen’s greatest work is the work she did in her home. She was not supposed to have children. She did. She was not necessarily obedient in that regard, but she was a great Mom, a master of great work. That is her children’s light to carry on her great work as the Lord spoke in Revelation.
I am grateful to have known Karen. I am a better person because of it. I am more compassionate. I am more brave and I believe I am more patient because of her example. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Funeral Remarks: Richard Finlinson, Father
I thought what I would do is focus upon Karen’s example, which she received from her mother and father, mainly her mother, in teaching her the Gospel. When LaVon and I got married, our main objective was to have a family. We wanted to have them fairly quick because we didn’t want to be old people when they grew up. We wanted to have time. We still grew old.
I want to mention in Malachi, he predicted that Elijah the prophet would come and turn the hearts of the fathers to their children - think about this - and then the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest a curse would come upon the earth and that would he a problem. What he was talking about was that Elijah would come to restore the keys of sealing in the temple of the Lord where you would be sealed for time and all eternity.
LaVon and I never thought of being married anywhere else but the temple following the pattern of my mother and father, my grandfathers and grandmothers, LaVon’s mother and father, and her grandfathers and grandmothers who were strong individuals. They were some of the strongest individuals to grace the earth. They knew the Gospel Plan. They knew what the prophets were talking about concerning the pre-mortal existence and these things were taught indelibly on our children’s minds because LaVon never left the house, except to do Church work, Primary work or whatever she was assigned to do. Her main thing was to focus upon those children from the time they came at birth. I have to say that we are proud of our children. We have seven of them. They are all still faithful in the Gospel, love the Gospel and they are all Republicans, so what more could you ask?
We pray about our grandchildren, focus upon their lives and pray that they will follow our example, the example of their parents and the example of Karen. Karen prayed for a spouse. We had her in a guest area in our home and she was having a very difficult time. She had a neuropathy that was affecting her stomach. She couldn’t take anything down without a problem and she was down to 98 pounds or less - maybe 89. She was very thin and everyone thought she would not live. We had people in our ward who later said, “People say there are no miracles now days, but we say there is a miracle. It is Karen Finlinson.” I think at that time, I was probably the only person who knew she was going to live. I don’t think LaVon thought she would live. The reason I did was because the Lord revealed it to me. I kept working and working, seeking and seeking for things I could do for her. It was a blender. I would feed her out of a blender, sneaking things in that she did not know were in there. As soon as we got on to the idea that we had to do, she started gaining weight and came back with a vengeance. We were blessed.
I think of Karen when I read the 8th chapter of Proverbs 22-23: The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Even before the earth was, we were with our Father in Heaven in a family in the pre-mortal existence. It goes on and tells when there were no depths brought forth and continues to talk about before the 25-31. . . “hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
I think of Karen rejoicing daily before our Father in Heaven. She rejoiced daily before us. She came into the world on her tip toes. She was dancing around like Diane referenced and she made everybody happy. I remember she went on a field trip with her Kindergarten to the Phoenix Zoo. When she came back, I put her on my lap in the office. She didn’t know that I had a tape recorder on and interviewed her about her trip to the Zoo. We had so much fun and she giggled, laughed, jumped and had such a good time during that interview. I would say, “What did you see?” “Oh, we saw some monkeys.” “What did they do?” “(Sound and example.)” “Are you a monkey?” “Oh no!” She just giggled and had a good time. That showed how bubbly she was in her youth.
I am talking to mainly our grandchildren and others who are here who are starting to mold their lives, looking to what the future might be. Take someone out. If it can’t be your parents then find someone else and model for them. Karen was a model. She prayed to find her husband. She got one out of the sky. (Laughter) . . . come by and pick up Karen with all her baggage and . . . . It happens! It’s a miracle. Eric came all the way from Little Rock to propose to Karen. He did it on a train in a park down in the center of Mesa, kind of a romantic thing to hang on that old train. They came home and LaVon and I were in the office quite late at night. She opened up the door and she said, “We’re going to be married.” We were thrilled to death and called all of our kids that night. Some of them had to wake up to tell them that Karen and Eric were going to be married. From that time on, we tried to help Karen get her things in order. Remember, she was on dialyses three times a week and we took her out and brought her back. She said, “I come out of dialyses and I feel like crap for two days, start feeling good and then I have to go back and it hits me.” She didn’t like it at all. Eric didn’t like it. I think it was a thing of joy when David finally came down with a beautiful kidney to give her.
I don’t have time to go over all the wonderful things that have come to be in attending to Karen in her life. LaVon did all she could, but she was beset with arthritis when she was 30 years old. She was struggling with her own situation and it was deteriorating. She was having problems. Someone could walk next to Karen and her problems and the things we were helping her through.
I wanted to tell you a couple of things. I have always been restored by the light. I am a believer in letting your heart be drawn out to your Father in Heaven. You don’t just say prayers kneeling down. It is not a position of the body. It is talking to your Father in Heaven. You can do it any time and under any condition. You say, “Father, this is what I want to talk to you about.” Talk to Him just like you would talk to your own father. Often, you will have answers before you have finished your prayer and some of them will be so solid and a bit scary as to whether you even want to push that far or not, but you will be able to be blessed immediately on petitioning your Father in Heaven for many things. I made it a habit while I was attending Karen and evening came . . . .help her with prayer and so forth. I always gave her a blessing. Some people say, “Oh, you don’t give priesthood blessings. You give one for one illness and so on.” I said, “You give priesthood blessings every time you are impressed to do it.” It can be every day if it is needed or twice a day. I feel like He will sustain our blessings and on her faith and save her in the Plan of Salvation. She had a very strong faith wrought out of her challenges and the things she had been taught.
She comes from a royal lineage, even if you wanted to talk about the people in early pioneer days. We talk about Edward Partridge, Lydia Partridge, John Smith and by the way my fellow Patriarch from Mesa Central Stake is here. He is my cousin Smith. He goes back through Silas and I go back through John, who were brothers. We talk about Amasa Lyman and the wonderful things he was able to do and how faithful her was in the Church. The crowning blessing was that we went back to Little Rock, Arkansas and started fishing around in the genealogy and saw Thomas Callister. That is my great grandfather. He comes through Thomas Callister and I come through the Smith line. He had more than one wife. I come through the Smith line and Eric comes through the Helen R. Clark line. We have a real interesting thing about that. When Tom Callister married Caroline Smith, who was my great grandmother, she had been hit by lightning in her youth and was crippled. She did all the sewing, skinning, mending of clothes and was an expert in all those things. John Smith who was my great, great grandfather came to Thomas Callister and said, “Now Brother Callister, when you marry your next wife, you need to marry someone who is strong and can do the heavy work.” In a very short time, he married Helen R. Clark and she proved herself to be strong as she had twelve children. She literally did. I have letters from my grandmother telling about Helen R. Clark and how hard she worked and what she did to help the family. We are related and come through this wonderful line.
I wanted to mention to you that when Eric and Karen announced their marriage, I immediately kicked into gear to try to help Karen clean out her room, get rid of some magazines and do whatever she wanted to do, get her laundry ready. I am a journal keeper and went back to read what happened every day to our family. Some of them I don’t want to read. I wanted to make reference here. I was in the laundry room doing some of Karen’s laundry, getting ready to fold it up. I was folding laundry while looking out the window and thinking. I wrote, “I was folding clothes in the laundry room, thinking of her and some thoughts of the possibilities of giving her a blessing before she leaves our home.” Sometimes before I give a Patriarchal Blessing, I just lay back in a chair and think of the person and start giving them a blessing. Sometimes, the things I do are impressed on my mind and they come out in blessings, sometimes given and sometimes not. I had that practice of doing that sometimes when I give a blessing.
I was in “the laundry room, thinking of her and some thoughts of the possibilities of giving her a blessing before she leaves our home. I thought, I bless you, Karen, (and it came to my mind) and reassure you that your calling and election is made sure. This is very strong, but the same reassuring spirit came upon me. I could hardly contain my emotions for a while. Dr. Woolf, who is the doctor who restored her eyesight, came by to pick up something from Karen and I accompanied him to his car and the same reassurance came to me by a familiar electrical feeling down my spine. I wept some and prayed to the Lord if I should divulge this.”
I have not divulged this to almost anyone, but feel it is appropriate today. You can go home and cross reference your scriptures and say the Lord is not going to give someone a blessing like that just in a moment.
“I do not know if it will be given to Karen in a blessing or if it was just for my edification as her father. I will await the feelings that will come to me. Karen has endured her afflictions with patience. The Lord says, ‘Ye shall be exalted’ if you endure your afflictions with patience.”
I put a little star here and was thinking back on something that happened to me two or three weeks previous. On February 25th at Richard Williams farewell. I had an experience I had to write down. “As the meeting began, Gary brought Karen in and sat her down on the front row by me.” At the time, Karen was completely blind. Her hemorrhaging in her eyes had caused the sockets to fill up with blood, which were drained and then . . . .put in and she could see. That is not unusual, particularly when you are on dialysis. I had a special feeling as I sat through the meeting. “Much flooded into my mind concerning all Karen had co gracefully endured in her years. The closing song was sung.” I cannot remember the name of the song. It is one we called committee songs that were new and we didn’t think it was very nice that I couldn’t remember it. “I was impressed by the spirit that we had been attending a royal person through her sojourn upon the earth.” This was really something to me. “I was again overcome by the spirit that confirmed this.” Whenever I have something come to me from the Lord, I ask for a confirmation because sometimes it can play games with me, but if I get a confirmation then I’m okay. The confirmation came and the impression was that I was placed in close proximity to Karen to attend her. I have the same feeling about my wife. I even hesitate to write such impressions for they are to tender and private. I wanted to share this with you as one of the many things that had come to me.
I want to say one more thing. I know we are going over in time. I was out walking one day - I walk 45 minutes to an hour, three times each week - and Mark called on the cell phone. He was telling me distraught he was that Karen had gone through a 12-13 hour operation and she looked really bad. He didn’t tell me that day, but later told me he didn’t think she would make it. I was pondering on Karen’s situation as I went down the canal bank, came up by a little sunken park by Harris Street, came around to Smith’s street and turned the corner. As I turned the corner I had an overbearing feeling that lasted a good minute or two confirming to me that the Lord was hearing our petitions. We all had been praying fervently and pleading with the Lord about Karen. He reassured me that He was hearing our pleading. He didn’t give me any end to it, like Karen is going to be able to come through it. I was stopped short. I stood - whatever Thy will is, we will adhere to it and take it as well as we can. We were not imposing upon Him, or whining to Him for something that was not in the picture. I was satisfied at that time, that we just push forward and do all we can, that the Lord would have it come out according to His outcome.
LaVon and I came up early. We were trying to come for Memorial Day, but we got a call from Eric and he said, “Karen has had internal bleeding problems and they have got to go back in and take care of that.” He was in a dilemma. He was ready to fly. He had not been flying. He had been up there taking care of the situation with Karen. We called him back and said “Mother and I will pack up and come to Salt Lake. Don’t worry about it.” I came up. Mark was relieved. I think he had been doing all he could to help her. I started staying at the hospital anywhere from 8-10 hours per day. I gave Karen a number of blessings. Toward the end, one of the blessings I gave her - I had not thought about it or pre-thought about it, but it just came out - she would be blessed with a clear perception of everything that happened to her to the end. To see her in the condition she was in . . . . Actually, the doctors and nurses were amazed at how clear Karen stayed right to the end, in her mind, and was able to communicate with them except for just a day or two. That was a great blessing to her. Then, she came back from a walk down the hall and said, “Dad, everything was gray. I couldn’t see anything. There was a gray cast on everything.” The next day, she came back and said, “I couldn’t even see the lights in the hall.” I said, “Well Karen, I’ll give you a blessing and the Lord will take care of it.” We didn’t know what was happening. Finally, we got an ophthalmologist in and said, “There is no internal bleeding in the eye socket or anything like that.” What it was, was a devastating situation that affected her optic nerve and she lost her sight. She never really complained about that. She accepted it.
One day she said, “Dad, if I could go to the other side today, I would be most happy.” She kept repeating that she felt it was her time and she would be happy to go. She was not happy to leave her children, husband and all of this, but she knew it was inevitable that she would pass through the veil at this time. It has been a great comfort to me to have been close to her and be able to rub her feet, hands, neck and back, whatever I could do to help her. We have had such tremendous response from the family. I cannot tell you the sacrifices Mark and Kim have made. Bruce became known as ‘Nurse Bruce.’ I don’t know if I could count, but I am sure he was there 10 nights in a row with no respite. He just came every night. He prayed that he could do that and again came. Everyone in our family has been so tremendous. I don’t know how to thank all of them for what they have done.
I want to leave Karen’s life and study it. Study it! Pattern your life after it. When you are sealed in the temple when you are married, all of us have been sealed, that is the protection in this life from the wiles of Satan. Keep your covenants. We are a covenant people. We are through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and through Joseph that was sold into Egypt, through Ephraim that has the responsibility now of teaching the children of the Lord the Gospel here upon the earth. Live the commandments accurately. You cannot compromise the commandments. The Lord knows what is best for you and what will bring you happiness and joy in your life. If you don’t live them, you will suffer the consequences. We have the promise to us that if we keep our covenants, all our children will eventually come to us, but if they don’t live properly, they will have to go through a state of repentance, placing themselves back in a position where they will be given happiness. We are praying that they will all stay true. The Lord has prepared blessings for us. They are there awaiting us and we just need to follow Karen’s life, my wife’s life, Eric’s life, and pick out whoever you want to add to them as they are all wonderful people, and you will be blessed greatly.
I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I want to mention in Malachi, he predicted that Elijah the prophet would come and turn the hearts of the fathers to their children - think about this - and then the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest a curse would come upon the earth and that would he a problem. What he was talking about was that Elijah would come to restore the keys of sealing in the temple of the Lord where you would be sealed for time and all eternity.
LaVon and I never thought of being married anywhere else but the temple following the pattern of my mother and father, my grandfathers and grandmothers, LaVon’s mother and father, and her grandfathers and grandmothers who were strong individuals. They were some of the strongest individuals to grace the earth. They knew the Gospel Plan. They knew what the prophets were talking about concerning the pre-mortal existence and these things were taught indelibly on our children’s minds because LaVon never left the house, except to do Church work, Primary work or whatever she was assigned to do. Her main thing was to focus upon those children from the time they came at birth. I have to say that we are proud of our children. We have seven of them. They are all still faithful in the Gospel, love the Gospel and they are all Republicans, so what more could you ask?
We pray about our grandchildren, focus upon their lives and pray that they will follow our example, the example of their parents and the example of Karen. Karen prayed for a spouse. We had her in a guest area in our home and she was having a very difficult time. She had a neuropathy that was affecting her stomach. She couldn’t take anything down without a problem and she was down to 98 pounds or less - maybe 89. She was very thin and everyone thought she would not live. We had people in our ward who later said, “People say there are no miracles now days, but we say there is a miracle. It is Karen Finlinson.” I think at that time, I was probably the only person who knew she was going to live. I don’t think LaVon thought she would live. The reason I did was because the Lord revealed it to me. I kept working and working, seeking and seeking for things I could do for her. It was a blender. I would feed her out of a blender, sneaking things in that she did not know were in there. As soon as we got on to the idea that we had to do, she started gaining weight and came back with a vengeance. We were blessed.
I think of Karen when I read the 8th chapter of Proverbs 22-23: The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
Even before the earth was, we were with our Father in Heaven in a family in the pre-mortal existence. It goes on and tells when there were no depths brought forth and continues to talk about before the 25-31. . . “hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
I think of Karen rejoicing daily before our Father in Heaven. She rejoiced daily before us. She came into the world on her tip toes. She was dancing around like Diane referenced and she made everybody happy. I remember she went on a field trip with her Kindergarten to the Phoenix Zoo. When she came back, I put her on my lap in the office. She didn’t know that I had a tape recorder on and interviewed her about her trip to the Zoo. We had so much fun and she giggled, laughed, jumped and had such a good time during that interview. I would say, “What did you see?” “Oh, we saw some monkeys.” “What did they do?” “(Sound and example.)” “Are you a monkey?” “Oh no!” She just giggled and had a good time. That showed how bubbly she was in her youth.
I am talking to mainly our grandchildren and others who are here who are starting to mold their lives, looking to what the future might be. Take someone out. If it can’t be your parents then find someone else and model for them. Karen was a model. She prayed to find her husband. She got one out of the sky. (Laughter) . . . come by and pick up Karen with all her baggage and . . . . It happens! It’s a miracle. Eric came all the way from Little Rock to propose to Karen. He did it on a train in a park down in the center of Mesa, kind of a romantic thing to hang on that old train. They came home and LaVon and I were in the office quite late at night. She opened up the door and she said, “We’re going to be married.” We were thrilled to death and called all of our kids that night. Some of them had to wake up to tell them that Karen and Eric were going to be married. From that time on, we tried to help Karen get her things in order. Remember, she was on dialyses three times a week and we took her out and brought her back. She said, “I come out of dialyses and I feel like crap for two days, start feeling good and then I have to go back and it hits me.” She didn’t like it at all. Eric didn’t like it. I think it was a thing of joy when David finally came down with a beautiful kidney to give her.
I don’t have time to go over all the wonderful things that have come to be in attending to Karen in her life. LaVon did all she could, but she was beset with arthritis when she was 30 years old. She was struggling with her own situation and it was deteriorating. She was having problems. Someone could walk next to Karen and her problems and the things we were helping her through.
I wanted to tell you a couple of things. I have always been restored by the light. I am a believer in letting your heart be drawn out to your Father in Heaven. You don’t just say prayers kneeling down. It is not a position of the body. It is talking to your Father in Heaven. You can do it any time and under any condition. You say, “Father, this is what I want to talk to you about.” Talk to Him just like you would talk to your own father. Often, you will have answers before you have finished your prayer and some of them will be so solid and a bit scary as to whether you even want to push that far or not, but you will be able to be blessed immediately on petitioning your Father in Heaven for many things. I made it a habit while I was attending Karen and evening came . . . .help her with prayer and so forth. I always gave her a blessing. Some people say, “Oh, you don’t give priesthood blessings. You give one for one illness and so on.” I said, “You give priesthood blessings every time you are impressed to do it.” It can be every day if it is needed or twice a day. I feel like He will sustain our blessings and on her faith and save her in the Plan of Salvation. She had a very strong faith wrought out of her challenges and the things she had been taught.
She comes from a royal lineage, even if you wanted to talk about the people in early pioneer days. We talk about Edward Partridge, Lydia Partridge, John Smith and by the way my fellow Patriarch from Mesa Central Stake is here. He is my cousin Smith. He goes back through Silas and I go back through John, who were brothers. We talk about Amasa Lyman and the wonderful things he was able to do and how faithful her was in the Church. The crowning blessing was that we went back to Little Rock, Arkansas and started fishing around in the genealogy and saw Thomas Callister. That is my great grandfather. He comes through Thomas Callister and I come through the Smith line. He had more than one wife. I come through the Smith line and Eric comes through the Helen R. Clark line. We have a real interesting thing about that. When Tom Callister married Caroline Smith, who was my great grandmother, she had been hit by lightning in her youth and was crippled. She did all the sewing, skinning, mending of clothes and was an expert in all those things. John Smith who was my great, great grandfather came to Thomas Callister and said, “Now Brother Callister, when you marry your next wife, you need to marry someone who is strong and can do the heavy work.” In a very short time, he married Helen R. Clark and she proved herself to be strong as she had twelve children. She literally did. I have letters from my grandmother telling about Helen R. Clark and how hard she worked and what she did to help the family. We are related and come through this wonderful line.
I wanted to mention to you that when Eric and Karen announced their marriage, I immediately kicked into gear to try to help Karen clean out her room, get rid of some magazines and do whatever she wanted to do, get her laundry ready. I am a journal keeper and went back to read what happened every day to our family. Some of them I don’t want to read. I wanted to make reference here. I was in the laundry room doing some of Karen’s laundry, getting ready to fold it up. I was folding laundry while looking out the window and thinking. I wrote, “I was folding clothes in the laundry room, thinking of her and some thoughts of the possibilities of giving her a blessing before she leaves our home.” Sometimes before I give a Patriarchal Blessing, I just lay back in a chair and think of the person and start giving them a blessing. Sometimes, the things I do are impressed on my mind and they come out in blessings, sometimes given and sometimes not. I had that practice of doing that sometimes when I give a blessing.
I was in “the laundry room, thinking of her and some thoughts of the possibilities of giving her a blessing before she leaves our home. I thought, I bless you, Karen, (and it came to my mind) and reassure you that your calling and election is made sure. This is very strong, but the same reassuring spirit came upon me. I could hardly contain my emotions for a while. Dr. Woolf, who is the doctor who restored her eyesight, came by to pick up something from Karen and I accompanied him to his car and the same reassurance came to me by a familiar electrical feeling down my spine. I wept some and prayed to the Lord if I should divulge this.”
I have not divulged this to almost anyone, but feel it is appropriate today. You can go home and cross reference your scriptures and say the Lord is not going to give someone a blessing like that just in a moment.
“I do not know if it will be given to Karen in a blessing or if it was just for my edification as her father. I will await the feelings that will come to me. Karen has endured her afflictions with patience. The Lord says, ‘Ye shall be exalted’ if you endure your afflictions with patience.”
I put a little star here and was thinking back on something that happened to me two or three weeks previous. On February 25th at Richard Williams farewell. I had an experience I had to write down. “As the meeting began, Gary brought Karen in and sat her down on the front row by me.” At the time, Karen was completely blind. Her hemorrhaging in her eyes had caused the sockets to fill up with blood, which were drained and then . . . .put in and she could see. That is not unusual, particularly when you are on dialysis. I had a special feeling as I sat through the meeting. “Much flooded into my mind concerning all Karen had co gracefully endured in her years. The closing song was sung.” I cannot remember the name of the song. It is one we called committee songs that were new and we didn’t think it was very nice that I couldn’t remember it. “I was impressed by the spirit that we had been attending a royal person through her sojourn upon the earth.” This was really something to me. “I was again overcome by the spirit that confirmed this.” Whenever I have something come to me from the Lord, I ask for a confirmation because sometimes it can play games with me, but if I get a confirmation then I’m okay. The confirmation came and the impression was that I was placed in close proximity to Karen to attend her. I have the same feeling about my wife. I even hesitate to write such impressions for they are to tender and private. I wanted to share this with you as one of the many things that had come to me.
I want to say one more thing. I know we are going over in time. I was out walking one day - I walk 45 minutes to an hour, three times each week - and Mark called on the cell phone. He was telling me distraught he was that Karen had gone through a 12-13 hour operation and she looked really bad. He didn’t tell me that day, but later told me he didn’t think she would make it. I was pondering on Karen’s situation as I went down the canal bank, came up by a little sunken park by Harris Street, came around to Smith’s street and turned the corner. As I turned the corner I had an overbearing feeling that lasted a good minute or two confirming to me that the Lord was hearing our petitions. We all had been praying fervently and pleading with the Lord about Karen. He reassured me that He was hearing our pleading. He didn’t give me any end to it, like Karen is going to be able to come through it. I was stopped short. I stood - whatever Thy will is, we will adhere to it and take it as well as we can. We were not imposing upon Him, or whining to Him for something that was not in the picture. I was satisfied at that time, that we just push forward and do all we can, that the Lord would have it come out according to His outcome.
LaVon and I came up early. We were trying to come for Memorial Day, but we got a call from Eric and he said, “Karen has had internal bleeding problems and they have got to go back in and take care of that.” He was in a dilemma. He was ready to fly. He had not been flying. He had been up there taking care of the situation with Karen. We called him back and said “Mother and I will pack up and come to Salt Lake. Don’t worry about it.” I came up. Mark was relieved. I think he had been doing all he could to help her. I started staying at the hospital anywhere from 8-10 hours per day. I gave Karen a number of blessings. Toward the end, one of the blessings I gave her - I had not thought about it or pre-thought about it, but it just came out - she would be blessed with a clear perception of everything that happened to her to the end. To see her in the condition she was in . . . . Actually, the doctors and nurses were amazed at how clear Karen stayed right to the end, in her mind, and was able to communicate with them except for just a day or two. That was a great blessing to her. Then, she came back from a walk down the hall and said, “Dad, everything was gray. I couldn’t see anything. There was a gray cast on everything.” The next day, she came back and said, “I couldn’t even see the lights in the hall.” I said, “Well Karen, I’ll give you a blessing and the Lord will take care of it.” We didn’t know what was happening. Finally, we got an ophthalmologist in and said, “There is no internal bleeding in the eye socket or anything like that.” What it was, was a devastating situation that affected her optic nerve and she lost her sight. She never really complained about that. She accepted it.
One day she said, “Dad, if I could go to the other side today, I would be most happy.” She kept repeating that she felt it was her time and she would be happy to go. She was not happy to leave her children, husband and all of this, but she knew it was inevitable that she would pass through the veil at this time. It has been a great comfort to me to have been close to her and be able to rub her feet, hands, neck and back, whatever I could do to help her. We have had such tremendous response from the family. I cannot tell you the sacrifices Mark and Kim have made. Bruce became known as ‘Nurse Bruce.’ I don’t know if I could count, but I am sure he was there 10 nights in a row with no respite. He just came every night. He prayed that he could do that and again came. Everyone in our family has been so tremendous. I don’t know how to thank all of them for what they have done.
I want to leave Karen’s life and study it. Study it! Pattern your life after it. When you are sealed in the temple when you are married, all of us have been sealed, that is the protection in this life from the wiles of Satan. Keep your covenants. We are a covenant people. We are through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and through Joseph that was sold into Egypt, through Ephraim that has the responsibility now of teaching the children of the Lord the Gospel here upon the earth. Live the commandments accurately. You cannot compromise the commandments. The Lord knows what is best for you and what will bring you happiness and joy in your life. If you don’t live them, you will suffer the consequences. We have the promise to us that if we keep our covenants, all our children will eventually come to us, but if they don’t live properly, they will have to go through a state of repentance, placing themselves back in a position where they will be given happiness. We are praying that they will all stay true. The Lord has prepared blessings for us. They are there awaiting us and we just need to follow Karen’s life, my wife’s life, Eric’s life, and pick out whoever you want to add to them as they are all wonderful people, and you will be blessed greatly.
I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Funeral Remarks - Eric Savage, Husband
Brigg couldn’t get up and I’m not sure I’ll be able to do this. What Diane failed to mention is her love of paint samples and collecting the fabric for . . . and me, either painting something or helping her with her projects. It was a pleasure to do that.
I thought I worked it out and would try to say a few words about my beloved wife, Karen. I really appreciate her father. He thought it would be interesting for me to talk about our courtship. We only dated three or four times formally. It was kind of odd. I was in the Air Force assignment, finishing pilot training when we actually started dating. I had orders to go to Iran and I was leaving, so Karen came along. We went out a few times. As a matter of fact, she asked me out and I knew I was leaving and I didn’t know where I was going to leave ‘to.’ Diane mentioned that her eyesight failed. After I left, I used to joke with her that she really married me because she couldn’t see me. At the time her kidneys were failing and she was preparing for her dialysis, she had a shunt in her arm and it used to drive me crazy. Every time she put her arm around my head or I leaned against her arm, that thing would go swoosh . . .
Karen’s light filled our home with laughter and joy. She was always making jokes and she thought I was funny. She would laugh at herself and help me to laugh at myself. Another example is, I used to tease her that the only reason she married me . . . .eyesight, what that I was the best guy to come along with the best health insurance. We stayed in contact after I moved. Thinking back now, I think she had some serious health problems with the dialysis and her sight. I don’t know why I never really worried about that. I never thought about it. Again, maybe it was because I didn’t know where the relationship was going, but I knew I didn’t want to loose her and that I wanted to stay close to her. I have a note here that says, . . .the Lord guides you and inspires you to make the right decisions.
The best decision I ever made was to ask Karen to marry me. I went back on a three day weekend and we were probably on our fourth date - I don’t know - we had called and written letters. She would ask her friends to read the letters to her because she couldn’t see them and I know she wouldn’t ask her parents to read them. She did finally break down and help her father to realize . . . We stayed in contact. Anyway, I asked her to marry me on this date and I did not expect to. The words just came out and she said ‘yes.’ . . .strange enough. I knew it was right. Like I said, it was the best thing I had ever done. For Karen, it wasn’t the same. We hadn’t dated and hadn’t gotten to know each other that well. It was a long distance relationship and she really took it on, but she knew a long time before I did - through the spirit - that we were going to get married. She held tight to that.
There were many health problems, although the first kidney transplant did give me . . .as the first of four for seven months. Dave called up and said “I’m ready to donate my kidney to you.” He was in school and decided the time was right and was a good match for Karen. I tell you that it had to be the next day after David called that my squad commander called me into the office. Our whole squadron was deployed and a few of us were not. “All right, it’s your turn to go. You will be deploying in a week.” When I told him about Karen’s situation, I don’t think he believed me. He thought I was trying to get out of going. I did not have to go.
You have to consider how many surgeries, biopsies, how many things do people know you did in your lifetime. How many surgeries do you have? None? One? Karen had several. Every session was significantly different to her. I do want to say how well she handled every situation that came along, the job she faced.. She always put a happy appearance on herself. When you saw her out of the house you knew she was happy. She was very cheerful. Even when she was very sick, she would not let others know she was sick or tired. She would not complain publicly. Of course, she would complain to me. Most of us can’t know what she was experiencing. .......... She really, truly handled herself with grace and dignity.
Another joke we had, and some of you may understand this one, is after a while we got to the point where I would ask her how she was doing and she would say, “I’m not dead yet.” It was from a Monty Python movie and it went on and on. “How are you doing?” “I’m not dead yet.” It was hilarious, but it was just fun to hear her say that, “I’m not dead yet.” That was indicative of her positive attitude.
Karen was a friend to anyone. If you met her once, most people liked her. You became a friend, brother or sister to her. My sister Mary Ann once commented. We were over by my father’s house. Karen was talking to someone she never knew and Mary Ann was watching her reaction with this person. She turned to me and said, “Karen never meets anyone who is a stranger.” It was very true of Karen. She never did meet strangers. This really was her personality.
I realized a long time ago that Karen was very special. I wondered why a person like her would marry a person like me. I don’t know. I was very blessed. I have the feeling very often that the only thing that is special about me is Karen and our two boys. They have been the greatest blessing in our lives.
Karen also had a strong and deep faith in Jesus Christ. She would call down the blessings of heaven for herself and for our family.
I was doing my Reserve Duty in Dover and I walked into an old friend of mine who was an LDS friend in the squadron and there are not many LDS friends in the squadron generally. The ones there are, are very good friends indeed as attested to similar ones that were mentioned already. I walked up to him and said, . . . . . He said, “Why did the Lord bless you? Why did they hire you?” I said, “The Lord did not bless me, he blessed Karen.”
With Karen, you always expect a miracle. You always would expect that the Lord would come and bless her and it would happen. I called one of her long time doctors who lived in Mesa, Dr. Moore, and talked to him about Karen’s situation and her passing. He said, “I was treating Karen for 20 years off and on. It is a miracle that she has lasted this long.” The Lord has truly blessed her.
Now that Karen is gone, there are miracles that we see in her life. Perhaps the blessings we counted on will no longer be there right away. I know Karen is in heaven watching over us, myself and our two boys. I know she will have access to the Lord and to plead to Him. Karen had a knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . . . .souls and had an enduring testimony of eternal marriage.
Karen was someone who would really wanted to be a better person. She never feared death. I think she faced it so long that it had no fear for her. She looked at death as the next step. I am often reminded of that as I read in the Book of Mormon in Jacob where he says in chapter 7:26
“. . .the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days.”
As I contemplate that scripture, I get the distinct feeling that Jacob was not only talking about his people specifically, but I think he was talking about our sojourn here on the earth generally. I feel like that very often we feel like wanders here and heaven is our home with our Father in Heaven and our family members.
I would like to thank you all for coming. It is a great source of strength to all of us. I have such love and appreciation for the short time we had. June 9th will be our wedding anniversary. The time has gone by quickly but I cherish those memories I have with my good wife Karen and know that we will see each other again. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I thought I worked it out and would try to say a few words about my beloved wife, Karen. I really appreciate her father. He thought it would be interesting for me to talk about our courtship. We only dated three or four times formally. It was kind of odd. I was in the Air Force assignment, finishing pilot training when we actually started dating. I had orders to go to Iran and I was leaving, so Karen came along. We went out a few times. As a matter of fact, she asked me out and I knew I was leaving and I didn’t know where I was going to leave ‘to.’ Diane mentioned that her eyesight failed. After I left, I used to joke with her that she really married me because she couldn’t see me. At the time her kidneys were failing and she was preparing for her dialysis, she had a shunt in her arm and it used to drive me crazy. Every time she put her arm around my head or I leaned against her arm, that thing would go swoosh . . .
Karen’s light filled our home with laughter and joy. She was always making jokes and she thought I was funny. She would laugh at herself and help me to laugh at myself. Another example is, I used to tease her that the only reason she married me . . . .eyesight, what that I was the best guy to come along with the best health insurance. We stayed in contact after I moved. Thinking back now, I think she had some serious health problems with the dialysis and her sight. I don’t know why I never really worried about that. I never thought about it. Again, maybe it was because I didn’t know where the relationship was going, but I knew I didn’t want to loose her and that I wanted to stay close to her. I have a note here that says, . . .the Lord guides you and inspires you to make the right decisions.
The best decision I ever made was to ask Karen to marry me. I went back on a three day weekend and we were probably on our fourth date - I don’t know - we had called and written letters. She would ask her friends to read the letters to her because she couldn’t see them and I know she wouldn’t ask her parents to read them. She did finally break down and help her father to realize . . . We stayed in contact. Anyway, I asked her to marry me on this date and I did not expect to. The words just came out and she said ‘yes.’ . . .strange enough. I knew it was right. Like I said, it was the best thing I had ever done. For Karen, it wasn’t the same. We hadn’t dated and hadn’t gotten to know each other that well. It was a long distance relationship and she really took it on, but she knew a long time before I did - through the spirit - that we were going to get married. She held tight to that.
There were many health problems, although the first kidney transplant did give me . . .as the first of four for seven months. Dave called up and said “I’m ready to donate my kidney to you.” He was in school and decided the time was right and was a good match for Karen. I tell you that it had to be the next day after David called that my squad commander called me into the office. Our whole squadron was deployed and a few of us were not. “All right, it’s your turn to go. You will be deploying in a week.” When I told him about Karen’s situation, I don’t think he believed me. He thought I was trying to get out of going. I did not have to go.
You have to consider how many surgeries, biopsies, how many things do people know you did in your lifetime. How many surgeries do you have? None? One? Karen had several. Every session was significantly different to her. I do want to say how well she handled every situation that came along, the job she faced.. She always put a happy appearance on herself. When you saw her out of the house you knew she was happy. She was very cheerful. Even when she was very sick, she would not let others know she was sick or tired. She would not complain publicly. Of course, she would complain to me. Most of us can’t know what she was experiencing. .......... She really, truly handled herself with grace and dignity.
Another joke we had, and some of you may understand this one, is after a while we got to the point where I would ask her how she was doing and she would say, “I’m not dead yet.” It was from a Monty Python movie and it went on and on. “How are you doing?” “I’m not dead yet.” It was hilarious, but it was just fun to hear her say that, “I’m not dead yet.” That was indicative of her positive attitude.
Karen was a friend to anyone. If you met her once, most people liked her. You became a friend, brother or sister to her. My sister Mary Ann once commented. We were over by my father’s house. Karen was talking to someone she never knew and Mary Ann was watching her reaction with this person. She turned to me and said, “Karen never meets anyone who is a stranger.” It was very true of Karen. She never did meet strangers. This really was her personality.
I realized a long time ago that Karen was very special. I wondered why a person like her would marry a person like me. I don’t know. I was very blessed. I have the feeling very often that the only thing that is special about me is Karen and our two boys. They have been the greatest blessing in our lives.
Karen also had a strong and deep faith in Jesus Christ. She would call down the blessings of heaven for herself and for our family.
I was doing my Reserve Duty in Dover and I walked into an old friend of mine who was an LDS friend in the squadron and there are not many LDS friends in the squadron generally. The ones there are, are very good friends indeed as attested to similar ones that were mentioned already. I walked up to him and said, . . . . . He said, “Why did the Lord bless you? Why did they hire you?” I said, “The Lord did not bless me, he blessed Karen.”
With Karen, you always expect a miracle. You always would expect that the Lord would come and bless her and it would happen. I called one of her long time doctors who lived in Mesa, Dr. Moore, and talked to him about Karen’s situation and her passing. He said, “I was treating Karen for 20 years off and on. It is a miracle that she has lasted this long.” The Lord has truly blessed her.
Now that Karen is gone, there are miracles that we see in her life. Perhaps the blessings we counted on will no longer be there right away. I know Karen is in heaven watching over us, myself and our two boys. I know she will have access to the Lord and to plead to Him. Karen had a knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . . . .souls and had an enduring testimony of eternal marriage.
Karen was someone who would really wanted to be a better person. She never feared death. I think she faced it so long that it had no fear for her. She looked at death as the next step. I am often reminded of that as I read in the Book of Mormon in Jacob where he says in chapter 7:26
“. . .the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days.”
As I contemplate that scripture, I get the distinct feeling that Jacob was not only talking about his people specifically, but I think he was talking about our sojourn here on the earth generally. I feel like that very often we feel like wanders here and heaven is our home with our Father in Heaven and our family members.
I would like to thank you all for coming. It is a great source of strength to all of us. I have such love and appreciation for the short time we had. June 9th will be our wedding anniversary. The time has gone by quickly but I cherish those memories I have with my good wife Karen and know that we will see each other again. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Opening Prayer at Funeral: Tom Miller, Brother-in-law
Our dear Father in Heaven, we come before Thee this beautiful day as family and friends to celebrate the life of our dear sister Karen. We are so thankful for her, her mind and . . . . Father, we are thankful for the many blessings she brought into our lives. We are thankful for all the joy she has brought to us. We are thankful for the family that is gathered to love and support her . . . . . We ask for a special blessing to be with Eric, to bless and support him, and Blake and Brigg, to keep, support and comfort them at this time. Please bless them to know they are loved and looked after by more than just family and friends. Through their eternal perspective, we pray that Thou mayest bless and keep them. Father, we are grateful for all of our blessings. We thank Thee and acknowledge Thy hand in all and say these things in the name of Thy son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Family Prayer: Richard L. Finlinson, Father
Family Prayer: Richard L. Finlinson, Father
Our Father in Heaven, we meet here together as a family to honor Karen Finlinson Savage, her life and the things she has contributed to all of us and those she has come to know. We are grateful that she was accepted into the spirit world, that she has been relieved of many of the problems and concerns that have beset her throughout her life. We are grateful that she has left a wonderful legacy here with both friendships and with her family. She has been diligent in teaching her boys who, in our estimation, have been great blessings to her, for she was advised not to have children. We are grateful that Thou hast given her this privilege. We are grateful for her husband Eric and all he has taken upon himself as a burden to help her throughout her time with him. We know that he has been greatly blessed, and all of us have been blessed to assist her and help her through her time in this life. We are so thankful that she is relieved of the burdens that she has had here and know that she was welcomed by those on the other side who are taking her into their care and keeping, helping her to enjoy the future of her life that she has so valiantly earned. We pray that we here will benefit from her life and from the example she has set. She has been accurate in living the commandments and has done those things that are important to her eternal salvation. We ask Thee to bless her boys that they will be sustained by all of us and helped to continue their lives in the wonderful manner they have done to this point. They are outstanding young men and have much ahead of them to accomplish. We look forward to seeing them develop and grow into manhood. We again thank Thee for Karen’s life with us, for our ability to help her on occasions when she has needed it, for her pleasant and positive attitude she has had in enduring those things placed upon her. Her life has been a joyous life and we thank Thee for this, and say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Our Father in Heaven, we meet here together as a family to honor Karen Finlinson Savage, her life and the things she has contributed to all of us and those she has come to know. We are grateful that she was accepted into the spirit world, that she has been relieved of many of the problems and concerns that have beset her throughout her life. We are grateful that she has left a wonderful legacy here with both friendships and with her family. She has been diligent in teaching her boys who, in our estimation, have been great blessings to her, for she was advised not to have children. We are grateful that Thou hast given her this privilege. We are grateful for her husband Eric and all he has taken upon himself as a burden to help her throughout her time with him. We know that he has been greatly blessed, and all of us have been blessed to assist her and help her through her time in this life. We are so thankful that she is relieved of the burdens that she has had here and know that she was welcomed by those on the other side who are taking her into their care and keeping, helping her to enjoy the future of her life that she has so valiantly earned. We pray that we here will benefit from her life and from the example she has set. She has been accurate in living the commandments and has done those things that are important to her eternal salvation. We ask Thee to bless her boys that they will be sustained by all of us and helped to continue their lives in the wonderful manner they have done to this point. They are outstanding young men and have much ahead of them to accomplish. We look forward to seeing them develop and grow into manhood. We again thank Thee for Karen’s life with us, for our ability to help her on occasions when she has needed it, for her pleasant and positive attitude she has had in enduring those things placed upon her. Her life has been a joyous life and we thank Thee for this, and say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Karen's Memorial Service Program - Mesa, AZ
Karen Finlinson Savage
Born: July 18, 1962 - Died: June 11, 2006
Memorial Services
June 24th, 2006
Mesa Central Stake Center
Daughter of Richard L. Finlinson and
LaVon Williams Finlinson
Wife of Eric C. Savage
Sons: Blake E. Savage
Brigg C. Savage
Services
Conducting..................... Bishop Ezra T. Clark
Mesa Evergreen Ward
Prelude & Postlude Music........... Sherie Kent
Opening Hymn.................. #292 O My Father
Prayer............................................... Tom Miller
Life Sketch.................................... Diane Miller
Remarks................................... Bruce Finlinson
Remarks.................................... Mark Finlinson
Musical Number.......................... Brian Nissen
Be Still, My Soul
Remarks................................... Allen Finlinson
Remarks..................................... Gary Finlinson
Remarks.................................. David Finlinson
Remarks............................... Richard Finlinson
Closing Remarks........... Bishop Ezra T. Clark
Closing Hymn...... # 89 The Lord is My Light
Closing Prayer......................... Ward F. Savage
Born: July 18, 1962 - Died: June 11, 2006
Memorial Services
June 24th, 2006
Mesa Central Stake Center
Daughter of Richard L. Finlinson and
LaVon Williams Finlinson
Wife of Eric C. Savage
Sons: Blake E. Savage
Brigg C. Savage
Services
Conducting..................... Bishop Ezra T. Clark
Mesa Evergreen Ward
Prelude & Postlude Music........... Sherie Kent
Opening Hymn.................. #292 O My Father
Prayer............................................... Tom Miller
Life Sketch.................................... Diane Miller
Remarks................................... Bruce Finlinson
Remarks.................................... Mark Finlinson
Musical Number.......................... Brian Nissen
Be Still, My Soul
Remarks................................... Allen Finlinson
Remarks..................................... Gary Finlinson
Remarks.................................. David Finlinson
Remarks............................... Richard Finlinson
Closing Remarks........... Bishop Ezra T. Clark
Closing Hymn...... # 89 The Lord is My Light
Closing Prayer......................... Ward F. Savage
Mark Finlinson's Talk at Karen's Memorial Service in Mesa, AZ
Karen Finlinson Savage
By Mark Finlinson
June 24, 2006
Today I want to talk about the space in time when Karen left Arizona until her death. Because I live close to the hospital I had the privilege of being close to the activities surrounding the last two months of Karen’s life.
The question is: how do you define greatness? Greatness is not defined by the movie stars that attend your funeral or the flowers sent by celebrities.
But I saw greatness exhibited many times as Karen lay in her hospital bed. One such occasion was Eric returning to Karen’s beside after filling flight obligations. Upon his return Karen’s condition had worsened. As we entered the hospital late at night, there was uneasiness about what was happening. When Eric entered the darken room; it was as if Captain Moroni of old had entered to comfort the troops. Karen was immediately at peace. The staff had direction and the leader had returned. Eric rarely left her side. He would either sleep at the hospital or come home late into the night and leave early to go to the hospital. Karen loved having Eric by her side. Greatness was being defined.
I also saw greatness on Sunday June 4th in a quiet hospital room. On that day greatness was shown in many different ways. As Karen’s condition worsened she and Eric had conversations about what to do next. On that day the decision was made to take no extraordinary action to prolong her life. Karen’s request was that she exit this life with as much dignity as possible. She also requested that her boys be brought to her. Blake and I went and got Brigg out of Sacrament Meeting. Everyone could feel the importance of the day.
As the boys were brought into the room the tears could not be contained. At this point in time Karen had become blind and her eyes stared into space. As she lay in her bed she held the hands of the young boys that she had brought into the world and gave them their last instructions. She informed them that she would be leaving them soon and they needed to be strong. As the boys pleaded with her not to go she explained that she was going to be their Guardian Angel watching over them at all times. She told the boys she had taught them correct principles that they should follow through out their lives. Greatness was again being defined.
A short time later two elders from a neighboring ward came by unannounced and asked if we wanted the Sacrament. Those of us in the room felt like they were messengers sent from God. Because of Karen’s condition the sacrament could only be touched to her lips. As they stood around the hospital bed and spoke the words never again could the sacrament be the same…
O God the Eternal Father we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it. That they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them: that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
The angels were attending to Karen’s needs. Karen who has chosen the right her entire life was now being comforted. Royalty was being blessed because of a “Life well Lived”. The comforting Spirit was so strong the heavens were opened and the angels were present. Greatness had revealed itself again.
I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for the magnificent pouring out of the spirit that I witnessed. I felt the Lord was giving me a personal witness of how special my sister was. There was greatness in the hospital room when Eric took his Celestial mate and children that day and prepared Karen to meet her maker with dignity and grace.
Later that evening the Savages & Finlinsons assembled together as Eric’s father gave a prayer & Dad gave her a blessing. Dad, Eric or different family members would give her a blessing before leaving the hospital each night. But having all the family there on that Sunday night was a special spiritual experience. As I looked out the window at the Utah State Capital I was exhausted from the outpouring of the Spirit. I felt the angels were watching over my royal Sister as she prepared to enter the next level of her eternal progression.
I will be forever indebted to my little sister Karen for the great style, love and enthusiasm she brought into my life. It’s an honor to have associated with such Greatness.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
By Mark Finlinson
June 24, 2006
Today I want to talk about the space in time when Karen left Arizona until her death. Because I live close to the hospital I had the privilege of being close to the activities surrounding the last two months of Karen’s life.
The question is: how do you define greatness? Greatness is not defined by the movie stars that attend your funeral or the flowers sent by celebrities.
But I saw greatness exhibited many times as Karen lay in her hospital bed. One such occasion was Eric returning to Karen’s beside after filling flight obligations. Upon his return Karen’s condition had worsened. As we entered the hospital late at night, there was uneasiness about what was happening. When Eric entered the darken room; it was as if Captain Moroni of old had entered to comfort the troops. Karen was immediately at peace. The staff had direction and the leader had returned. Eric rarely left her side. He would either sleep at the hospital or come home late into the night and leave early to go to the hospital. Karen loved having Eric by her side. Greatness was being defined.
I also saw greatness on Sunday June 4th in a quiet hospital room. On that day greatness was shown in many different ways. As Karen’s condition worsened she and Eric had conversations about what to do next. On that day the decision was made to take no extraordinary action to prolong her life. Karen’s request was that she exit this life with as much dignity as possible. She also requested that her boys be brought to her. Blake and I went and got Brigg out of Sacrament Meeting. Everyone could feel the importance of the day.
As the boys were brought into the room the tears could not be contained. At this point in time Karen had become blind and her eyes stared into space. As she lay in her bed she held the hands of the young boys that she had brought into the world and gave them their last instructions. She informed them that she would be leaving them soon and they needed to be strong. As the boys pleaded with her not to go she explained that she was going to be their Guardian Angel watching over them at all times. She told the boys she had taught them correct principles that they should follow through out their lives. Greatness was again being defined.
A short time later two elders from a neighboring ward came by unannounced and asked if we wanted the Sacrament. Those of us in the room felt like they were messengers sent from God. Because of Karen’s condition the sacrament could only be touched to her lips. As they stood around the hospital bed and spoke the words never again could the sacrament be the same…
O God the Eternal Father we ask thee, in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it. That they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them: that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
The angels were attending to Karen’s needs. Karen who has chosen the right her entire life was now being comforted. Royalty was being blessed because of a “Life well Lived”. The comforting Spirit was so strong the heavens were opened and the angels were present. Greatness had revealed itself again.
I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for the magnificent pouring out of the spirit that I witnessed. I felt the Lord was giving me a personal witness of how special my sister was. There was greatness in the hospital room when Eric took his Celestial mate and children that day and prepared Karen to meet her maker with dignity and grace.
Later that evening the Savages & Finlinsons assembled together as Eric’s father gave a prayer & Dad gave her a blessing. Dad, Eric or different family members would give her a blessing before leaving the hospital each night. But having all the family there on that Sunday night was a special spiritual experience. As I looked out the window at the Utah State Capital I was exhausted from the outpouring of the Spirit. I felt the angels were watching over my royal Sister as she prepared to enter the next level of her eternal progression.
I will be forever indebted to my little sister Karen for the great style, love and enthusiasm she brought into my life. It’s an honor to have associated with such Greatness.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Memories of Karen by Lyric Boyle Hatch
Diane,
The following are some thoughts about Karen.....
Karen was very active in school. She was 9th grade Vice President. I remember in 9th grade she liked a boy, but when he tried to hold her hand she broke up with him.
In High School Karen was in the DECCA club. When we were going to Mountain View High School, students were allowed 10 unexcused absences with no questions asked, but on the 11th you would be automatically withdrawn from your class. So Karen and her friends would strategize on which classes they could miss to go on a donut run. Then we would go to Mortimer’s house for lunch. Note the use of “Mortimer” when referring to Lori Mortimer, because many of Karen’s friends were known simply by their last name. Karen was known by her high school friends as “Finn.”
Karen loved student council and school dances. She had a really cool dance step and that’s amazing for the 70's. We would watch her and try to copy her steps. We ended up calling the step right step left kick one foot forward as your arms hang at your sides and her shoulders sway, "The Finlinson Move."
She was so funny.
Karen always had the softest bed and she sewed beautifully. Karen had amazing style, was immaculate in her home and wardrobe.
Side note: As young adults Karen and I, would go to YA Sacrament meeting, but for Sunday School we would run to "Swenson's" on Main Street for french fries and ranch dressing. We would always head back in time for Relief Society, since we were the teachers.
I really miss her, and I have so much more I would like to write. Like the times we would go shopping even though she was really sick and had gone blind. We would throw her wheel chair in the back of my Datsun convertible and off we would go. One such time our "quest" was for a new pair of jeans. As I pushed her through the store she would reach out and feel the material on each of the pairs and pick several to try on. We would go in the dressing room and she would try each on and feel how they fit. She would ask with each pair, "are these cute, they feel cute, are they cuter than the last pair?" She was amazing with her great attitude during her illnesses.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I love you Diane.
Lyric
Memories of My Little Pincushion by Pam Hatch Kitchen
I have been thinking so much of Karen and wanted to write down some of my memories of her, in the hope that others might be able to catch a glimpse of the Karen Finlinson I knew.
I first met Karen when our family moved to Mesa in the summer of 1972. We moved onto Huber Street in the old 30th Ward and I thought I was in heaven--there were 9 girls my age! We were just starting 5th grade at Nathan Hale Elementary. Karen and Melenie Blackhurst, the cute girls in the cul-de-sac, seemed to be inseparable. Where one went, the other followed. The other girls were Lori Mortimer, Colleen Eagar, Colette Cox, Beverly Brown, Kimi Turley, Merilee Stott, and Me.
I remember Karen as being skinny, with gangly arms and legs, freckles and long straight brown hair. She usually had barrettes in her hair to keep it off her face. She had a constant goofy grin and was really fun to be around. I don’t remember when it started, but she called me Hami Patch instead of Pami Hatch. (This was started by Dennis Blackhurst, I think!) Even when we were 40, if she called and said “Is this Hami Patch?” I knew it was Karen. I called her “Fiddlesticks.”
There were bike rides, swim parties, Merry Miss activities, Daddy-Daughter dates, crocheting rugs, and sleepovers (sometimes on trampolines in the backyard). Karen always liked to be in on the center of the conversation and know what was going on with everyone--who liked whom and who said what about someone else. We were in the same sixth grade class (Mr. Smolkovich’s) and Karen made friends easily with everyone. She had close friends that were LDS as well as those of other religions.
When Karen was first diagnosed with diabetes, we (her friends) didn’t quite know how to handle it. We knew she was in the hospital and that she was learning how to do her injections by practicing on an orange. I think we made cards for her in Primary. I remember that Karen came to a sleepover for my birthday not long after, and she wasn’t able to give herself a shot. My dad ended up doing it for her. I couldn’t believe that Karen would have to something so scary for the rest of her life. We never treated Karen any differently or thought of her as being “sick.” She was just Karen—silly, bubbly Karen. I started calling her “My Little Pin Cushion” because of all her needle marks. She laughed each time I teased her and later signed my high school yearbook: “Love, Your Little Pin Cushion.”
I loved to visit Karen’s home, with all its comings and goings. I was the youngest and my house by contrast was pretty quiet! I remember feeling that Karen’s home was a place devoted to learning and family and togetherness and that everyone truly loved each other. And besides, she had lots of cute brothers!
Karen was very artistic and also particular about the way things were done!!! I had Home Economics with her in seventh grade, and in the fall, we had to make a poster for our cooking group that would be displayed the entire year in the Home Ec room. Apparently, my coloring skills were not up to par and Karen gave me a lecture on doing things right or not doing them at all. Poston Jr. High was brand new when we were in seventh grade. This was the year we all went boy crazy and went to our first dances. Karen was not afraid to get out there and dance (I was!).
We sang together in the girls’ chorus at Poston Jr. High and I remember one particular performance in Ninth Grade. Karen, Lyric Boyle, Barbie McDonald and I sang a quartet at a school assembly. The song was called “My Moustache” and it was barbershop harmony, meant to be sung by boys. “My moustache is growing, its genial warmth bestowing, and someday it will gladden every eye. For time will reveal it, I almost can feel it, its charm will be exquisite by and by….” We wore paper mustaches and straw bowler hats. We pulled it off and got lots of laughs.
In junior high and also in high school, Karen showed her innate sense of style. She could put an outfit together like no one else. I remember seeing Karen beside her sister Diane and thinking, those two could be in a magazine ad! And Mesa was not exactly a shopping Mecca back then!
Karen was one of the first of our crowd to start dating. I remember talking with her about her first date—I think it was to the Sadie Hawkins Dance (1978?). She planned out the dinner for several couples and had it at her home. Karen felt at ease around boys (probably because of all those brothers!) and always knew how to start a conversation, flirt, and sidle up next to them.
I loved Karen’s laugh. It was so dry, almost like a stand up comic telling a joke. She would poke you in the arm with her elbow when she shared that laugh. Kinda like, “Do ya get it??” She liked to hang on your arm or put her hand on your shoulder when she talked to you. I’m sure that everybody felt like her buddy, not just me.
I did not get to see Karen much my first year in Provo after high school. She came up to visit now and then, but we did spend one memorable summer up there together in 1982. She came over to my apartment often—her brother Gary was in my complex. We met a bunch of cute guys and started to hang around with them. One weekend, they asked us to go on an overnight waterskiing trip with them—scandalous! We went down to Yuba Lake and camped out on their boat, while the guys slept on the beach. They ended up playing a practical joke on us that involved a faked waterskiing fall and a packet of ketchup blood. I of course, fell for it and dove in to save the critically injured skier. When I looked back to the boat and saw Karen laughing uproariously, I knew I’d been had. What a fun memory!
Karen was there for my bridal shower, and brought of course, the most stylish gift--a decorative item for my kitchen. Not the most practical, but certainly the most stylish. It has been through 12 moves with me and I still treasure it to this day.
Since I moved back to Mesa in 2000, it was so great to just run into Karen, to meet her boys, to hear her opinions on anything and everything, to laugh about old times. There were times I worried I’d never see her again, then she’d surprise me and bounce back. I learned from my relationship with Karen not to put off getting together with old friends. Childhood friends make you feel young, just being around them. I hope Karen felt that way when we were together. But I think a part of her was always young and unafraid to be who she was, just herself. I loved her for that! I feel blessed to have known her. She’ll always be a part of me.
I first met Karen when our family moved to Mesa in the summer of 1972. We moved onto Huber Street in the old 30th Ward and I thought I was in heaven--there were 9 girls my age! We were just starting 5th grade at Nathan Hale Elementary. Karen and Melenie Blackhurst, the cute girls in the cul-de-sac, seemed to be inseparable. Where one went, the other followed. The other girls were Lori Mortimer, Colleen Eagar, Colette Cox, Beverly Brown, Kimi Turley, Merilee Stott, and Me.
I remember Karen as being skinny, with gangly arms and legs, freckles and long straight brown hair. She usually had barrettes in her hair to keep it off her face. She had a constant goofy grin and was really fun to be around. I don’t remember when it started, but she called me Hami Patch instead of Pami Hatch. (This was started by Dennis Blackhurst, I think!) Even when we were 40, if she called and said “Is this Hami Patch?” I knew it was Karen. I called her “Fiddlesticks.”
There were bike rides, swim parties, Merry Miss activities, Daddy-Daughter dates, crocheting rugs, and sleepovers (sometimes on trampolines in the backyard). Karen always liked to be in on the center of the conversation and know what was going on with everyone--who liked whom and who said what about someone else. We were in the same sixth grade class (Mr. Smolkovich’s) and Karen made friends easily with everyone. She had close friends that were LDS as well as those of other religions.
When Karen was first diagnosed with diabetes, we (her friends) didn’t quite know how to handle it. We knew she was in the hospital and that she was learning how to do her injections by practicing on an orange. I think we made cards for her in Primary. I remember that Karen came to a sleepover for my birthday not long after, and she wasn’t able to give herself a shot. My dad ended up doing it for her. I couldn’t believe that Karen would have to something so scary for the rest of her life. We never treated Karen any differently or thought of her as being “sick.” She was just Karen—silly, bubbly Karen. I started calling her “My Little Pin Cushion” because of all her needle marks. She laughed each time I teased her and later signed my high school yearbook: “Love, Your Little Pin Cushion.”
I loved to visit Karen’s home, with all its comings and goings. I was the youngest and my house by contrast was pretty quiet! I remember feeling that Karen’s home was a place devoted to learning and family and togetherness and that everyone truly loved each other. And besides, she had lots of cute brothers!
Karen was very artistic and also particular about the way things were done!!! I had Home Economics with her in seventh grade, and in the fall, we had to make a poster for our cooking group that would be displayed the entire year in the Home Ec room. Apparently, my coloring skills were not up to par and Karen gave me a lecture on doing things right or not doing them at all. Poston Jr. High was brand new when we were in seventh grade. This was the year we all went boy crazy and went to our first dances. Karen was not afraid to get out there and dance (I was!).
We sang together in the girls’ chorus at Poston Jr. High and I remember one particular performance in Ninth Grade. Karen, Lyric Boyle, Barbie McDonald and I sang a quartet at a school assembly. The song was called “My Moustache” and it was barbershop harmony, meant to be sung by boys. “My moustache is growing, its genial warmth bestowing, and someday it will gladden every eye. For time will reveal it, I almost can feel it, its charm will be exquisite by and by….” We wore paper mustaches and straw bowler hats. We pulled it off and got lots of laughs.
In junior high and also in high school, Karen showed her innate sense of style. She could put an outfit together like no one else. I remember seeing Karen beside her sister Diane and thinking, those two could be in a magazine ad! And Mesa was not exactly a shopping Mecca back then!
Karen was one of the first of our crowd to start dating. I remember talking with her about her first date—I think it was to the Sadie Hawkins Dance (1978?). She planned out the dinner for several couples and had it at her home. Karen felt at ease around boys (probably because of all those brothers!) and always knew how to start a conversation, flirt, and sidle up next to them.
I loved Karen’s laugh. It was so dry, almost like a stand up comic telling a joke. She would poke you in the arm with her elbow when she shared that laugh. Kinda like, “Do ya get it??” She liked to hang on your arm or put her hand on your shoulder when she talked to you. I’m sure that everybody felt like her buddy, not just me.
I did not get to see Karen much my first year in Provo after high school. She came up to visit now and then, but we did spend one memorable summer up there together in 1982. She came over to my apartment often—her brother Gary was in my complex. We met a bunch of cute guys and started to hang around with them. One weekend, they asked us to go on an overnight waterskiing trip with them—scandalous! We went down to Yuba Lake and camped out on their boat, while the guys slept on the beach. They ended up playing a practical joke on us that involved a faked waterskiing fall and a packet of ketchup blood. I of course, fell for it and dove in to save the critically injured skier. When I looked back to the boat and saw Karen laughing uproariously, I knew I’d been had. What a fun memory!
Karen was there for my bridal shower, and brought of course, the most stylish gift--a decorative item for my kitchen. Not the most practical, but certainly the most stylish. It has been through 12 moves with me and I still treasure it to this day.
Since I moved back to Mesa in 2000, it was so great to just run into Karen, to meet her boys, to hear her opinions on anything and everything, to laugh about old times. There were times I worried I’d never see her again, then she’d surprise me and bounce back. I learned from my relationship with Karen not to put off getting together with old friends. Childhood friends make you feel young, just being around them. I hope Karen felt that way when we were together. But I think a part of her was always young and unafraid to be who she was, just herself. I loved her for that! I feel blessed to have known her. She’ll always be a part of me.
Life Sketch given by Diane Miller at Funeral and Memorial Service
Karen was born July 18th, 1962 in Rupert, Idaho to Richard and LaVon Finlinson. She was the sixth child born in our family and the second girl. My mother had felt so close to her own sister that she kept trying to have another girl, so I could have that sister relationship. First was Bruce and I, then Mark, then Allen and Gary were born before Karen came to the family.
At the time, my parents had homesteaded a farm in Idaho, having moved an 800 square foot Army barrack to Idaho from Oak City, Utah to call home. The anticipation of a new baby, with 6 other people already living in the house, kicked off the building of an 800 square foot addition.
Being born on Primary day, Dad had called the church to let us know that we had a baby sister. Of course the ward was elated and gave my mother her first baby shower...giving Karen a wardrobe far superior than any of us other kids, I’m sure kicking off a love of clothes shopping for Karen.
In the summer of 1965, we made our way to Mesa, Arizona. Karen was 3 years old and we lived on East Downing, currently in Elmwood Ward.
Karen was always a ray of sunshine. As a very small child she would dance around laughing with a sparkle in her eye and a sense of humor to boot. She was completely delightful. She would not only dance on her toes, but walk on her toes. She loved being a part of things and right in the middle of the action. She was always moving, always busy doing something and very social.
It was easy for Karen to make friends as she was so fun loving and accepting of people. As a young girl she seemed to include everyone around her in playing and participating in her brand of fun.
Karen was 8 years younger than me and for many summers, I would sew Karen a variety of school clothes. It was important to me to make sure she dressed cute and had fun clothes. Later in her high school and college years, Karen loved to pour over fashion magazines and has always had a unique and great sense of style. Diabetic at 12
The summer of 1973 when my boyfriend at the time...now husband, Tom came to Arizona to meet the family, Karen and David were so excited for Tom to come. They stood down on the corner by the stop sign on Brown Rd and 24th Street, and waited to spot his yellow Super Beetle. When Tom showed up, Karen would plop herself down on his lap at every opportunity, throw her arm around his shoulder and talked away.
Karen was very active in school and extracurricular activities. She was 9th grade president. She had a close group of friends all through her junior high and high school years. They were highly spirited and just had a lot of fun together. I asked Lyric Hatch to relate some of her memories of those times. She said that Karen loved student council and school dances. She had a really cool dance step, which Lyric added...was amazing for the 70’s. We would watch her and try to copy her steps. We ended up calling the step, right step, left kick, one foot forward as your arms hang at your sides and her shoulders sway, ‘The Finlinson Move.” She was so funny.
During her 9th grade year, Lyric also recalled that Karen liked a boy, but when he tried to hold her hand she broke up with him.
Karen went to BYU living at Desert Towers,
Karen has had many real struggles throughout her life because of her health problems that have beset her. Her attitude during her health struggles are exemplified by this story from a friend. She would come and visit Karen on a regular basis at a very low time of Karen’s life. She was not able to see at this time. She would throw Karen’s wheelchair in the back of her Datsun convertible and take her for rides. She took Karen shopping on this particular occasion. As she pushed Karen through the stores, looking for a pair of new jeans, she would reach out and feel the material on each pair and picked several to try on. She would ask with each pair, are these cute, are they cuter than the last pair? She was truly amazing with her great attitude during her illnesses.
1989 – Gary and Karen met mom, dad and David in Europe. Eric and Karen met in the singles’ ward while Eric was in pilot training at Williams Air Force Base. She had been having health challenges and was on kidney dialysis and had lost a good share of her sight. After graduating from pilot training, Eric was stationed in Little Rock, AR and they carried on a long distance courtship. Mom and Dad would report that when Karen and Eric were on the phone, you could hear Karen’s laughter all over the house. But thanks to modern medicine, Karen was able to have an operation that returned her sight. Eric and Karen were married in the Mesa Temple on June 9, 1990 and planned their honeymoon destinations to be around a dialysis center every 3rd day. Karen joined Eric in Little Rock Arkansas where he flew C-130’s from that air base. In November of that year, our youngest brother David donated to her a kidney. She had the transplant here in Phoenix and family came together to support her through that milestone in her life. David was able to give her 13 years of superior kidney function and the opportunity to have two wonderful boys.
The doctors had told Karen to not consider children for at least several years, if at all. But Blake was born in Oct of 1992 on his Dad’s birthday. He was born right at the same time of Eric’s mother’s passing and I was able to go to Little Rock and bring Karen and Blake home from the hospital. She dug right in to the responsibilities of motherhood. She was so blessed to not have the complications that doctors had predicted and we all felt that Karen had received another miracle.
Two years later, in June of 1994, Brigg arrived. Another miracle was received. A doctor’s had tied Karen’s tubes and 4 months later, Karen was expecting! The Lord blessings once again flowed and Karen was under the careful prenatal care of Chad Lunt, a military doctor married to Karen’s dear friend and our next door neighbor growing up, Diana Hatfield.
What a blessing Karen’s military friends were. She had such a great support system wherever they went, Little Rock, San Antonio and Dover, Delaware. They made lifetime friendships that they will forever cherish. Karen’s life away from home was filled with laughter and close friendships, keeping close to dear friends by phone. (Cassie and Randy Synder and Lisa and Kevin Coburn, Brent and Kelly Stephensen)
Karen had always loved home décor, but it was in San Antonio that she was influenced by her trips to Fredricksburg...a mecca of home design right in the hill country of Texas. Her love of Shabby Chic, white slip-covered furniture, white walls, white furniture and white everything was born. She had always loved to pour over home magazines, collect fabric samples and was often known for bringing home the whole bolt if she liked it!
How she loved paint samples! If she drove by a door that she liked, she would stop to find out what color it was and even would get a sample of the paint if she could. Thank goodness if a person was willing to share the brand and name of the paint color they had used, because there was no rest until she found out what it was.
After San Antonio, Eric and Karen moved to Dover where Eric started flying C-5’s with the Air Force. Karen’s life was filled with trips to the Amish Market, the auction where her and her friends would buy furniture and other salvage yard finds. She was always helping her friends with decorating and upholstering tips and thrived on making her home a shabby chic showplace.
Eric started moving towards a career as an airline pilot and staying in the reserves. This made a move west possible and Arizona was the chosen destination. Being close to family and a support system was definitely the criteria. In 2000 Eric and Karen and the boys moved back to Arizona. We all felt fortunate that they could be so close and we could see each other daily. Our weeks have gone from one Sunday dinner to the next, planning whose house it’s at and who is bringing what!
Karen always had her thoughts and daily concerns about her health struggles, but as we all know, she was cheerful and able to face her obstacles with optimism. She was very aware of her mortality and would sometimes make comments that would surprise those that didn’t know her well. Through the years she had critical times when we were left wondering if her time was near. But time after time she rebounded and the Lord blessed her. All close to her knew that she had at least one, if not many, guardian angels and we all know that Karen has had more than 9 lives!
Karen had signs that her kidney was failing and began researching and looking at transplant options. She definitely found her home in Salt Lake with Dr. LeGrand Belnap and his transplant center. They made it personal and Dr. Belnap took a special interest in her. Eric was able to give her another kidney and she was listed for a pancreas transplant, which she was able to receive months later. For a year her pancreas functioned but she began noticing signs of that coming to an end. She accepted each transition and change in her life with such faith and an attitude of moving forward. When she got word 8 weeks ago that she was up for another transplant, she did comment that she had been doing so well and felt a bit unsure going into this transplant. But as we all know, Karen was not going to turn down a good transplant, with a perfect match! She had done so well in the past and we all had faith that the Lord was definitely in charge of her life.
She and Eric flew to Salt Lake where she began her last journey. Again, with Dr Belnap and a team of doctors that we had complete confidence in, they made every move possible to pull Karen through her many obstacles. The nursing staff at LDS Hospital loved and cared for her. They were all drawn to her and would mention how stoic she was through her trials. One nurse’s aid in particular, also from an earlier transplant, Christine, even extended that love beyond Karen and is now married to Marks’ son, Tyler. We thank her for all the tender care and attention she has given Karen in each of her hospital stays.
Being a seasoned patient, Karen knows so much about her own health and well being and she lets her wishes be known. Every attempt was made to ease her burden and make her comfortable. With her boys calling her the Queen of Comfort, no one takes for granted her need for down pillows, high thread counts, cashmere sweaters to keep her warm in bed, egg crates, soft blankets and lots of hand and foot massages. Our family feels eternally blessed to have had the opportunity to be at her bedside, to ease her burdens, comfort her spirit and participate in the feeding of our souls at her bedside. Karen had many hands involved in taking care of her..special mention ...Bruce. Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ are very aware of Karen. Their spirit has attended her and us. They have sent Heavenly messengers with priesthood authority to lay hands upon her head to comfort her and us. Karen did tell the doctors that she felt that this was her time and asked how she could go as gracefully as possible.
Blake and Brigg, as your mother told you, she will be your angel. You do have family here to love and take care of you and help you through your life journey, but your mother will be with you every day. To Eric, we will be eternally grateful to you for the love and tenderness you have given Karen. We pray for the Lord’s spirit to be with us all.
At the time, my parents had homesteaded a farm in Idaho, having moved an 800 square foot Army barrack to Idaho from Oak City, Utah to call home. The anticipation of a new baby, with 6 other people already living in the house, kicked off the building of an 800 square foot addition.
Being born on Primary day, Dad had called the church to let us know that we had a baby sister. Of course the ward was elated and gave my mother her first baby shower...giving Karen a wardrobe far superior than any of us other kids, I’m sure kicking off a love of clothes shopping for Karen.
In the summer of 1965, we made our way to Mesa, Arizona. Karen was 3 years old and we lived on East Downing, currently in Elmwood Ward.
Karen was always a ray of sunshine. As a very small child she would dance around laughing with a sparkle in her eye and a sense of humor to boot. She was completely delightful. She would not only dance on her toes, but walk on her toes. She loved being a part of things and right in the middle of the action. She was always moving, always busy doing something and very social.
It was easy for Karen to make friends as she was so fun loving and accepting of people. As a young girl she seemed to include everyone around her in playing and participating in her brand of fun.
Karen was 8 years younger than me and for many summers, I would sew Karen a variety of school clothes. It was important to me to make sure she dressed cute and had fun clothes. Later in her high school and college years, Karen loved to pour over fashion magazines and has always had a unique and great sense of style. Diabetic at 12
The summer of 1973 when my boyfriend at the time...now husband, Tom came to Arizona to meet the family, Karen and David were so excited for Tom to come. They stood down on the corner by the stop sign on Brown Rd and 24th Street, and waited to spot his yellow Super Beetle. When Tom showed up, Karen would plop herself down on his lap at every opportunity, throw her arm around his shoulder and talked away.
Karen was very active in school and extracurricular activities. She was 9th grade president. She had a close group of friends all through her junior high and high school years. They were highly spirited and just had a lot of fun together. I asked Lyric Hatch to relate some of her memories of those times. She said that Karen loved student council and school dances. She had a really cool dance step, which Lyric added...was amazing for the 70’s. We would watch her and try to copy her steps. We ended up calling the step, right step, left kick, one foot forward as your arms hang at your sides and her shoulders sway, ‘The Finlinson Move.” She was so funny.
During her 9th grade year, Lyric also recalled that Karen liked a boy, but when he tried to hold her hand she broke up with him.
Karen went to BYU living at Desert Towers,
Karen has had many real struggles throughout her life because of her health problems that have beset her. Her attitude during her health struggles are exemplified by this story from a friend. She would come and visit Karen on a regular basis at a very low time of Karen’s life. She was not able to see at this time. She would throw Karen’s wheelchair in the back of her Datsun convertible and take her for rides. She took Karen shopping on this particular occasion. As she pushed Karen through the stores, looking for a pair of new jeans, she would reach out and feel the material on each pair and picked several to try on. She would ask with each pair, are these cute, are they cuter than the last pair? She was truly amazing with her great attitude during her illnesses.
1989 – Gary and Karen met mom, dad and David in Europe. Eric and Karen met in the singles’ ward while Eric was in pilot training at Williams Air Force Base. She had been having health challenges and was on kidney dialysis and had lost a good share of her sight. After graduating from pilot training, Eric was stationed in Little Rock, AR and they carried on a long distance courtship. Mom and Dad would report that when Karen and Eric were on the phone, you could hear Karen’s laughter all over the house. But thanks to modern medicine, Karen was able to have an operation that returned her sight. Eric and Karen were married in the Mesa Temple on June 9, 1990 and planned their honeymoon destinations to be around a dialysis center every 3rd day. Karen joined Eric in Little Rock Arkansas where he flew C-130’s from that air base. In November of that year, our youngest brother David donated to her a kidney. She had the transplant here in Phoenix and family came together to support her through that milestone in her life. David was able to give her 13 years of superior kidney function and the opportunity to have two wonderful boys.
The doctors had told Karen to not consider children for at least several years, if at all. But Blake was born in Oct of 1992 on his Dad’s birthday. He was born right at the same time of Eric’s mother’s passing and I was able to go to Little Rock and bring Karen and Blake home from the hospital. She dug right in to the responsibilities of motherhood. She was so blessed to not have the complications that doctors had predicted and we all felt that Karen had received another miracle.
Two years later, in June of 1994, Brigg arrived. Another miracle was received. A doctor’s had tied Karen’s tubes and 4 months later, Karen was expecting! The Lord blessings once again flowed and Karen was under the careful prenatal care of Chad Lunt, a military doctor married to Karen’s dear friend and our next door neighbor growing up, Diana Hatfield.
What a blessing Karen’s military friends were. She had such a great support system wherever they went, Little Rock, San Antonio and Dover, Delaware. They made lifetime friendships that they will forever cherish. Karen’s life away from home was filled with laughter and close friendships, keeping close to dear friends by phone. (Cassie and Randy Synder and Lisa and Kevin Coburn, Brent and Kelly Stephensen)
Karen had always loved home décor, but it was in San Antonio that she was influenced by her trips to Fredricksburg...a mecca of home design right in the hill country of Texas. Her love of Shabby Chic, white slip-covered furniture, white walls, white furniture and white everything was born. She had always loved to pour over home magazines, collect fabric samples and was often known for bringing home the whole bolt if she liked it!
How she loved paint samples! If she drove by a door that she liked, she would stop to find out what color it was and even would get a sample of the paint if she could. Thank goodness if a person was willing to share the brand and name of the paint color they had used, because there was no rest until she found out what it was.
After San Antonio, Eric and Karen moved to Dover where Eric started flying C-5’s with the Air Force. Karen’s life was filled with trips to the Amish Market, the auction where her and her friends would buy furniture and other salvage yard finds. She was always helping her friends with decorating and upholstering tips and thrived on making her home a shabby chic showplace.
Eric started moving towards a career as an airline pilot and staying in the reserves. This made a move west possible and Arizona was the chosen destination. Being close to family and a support system was definitely the criteria. In 2000 Eric and Karen and the boys moved back to Arizona. We all felt fortunate that they could be so close and we could see each other daily. Our weeks have gone from one Sunday dinner to the next, planning whose house it’s at and who is bringing what!
Karen always had her thoughts and daily concerns about her health struggles, but as we all know, she was cheerful and able to face her obstacles with optimism. She was very aware of her mortality and would sometimes make comments that would surprise those that didn’t know her well. Through the years she had critical times when we were left wondering if her time was near. But time after time she rebounded and the Lord blessed her. All close to her knew that she had at least one, if not many, guardian angels and we all know that Karen has had more than 9 lives!
Karen had signs that her kidney was failing and began researching and looking at transplant options. She definitely found her home in Salt Lake with Dr. LeGrand Belnap and his transplant center. They made it personal and Dr. Belnap took a special interest in her. Eric was able to give her another kidney and she was listed for a pancreas transplant, which she was able to receive months later. For a year her pancreas functioned but she began noticing signs of that coming to an end. She accepted each transition and change in her life with such faith and an attitude of moving forward. When she got word 8 weeks ago that she was up for another transplant, she did comment that she had been doing so well and felt a bit unsure going into this transplant. But as we all know, Karen was not going to turn down a good transplant, with a perfect match! She had done so well in the past and we all had faith that the Lord was definitely in charge of her life.
She and Eric flew to Salt Lake where she began her last journey. Again, with Dr Belnap and a team of doctors that we had complete confidence in, they made every move possible to pull Karen through her many obstacles. The nursing staff at LDS Hospital loved and cared for her. They were all drawn to her and would mention how stoic she was through her trials. One nurse’s aid in particular, also from an earlier transplant, Christine, even extended that love beyond Karen and is now married to Marks’ son, Tyler. We thank her for all the tender care and attention she has given Karen in each of her hospital stays.
Being a seasoned patient, Karen knows so much about her own health and well being and she lets her wishes be known. Every attempt was made to ease her burden and make her comfortable. With her boys calling her the Queen of Comfort, no one takes for granted her need for down pillows, high thread counts, cashmere sweaters to keep her warm in bed, egg crates, soft blankets and lots of hand and foot massages. Our family feels eternally blessed to have had the opportunity to be at her bedside, to ease her burdens, comfort her spirit and participate in the feeding of our souls at her bedside. Karen had many hands involved in taking care of her..special mention ...Bruce. Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ are very aware of Karen. Their spirit has attended her and us. They have sent Heavenly messengers with priesthood authority to lay hands upon her head to comfort her and us. Karen did tell the doctors that she felt that this was her time and asked how she could go as gracefully as possible.
Blake and Brigg, as your mother told you, she will be your angel. You do have family here to love and take care of you and help you through your life journey, but your mother will be with you every day. To Eric, we will be eternally grateful to you for the love and tenderness you have given Karen. We pray for the Lord’s spirit to be with us all.
Karen's Obituary
Karen Finlinson Savage passed away June 11, 2006 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was loved and cherished by many and was a ray of sunshine in our lives. Even as a very small child, she would dance around like she was bursting with joy and happiness. She blessed us with her keen sense of humor and most often her words were mixed with laughter as she spoke.
With her enthusiasm for life and its many beauties, she offered no words of complaint through her years of diabetic health struggles. She loved the doctors and nurses who attended her throughout these trials. She has been, and always will be, an inspiration to us all.
Karen was born on July 18, 1962 in Rupert, Idaho, but grew up in Mesa, Arizona. She attended Mt. View High School, Brigham Young University and met her wonderful husband, Eric, while he was attending Air Force pilot training in Arizona. They were married on June 9, 1990 in the Arizona Temple for time and all eternity. They subsequently lived in Little Rock, AR, San Antonio, TX and Dover, DE, before moving back to Mesa in 2000. Each location brought friendship that they cherished and nourished throughout the years.
Eric and Karen were blessed with two sons, Blake (13) and Brigg (11). They have been the delight of Karen’s life; she has devoted herself to her boys, teaching them correct principles and giving them a sure foundation upon which to build their lives. Karen has blessed our world with laughter, creativity, love of family, loyalty, sociability, moral fiber and courage through trials. She had a unique sense of style, with a passion for decorating, home magazines, collecting fabric swatches, paint samples, and creating an ever-changing homescape, all with attention to detail. She had the ability to make friendships and foster joyful associations with all who crossed her path. We love her and will miss her everyday.
Her faith in her Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ was boundless. She trusted in their plan for her. She had a sure knowledge of life beyond the veil and families being eternal. She loved The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was always a defender of its truths.
Our family will be forever grateful to Eric for the years of devotion, love and tender care that he gave our beloved sister and daughter. He has let her soar. Through her last weeks of trial, we were blessed to participate in the tender spiritual times that supported Karen on her eternal journey.
She is survived by her loving husband, Eric Charles Savage and their two sons, Blake and Brigg; her parents, Richard and LaVon Finlinson, Mesa, AZ; her siblings, Bruce Finlinson, SLC, UT; Diane (Tom) Miller, Mesa, AZ; Mark (Kimi) Finlinson, SLC,UT; Allen (Breta) Finlinson, Orem, UT; Gary Finlinson, Mesa, AZ; David (Thelma) Finlinson, Sandy, UT; Father-in-law, Frank Savage and step mother-in-law, Beth Savage, Spanish Fork, UT; sisters and brother-in-law, David (Karen) Savage; Polly Savage, both of Westminster, CO; Mary Ann (Ron) Reid, American Fork, UT; Dianne (Jerry) Gowan, Lehi, UT; 40 nieces and nephews and 6 grand nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 11:00 am at the Federal Heights Ward, 1300 Fairfax Road (1340 East 300 North). A viewing will be held at the Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Wednesday, June 14, 2006 from 7-9 pm and at the ward chapel one hour prior to the service. Internment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
A memorial service will be held in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, June 24, 2006 at the Mesa Central Stake Center, 925 North Harris.
With her enthusiasm for life and its many beauties, she offered no words of complaint through her years of diabetic health struggles. She loved the doctors and nurses who attended her throughout these trials. She has been, and always will be, an inspiration to us all.
Karen was born on July 18, 1962 in Rupert, Idaho, but grew up in Mesa, Arizona. She attended Mt. View High School, Brigham Young University and met her wonderful husband, Eric, while he was attending Air Force pilot training in Arizona. They were married on June 9, 1990 in the Arizona Temple for time and all eternity. They subsequently lived in Little Rock, AR, San Antonio, TX and Dover, DE, before moving back to Mesa in 2000. Each location brought friendship that they cherished and nourished throughout the years.
Eric and Karen were blessed with two sons, Blake (13) and Brigg (11). They have been the delight of Karen’s life; she has devoted herself to her boys, teaching them correct principles and giving them a sure foundation upon which to build their lives. Karen has blessed our world with laughter, creativity, love of family, loyalty, sociability, moral fiber and courage through trials. She had a unique sense of style, with a passion for decorating, home magazines, collecting fabric swatches, paint samples, and creating an ever-changing homescape, all with attention to detail. She had the ability to make friendships and foster joyful associations with all who crossed her path. We love her and will miss her everyday.
Her faith in her Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ was boundless. She trusted in their plan for her. She had a sure knowledge of life beyond the veil and families being eternal. She loved The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was always a defender of its truths.
Our family will be forever grateful to Eric for the years of devotion, love and tender care that he gave our beloved sister and daughter. He has let her soar. Through her last weeks of trial, we were blessed to participate in the tender spiritual times that supported Karen on her eternal journey.
She is survived by her loving husband, Eric Charles Savage and their two sons, Blake and Brigg; her parents, Richard and LaVon Finlinson, Mesa, AZ; her siblings, Bruce Finlinson, SLC, UT; Diane (Tom) Miller, Mesa, AZ; Mark (Kimi) Finlinson, SLC,UT; Allen (Breta) Finlinson, Orem, UT; Gary Finlinson, Mesa, AZ; David (Thelma) Finlinson, Sandy, UT; Father-in-law, Frank Savage and step mother-in-law, Beth Savage, Spanish Fork, UT; sisters and brother-in-law, David (Karen) Savage; Polly Savage, both of Westminster, CO; Mary Ann (Ron) Reid, American Fork, UT; Dianne (Jerry) Gowan, Lehi, UT; 40 nieces and nephews and 6 grand nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 11:00 am at the Federal Heights Ward, 1300 Fairfax Road (1340 East 300 North). A viewing will be held at the Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Wednesday, June 14, 2006 from 7-9 pm and at the ward chapel one hour prior to the service. Internment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
A memorial service will be held in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday, June 24, 2006 at the Mesa Central Stake Center, 925 North Harris.
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