Rebecca Sue Jones Memorial Page

Everything changed on June 1st, 2004! My precious wife and wonderful mother to our two children, Iain and Searlait, entered Heaven. She was a healthy,
adventurous, vigorous individual. Rebecca had a brain aneurysm. Her sudden loss was a shock to us all!

For a long time I thought I was the one who was most shocked. After all, I was the one to find her lifeless body in our home! After much thought, I've come to
realize that Rebecca was the one who was most shocked. She had planned on doing various domesticated work as she'd always done for our family. God had
other plans. Her work filled day was interrupted by her stepping out of the land of the dying and entering the land of the living.

We have it all wrong. We think that because we're living here on Earth, when we die, we go to the land where others have died. That kind of thinking is wrong.
We are living in the land of death. Those who believe in Christ and die become more alive than any of us on this planet. We die here. We live there, and
we never die again!

It all started in Marion, Indiana (USA). Theodore and Carol Curtis became the proud parents of a beautiful little girl they named Rebecca Sue. Rebecca has 3
brothers. Dr. Joseph R. Curtis, the oldest, Chad, and Bill, being the younger brothers in chronological birth order. She lived in Jonesboro/Marion, Indiana area
for the first few years of her life, then they moved to Middleville, Michigan. From there, the family made moves to Canton, Michigan, Centerville, Indiana, and
Benson, Arizona. Rebecca graduated from High School in Arizona. For 2 years she attended the Grand Rapids Baptist College (now Cornerstone University) in
Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through a mutual friend, Sherry Palmer, Rebecca was introduced to me in May of 1987. She had her foreign country experience
requirement and one semester of student teaching in London, England in the fall of 1988. Rebecca and I had fallen in love just weeks before she left for
England. We both were pining for each other during the time she was away from the US. When she returned in early 1989, we knew most definitely our love was
a sure thing! In March, we drove south to where I had family. While there on vacation, I proposed to Rebecca in "John Oliver's Cabin", set in the Great Smoky
Mountains in a beautiful area called "Cades Cove". We were married in Coopersville, Michigan on Aug. 5th, 1989. She made a transfer to Grand Valley State
University, and in 1992, received her bachelor's degree in English. Rebecca worked as a substitute teacher, a Senior citizen director for The Salvation Army,
and a preschool teacher. The outdoors was always a great getaway for Rebecca. She left for 3-4 months to work for the National Park Service on Isle Royale.
The island is located in Lake Superior, close to Grand Portage, Minnesota, and Ontario. While on the island, she penned "Charlotte Avery On Isle Royale". The
book was first published by Midwest Traditions publishing, then Face To Face publishers, and now Thunder Bay publishers. It was first released in 1995, and is
still available as of this writing (12/1/05). The publication of her book wasn't the only huge news of 1995. Oct. 6, 1995, Rebecca and I became parents to our
son, Iain Nathanial. On July 8, 1997, we became parents to our daughter, Searlait Moriah.

THINGS REBECCA LOVED:

God And Family
Rebecca always remained true to her love for the Lord Jesus Christ and
attempted to live for Him daily. Rebecca loved her family and physically cared
for many, particularly the older members of her family.

Reading
She enjoyed all children's literature. She loved Laura Ingalls Wilder. In fact, we
took a vacation in which we made stops where Laura lived throughout her life.
We met and spent part of an evening with one of Laura's friends, Neta Seal. It
was out of the influence of Laura Ingalls Wilder that inspired Rebecca to write
"Charlotte Avery On Isle Royale". She enjoyed the LaHaye/Jenkins 'Left Behind'
series. She enjoyed Stephen King's works. Rebecca used to love to read
historical books. She was especially fond of stories of the Civil War.

Genealogy
For years Rebecca worked with her late Aunt June Curtis on family genealogy.
She made trips to Utah, New York and Scotland to research her family
background.

Research
Besides her love of genealogy, she loved to research any topic that struck her
interest. She would completely immerse herself into whatever it was she was
studying at the time. She would check out dozens of books from the library to
learn a full understanding of what she was researching. She would become
very knowledgeable about whatever she was studying.

The Outdoors
Rebecca loved to be outside. She had a great deal of respect for
conservationists and environmentalists. She loved wildlife and cared much for
the planet given to us by our Maker who entrusted us to its care.

Hiking
Anywhere she had never been was an area to be discovered. She loved to hike
and be among nature. She hiked the length of Isle Royale many times.

Backpacking/Camping
Rebecca's love of backpacking took her all the way to Scotland.   She had
planned on backpacking and camping from the west coast of Scotland to the
east. As much as she loved research, she missed this one! After arriving in
Scotland, she discovered it would be too risky to backpack cross-country. It was
the rainy season and quite often wash outs developed that could catch
backpackers by surprise. She opted to travel throughout Ireland instead.

Birds
She loved birds. She could identify many by call or sight.

Travel
Rebecca visited Europe 3 times; 1988, 1992, 2004. The countries outside the
US she visited: Mexico, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany. She
also traveled extensively throughout the U.S.

Gardening
Rebecca spent many hours a week tilling, pruning, and planting various flowers
in our back yard. She was especially fond of wildflowers. She was most proud
of the Trillium which grew in what is now termed in her honor, "Rebecca's
Garden".

Taking Walks
One of Rebecca's favorite pastimes was walking. She did it for both exercise
and pleasure. Some of her favorite times was when she took off by herself and
spent time unwinding and enjoying the scenery with which our Creator
decorated the Earth.

Movies
Ever the one to never let life become boring, she would sometimes take 2 hour
vacations by having us go out to the movies. She was hard to pin down as to
what type of movie she liked. She enjoyed all types of movies. The only place
she'd draw the line was with comedies. She liked them, but found most of them
brainless. She did like most movies with Steve Martin or Chevy Chase in them.
Those she could handle. But weren't most of their movies brainless!?!
She was a tough one sometimes to figure out! She liked Cathy Bates, Halle
Berry, Jessica Tandy,Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and, believe it or not, James
Bond movies. She also loved many Made-For-TV movies. "Roots" was a
favorite. She liked "Queen" (the sequel to "Roots"). "The Thorn Birds", "IT",
and "The Stand". One of her all time favorite movies was "Fried Green
Tomatoes".

Cooking
There were so many things Rebecca did well, but top on the list would have to
be cooking. She would love to hear about a new recipe, or come up with an
idea on her own and fix it. She was great at making most anything. Some of my
favorites were her Mexican dishes. She made great potato rolls. Her chili was
out of this world. Many of my favorite meals were ones she'd make from
scratch. Our bookshelves are full of many a well-worn cookbook.

Rebecca and I prided ourselves on being called, "Realists". We were
neither negative nor positive. We were realists! We didn't find things to
be so dark as to never be able to see something good about something.
We didn't gloss over things and make them out to be better than they
really are. We looked at things as they really are. It is what it is! Many
people misunderstood our marriage. We didn't have a 'traditional'
marriage in that we always had to do things together. We didn't just give
up our own lives just because we were married. We were still individuals.
We still had the same goals we had prior to getting married. We
attempted to encourage each other in our individuality. We loved being
married, but we never lost the sense of being an individual. I encouraged
her to pursue her dreams and goals, as she did with me. She was free to
leave our house whenever she felt like it, which she did quite often! She
was all the more refreshed upon her return from a weekend away from
home, children, and sometimes her husband. :-) I knew getting away was
her way of recharging her batteries. I'll tell you how far we took this
'getting away' thing; she took off for 3-4 months to live on Isle Royale and
write "Charlotte Avery On Isle Royale". That's the extent of our
understanding of each other. I knew she had to get away in order to fully
focus on the task of writing her book. I didn't mind at all. Many people
didn't understand that time in our marriage. Some said, "How can you 'let'
your wife take off like that?" "Is there a problem in your marriage that
she's leaving like this?" To which I responded, "What's wrong with your
marriage that your wife can't take off like that?" That always left them
dumbfounded!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM A GUY WHO HAD ONE OF THE GREATEST MARRIAGES OF ALL TIME:

By James Edwin Jones

MAKE PLEASING GOD A PRIORITY
When you realize your marriage isn't just about you, but how you're also responsible in how you live your lives, it'll make your lives and marriage better. Your marriage isn't just about
pleasing each other. It's about how we as individuals and as a couple do things that are pleasing to God. If you live your lives to please God, problems in your marriage will lead you back
together in your attempt to please Him.

DON'T TRY TO 'CHANGE' EACH OTHER / REMEMBER YOU'RE STILL AN INDIVIDUAL
Think of things that brought you together. Why would you ever want to change the very thing(s) that made you fall in love? Times change and people change over time, but let the core
attraction to each other always be there. When differences come about, think back to the moment you realized this person was the one for you. Think of the positive moments experienced
throughout your marriage. If you think enough along those lines, the changing times won't impact your marriage, and you'll remember the reason why you're together in the first place.
Just because you're married doesn't mean you always have to do things together. It's great when that happens, and it should happen - often. Marriage was a dream that became a reality
in your life, but you're still an individual. Don't feel like you can't be the person you were before marriage. You still have other adventures to live! You still have other hopes and dreams for
yourselves. You didn't check out of your own life just because you're married. Give each other space to pursue your hopes and dreams. Marriage should in fact enhance your individual
pursuits. Share other aspects of your life besides the love you share for your mate. Create an atmosphere in your home that encourages each other in your individuality.

BE EACH OTHER'S BEST FRIEND AND CHEER LEADER
This might seem obvious, but friendship in marriage is top priority. It's sometimes lost in 'being married', and doing what society says you should do or be in your marriage. Encourage
each other as you live your lives and grow together as a couple. Encourage the other if they feel defeated. Be happy for the other's successes. Celebrate! Make life fun!

ALWAYS HAVE RESPECT FOR YOUR MATE
ALWAYS respect your mate for their opinion(s), and attempt to think of things from their perspective. Just because they might do things or think of things differently than you, doesn't mean
they're wrong and you're right. Who cares about how something gets done, as long as the end result or objective is met by whatever means? Is it really the 'process' of doing something,
or 'thinking' of something that's important, or that the objective is met? Choose your battles wisely.

REMEMBER THE POWER OF TOUCH AND THE POWER OF TIME
There's something magical about the human touch, particularly from the one with whom you'll spend your life! Think back to the first time you held hands, or when you first hugged and
kissed each other. Keep the same excitement in your marriage by always remembering. There'll be times when you don't feel like touching each other. When those times come, work
hard at making and initiating the attempt to touch. You'd be surprised how quickly your differences can melt away, simply by touching. As in any relationship, time is a major part of still
getting to know each other as time goes on. You might find that time is a difficult thing to manage, but it's so important in maintaining and creating a thriving marriage. All relationships
require time. Your marriage is the top priority of relationships. It won't 'just happen'. You have to make it happen by prioritizing the time you have together. Be together often. Talk often.

ALWAYS FORGIVE EACH OTHER
All of us fail, mess up, and sometimes don't measure up to what's expected or anticipated by our mates. Sometimes we say things in such a way that's interpreted differently than it was
intended. At those times you need to take a deep breath and figure out what's happening. Find out the facts before jumping to conclusions about what was said, or what might have
happened. Never presume anything! Remember how you've failed in the past. None of us are perfect! Ask for forgiveness, knowing that perhaps next time it will be your turn to accept
the other's apology. Learn from your mistakes, and always try to keep past failures in mind. Don't bring up past failures, but remember to not go down the same road again. Know how
what was said or done has hurt your mate, and learn from that knowledge.

HAVE FUN!
Get to know your mate, find out things that make life fun for them and for you as a couple. Go on vacation! Spend all day in bed! Give surprise gifts and cards to each other. Still 'date'
each other even though you're married. Give each other back rubs. Find a way to get something for your mate that is too expensive, and buy it anyway! Be responsible, but do everything
possible within your budget to have fun! Live everyday as if it were your last. Make each day a party. Make your mate the center of attention. Give to each other. Live to please! Celebrate
life! Do what you dream!