A grieving son had said in his disbelief that he was confident his father, sister, and family would not find themselves alone in their sorrow.
And how right Michael Downing Jr. was on Monday, when a community gathered by more than 400 to celebrate and remember the life of Laura Downing at the downtown Hay Street United Methodist Church.
“In the mystery of death,” the Rev. David Woodhouse said, “may we see the light.”
Not an easy task for a family or those left to wonder about the rhyme or reason of a beautiful woman taken in the flower of life with so much more of life ahead to include her joy of a 16-month-old granddaughter to adoringly hold in her arms, with another grandchild on the way.
The Rev. Sandy Saunders would offer the rhyme and the reason, reminding those who filled this old church in every pew to celebrate “the where and not the why” of it all.
“We come to celebrate her life, and where she is,” he said. “Psalm 23 says, ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever,’ and that’s where Laura is. She believed Jesus died for her sins, and she believed that with all her heart.”
The preacher took pause before reminding us that our tomorrows are promised to none of us.
“The angels, in the early morning hours, whispered in her ear, and said, ‘Laura, it’s time to come home,’ and the first person she saw was Jesus,” Saunders said. “And he said, ‘Well done, Laura, well done.’ She has finished the race. She has kept the faith, and now she is with the Lord.”
Silence permeated throughout the sanctuary.
‘She Was Beautiful…’
Born December 26, 1965, in Orlando, F.L., to the late Roger Winston Kohlstedt and Betty Kohlstedt, her father died when Laura Downing was age two. She and her brother were raised by her mother and stepfather, Lee James, before Laura Downing married Michael Downing on June 17, 1989, at the Village Chapel in Pinehurst.
“She was beautiful coming down the aisle,” Michael Downing said of their wedding, “and beautiful every time I saw her.”
Fayetteville was home, where the couple raised a son and a daughter. He was a hometown boy, and she was the wife he loved. She made a house a home. She always looked forward to Thanksgiving dinners and counting her blessings, Christmas decorating, and those Easter Sunrise services at Ocean Isle Beach.
She walked with a graceful gait and a self-reserved poise. There was nothing pretentious about her. She admired her father-in-law and adored her mother-in-law. When friends hurt, she hurt. When friends grieved, she grieved with them and always was there to help mend their troubled hearts.
“There was a gentleness about her,” the Rev. Saunders said. “A lot of people tell me about her kindness.”
Again, Saunders took pause.
He looked into the faces of those sitting in the pews.
“What did you learn from Laura?” he asked before affirming what they already knew. “She had a heart that was full of love, and she had a heart of love. She loved a husband, a son, and a daughter who were her life, and a 16-month-old granddaughter and another granddaughter on the way. Treasure the moments and all you learned from her.”
Daughter Megan Downing Moravick fought back tears in remembering her mother, who always was there with heartfelt hugs.
“My mother was my best friend,” she said. “She was my everything.”
Son Michael Downing Jr. remembered, too.
“My mom was an angel as long as she walked this earth,” he said, “and I know she still is watching over us. She had such a way of making you feel loved. If a life lesson is to be learned, don’t brush away that hug” from a loved one or a friend. “Thank you all for being here.”
Epilogue
Laura Kohlstedt Downing died December 27, a day after celebrating her 60th birthday.
“She was glowing on her birthday,” husband Michael Downing said last week about her birthday celebration. “The happiest I’ve ever seen her. She told my Aunt Martha, ‘I’m the happiest person in the world.’”
The preacher bowed his head.
“We thank you, Father, for the sweet memories we have,” Sandy Saunders prayed. “And thank you for allowing us to be a part of her life.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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