Keith Elton Rentfro, 78, of Decatur, IL passed into eternal life on Friday (Dec. 30, 2011).
A service to celebrate Keith’s life will be 1:00 p.m. Monday (Jan. 2, 2012) at Dawson & Wikoff West Wood Street Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 12:00-1:00 p.m. on Monday. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to www.dogsforthedeaf.org or Sharon United Methodist Church, 4363 West Center Street Decatur, IL 62522.
Keith was born on June 7, 1933 in Decatur, IL, the son of Ralph and Bertha (Newberry) Rentfro. He was a cabinet maker for almost 40 years at Hunter Pogue Lumber Company and their successors. Keith enjoyed creating other wood working projects for his home and his family. He loved the outdoors, and maintained a beautiful yard and flower beds. Keith enjoyed camping with his sister, nephews and their children. He also enjoyed watching sporting events on television, especially the St. Louis Cardinals and the Fighting Illini. His family would like to give a special thanks to the emergency personnel and medical staff for their exceptional care of Keith.
He leaves to cherish fond memories his sister: Verneal Jane (Bill) Fryman; nephews: Mike (Diane) Fryman, Doug (Dina) Fryman, John (Patricia) Fryman, Steve (Becky) Fryman; niece-in-law: Linnea (Tom) Fryman; great nieces and nephews: Kelly Fryman, Ellen (Mel) Bower, Hillary Fryman, Molly Fryman, Matt Fryman, Brad Fryman, Connor Fryman, Will Fryman, Tiffany Fryman; great-great niece: Lillian Alexander.
Keith was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Lyle Dean and Loren, nephew: Tom Fryman and his canine service dog: River.
Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.dawson-wikoff.com.
Les Condoléances dèrnières
| Mara |
My Condolences for the Family |
December 31, 2011 |
WHEN A LOVED ONE DIES
Have you lost a loved one in death? The pain, the grief, and the feelings of helplessness can seem unbearable. At such times, we need to go to God’s Word for comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4) The Bible helps us to understand how Jehovah and Jesus feel about death. Jesus, who perfectly reflected his Father, knew the pain of losing someone in death. (John 14:9) When he was in Jerusalem, Jesus used to visit Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, who lived in the nearby town of Bethany. They became close friends. The Bible says: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” (John 11:5) Though, Lazarus died. How did Jesus feel about losing his friend? The account tells us that Jesus joined Lazarus’ relatives and friends as they grieved over this loss. Seeing them, Jesus was deeply moved. He “groaned in the spirit and became troubled.” Then, the account says, “Jesus gave way to tears.” (John 11:33, 35) Did Jesus’ grief mean that he had no hope? Not at all. In fact, Jesus knew that something wonderful was about to happen. (John 11:3, 4) Still, he felt the pain and sorrow that death brings. In a way, Jesus’ grief is encouraging to us. It teaches us that Jesus and his Father, Jehovah, hate death. But Jehovah God is able to fight and overcome that enemy! Let us see what God enabled Jesus to do.
For more reference about this wonderful hope you can visit www.watchtower.org
