From Bailey's

Dylan,
We thought it was important that you remember this. It was special to your mother.

Bailey's fine Jewelry ran a marketing promotion close to last Christmas where anyone could write to their business describing why they loved Bailey's Jewelry. If Bailey's chose your particular letter, they would publish the letter in an ad, do a photoshoot of you and give you $500. Tonya decided to write a letter and she won. Below is a picture of the Ad and what the ad reads.



The ad reads:

"Each bead will be with me forever, because each comes from him." - Tonya

"The first Christmas with just the two of us, Dylan was upset that there were no presents for me under the tree. So his grandmother took him shopping, and Carol at Bailey's helped him pick out some Pandora Beads and a bracelet. Christmas morning, you'd think the first thing a child would say is 'I want to open my presents,' But he insisted I open mine first. Now when he walks into Bailey's, Carol and the whole staff know him. He's very proud of it, and I'm very proud of Him. It's become a beautiful tradition."

From Kim Morrisette

Dylan,
My heart still aches when I think about what happened on April 22, 2011. I remember the phone call informing me of the wreck and the plea to pray for you and your mama. I prayed for you both throughout the rest of that day and into the early hours of the morning. With sobs and tears I laid on my bed and waited for the phone to ring with an update. I gave praise to the Lord that your mama, Tonya, was a follower of Christ and that regardless of what happened she would be safe in His arms. As I waited and prayed memories flooded my mind. The memories that I have of your mama are surrounded by her love of Christ, her love for others and the JOY that filled your home because of His redeeming love.

The first time I met y'all was when our church was meeting in the BCM. Your uncle Jason was leading worship that morning and y'all came to Integrity to visit since he and Beth were there. I knew your aunt and uncle from high school so there was an instant connection. They introduced me to Tonya and we hit it off right away. Y'all started coming to our life group and I LOVED getting to know her. She was such a fun woman and she wasn't afraid to share her story with others. She was hungry to study God's word and to grow. We started spending time with y'all outside of church and my kids loved both of you. Caleb has always loved playing with you and you were so kind and gracious to enjoy him even though he was almost three years younger. Tonya was like an aunt to Lydia and often times I thought of her like my own sister. Lydia affectionately referred to as "Tonja" and I think she secretly liked it:) Your mama loved Lydia to pieces. Lydia still tells me a few times a week that she misses Tonya and wishes she could give her another hug. Your mama and I had some of the best conversations that girlfriends could have . . . not just about clothes, photography or cooking. We talked about our relationships with Christ and our desire to live to honor Him daily in the midst of life. She loved you second only to Jesus and her heart longed to honor Him as she raised you.

We did both enjoy photography and going out to shoot together. She always had a natural eye with the camera and you were her favorite subject to photograph. I remember going to Sundays in the Park which were always fun no matter who was playing. I remember going on a girl date with her and Lydia while you, Caleb, Craig and Jake went to an ECU football game. I remember spending one New Year's Eve with her and Heidi Bell. We went to the Hilton to hear Matt's band ring in the New Year. We laughed alot together that night. You and my kids stayed at our house with my mama. We had a sleepover that night and enjoyed a slow morning together the next day. I will never forget the Christmas party two years ago for Integrity Church. Your mama and I sang karaoke and we were both scared to death! We sang "Lean on Me". We sang it loud and we sang it proud . . . and we both had fun doing it. It was the perfect song for our friendship at that time. We also had a Christmas baking night at my house that year. Remember that? Y'all were on your way here and your car ran out of gas? I had to come and bring you our gas can so you could make it to the gas station. We laughed so hard after it happened. You and my kids helped roll the peanut butter balls and dipped them in chocolate. It was a MESS but they sure were delicious. We also made Christmas cookies, peppermint bark, oreo balls and the list goes on. Your mama was always an awesome cook! She made the B.E.S.T. baked spaghetti I've ever tasted. I think it's the cup of sugar she added to the sauce;) One of my favorite memories of you and your mama was last summer when my dad was really sick. After a very long day at work y'all went to visit him at the hospital. She said y'all had a good time with him. She went a second day that week on her lunch break to visit. It meant the world to me. I didn't ask anyone to go and visit him - y'all just did it because you loved me. I'm crying now as I think back to the many acts of love and service that your mama gave to others. They were often quiet acts that were not done for show or recognition. Her heart genuinely loved others and wanted to serve them. I learned a lot by watching her sacrifice personal time and energy in the midst of being a single mom. I miss her dearly and wish we could have had one last conversation. Your mom was a special friend in my life. I loved her and I love you. I know that you admired her and will always think back on the many wonderful times you had together - just the two of you. May you always be drawn back to her love for Jesus and seek to know Him the way she did. I'll pray for you for years to come and I can't wait to hear where you are and what you are doing twenty years from now. If you're ever in Greenville and want a hot meal, a warm bed or some family time - please remember Kim and Craig Morrisette. We love you!

From Jake Sherron

Dylan, 

You're an important part of my life.  I’m thankful for the opportunity your mother gave me to spend time with you.  I consider your mother an excellent friend of mine.  I’m honored to have known her, and along with my wife Mitzi, will miss her greatly.  The memories we have with her bring smiles to our faces because she truly was a gift from God. 

Your mother has been a rare jewel in my life.  There aren’t many who’ve shown me such love and attention.  She was remarkable and took such care to invest in in my family’s life, that at times, it made us laugh.  In fact, while in college, Tonya made the observation that I had only four outfits.  Your mom, naturally caring for me, purchased new clothes for me to wear. The two of you (you were always by her side smiling) walked into church together with a bag full of brand new clothes for me!  She’d surprise me all the time with stuff like this!  

I felt safe around your mother because I knew she wanted the best for me and looked for ways to straighten me up.  She carried herself like this around most people.  She was an excellent mother to you and she was considered a motherly figure by many people. 

Your mother loved her church, Integrity.  You both came to Integrity in 2008.  Your mom was hungry for the word of God and eager to get involved in the church family.  Her personality was amazing and we all immediately were drawn to her.  She became a valuable member of the church because of who she was. She was excellent friends with most of the women and loved to learn about parenting. She was a very teachable person, and loved to learn from the Bible. She was trustworthy, we could trust her with anything.  The leaders could give her a responsibility and rest be assured that it would be done on time and with excellence. Your mother was a leader and a hard worker.  She took her responsibilities very seriously.  Most of all, we are going to miss your mother because she was a great friend to everyone.  As a church family, we will miss her deeply, but we know we will see her again because of what Christ did for her on the Cross. 

When people think of your mom, they immediately think of how great of a mother she was and the incredible love she showed you!  Dylan, you are her sweet peach, her life, her dinner date, her everything. I am very proud of you. You wouldn't be who you are without the love your mother has shown you.  I want you to consider how much your mom loved you.  And why she loved you. She loved you more than the average mom because Christ had loved her and had given her a new heart.  Her desire for you was that you’d grow into a man who loves Jesus and loves other people.  Your young, and my hope is you never forget the wonderful mom you had.  She would teach you to learn the Gospel and be transformed by God’s grace through Jesus, and out of your love for God, to learn from His word and love others as yourself because these are things she did because she she knew God had forgiven her through Christ. 

My prayer for you is that you would not grow angry towards God but would run to Him for He is the only place to run in difficult times.  You can miss your mother, it’s okay.  You can cry over her.  It’s okay to cry over someone so special.  She was a remarkable woman who was loved by Jesus, and because of that... loved others and especially you... Dylan.

The Bible says that angels stretch their necks out in order to gaze into the grace of God that he has shown believers.  Angels are jealous over what your mother is experiencing. She is in heaven with God.  Heaven is wonderful, not because of streets of gold or pearly gates.  Those things become boring after a while.  Heaven is heaven because God is there.  He is more beautiful than anything we could ever imagine.  He has taken Tonya to experience His presence forever, away from all sickness, sin, and frustration.  She is in paradise.  She is with God.  Your mom wants you to know that Jesus is better than life itself.  

Dylan, you’ll always be an important part of my life and I’m looking forward to seeing you grow into a man who understands his need of God’s transforming grace through His Son Jesus.  I will always miss your mom and I’m thankful to have known such a remarkable lady.  

Enjoy His Grace, 
Jake Sherron 

From Rachel Fortney

Dylan:

I don’t have any special pictures of your momma to share, but I think that is okay…there are so many beautiful special pictures of your momma, and of your momma and you together! She loved you so much, and made so many special times and special memories for the two of you to share.

I have only been at Integrity Church for a few months, so I didn’t get to know Tonya as well as some people, but she blessed me so much in the short time I knew her. She was so kind and welcoming to me as a visitor and a new part of Integrity. I looked for her every week, knowing I could count on a warm hello and hug.

Your momma was one of the most alive people I have ever met: spunky, friendly, joyful, smart, sweet, caring, generous….and it was obvious that her life came from Jesus. I was reminded of this again as I looked at the slideshow during her funeral of all the pictures; I couldn’t help but notice the difference in her face. In the pictures from the last few years, your momma’s face just shone with a vibrant life that could only come from Jesus. Jesus makes us truly alive, and your momma was one of the most beautiful and inspiring examples of that truth that I have ever seen.

Rachel Fortney

From Amanda Meyer

Dear Dylan, 

Your mom, where to start? She was one of the loveliest women I have ever met, inside and out. She was one of the very first people I met when I started coming to Integrity Church and I immediately fell in love with her sweet southern accent. She was so welcoming and inviting to every single person that she came into contact with. Her love for Christ was so evident and second only to her love for Jesus, was her love for you. My, how she loved you! I've met few women in my life who have loved the way she did. She taught you about Jesus, prayed for you whole heartedly and gushed over you when you were and weren't around. She was so proud of you!  All of this, you know first hand because you were the object of her affection and so precious to her in every way.
 
I remember going to see Grady sing one night at Moe's. Your mom asked me if you and her could come sit with me? I was so thrilled that you both decided to come. It was one of the sweetest times I shared with you and your mom. It was so fun sitting and talking with her and learning about her life and how much she loved you, how much she loved Jesus and how much she loved Integrity Church.
 
Your mom will be missed so much. She is loved by so many and her testimony of love, faith and perseverance in Christ will cary on. Grady and I will continue to pray for you and your family. You are so loved by Jesus, and so many around you. It is our prayer that you experience this unchanging, unconditional love from Jesus that your mom knew so well.
 
We love you Dylan!
Amanda and Grady

From Tiffany Karr

Hello sweet Dylan,

Your mother and I spent the last few years really getting to know eachother. I had the pleasure of meeting your mother through your father. We met in Florida, do you remember that trip? Jennifer and I flew in to meet everyone from California, and to meet you and your mom for the first time. You were bouncing bed to bed in the hotel room as we chatted and got to know one another. When you dad deployed to Iraq, I had the unique pleasure of serving your mother as her key volunteer spouse. It was during this deployment that your mother and I developed a special, unique friendship that will last a lifetime.

That summer, in July, you and your mother came to California to visit me. We all had such a great time! Do you remember the ocean, getting buried in the sand, and the huge play area set up for us! Your mother was introduced to all the other spouses of the military men your father knew. It was love at first sight! Seriously, every woman she met was so pleased to meet your mother and she developed many friendships from this trip. That October you and your mother came back to California to welcome your father home from Iraq. We carved pumpkins and we really had a nice time together. Your mother was so patient with me, who had no kids yet! In showing me the gentle way she mothered you. It was Tonya I called first to tell her when I got pregnant, and your mother screamed and was so joyous for me, the way a sister would. She is so special.

The last time I saw you two was last Easter. Levi, my son, was born and the two of you came down to meet him! You treated him like your little brother, and you would tell your mother things you planned on teaching Levi! It was such a fun trip, and so neat to see the way you interacted with Levi. We went to the zoo and explored St Louis in the sticky heat. Your mother taught me how to coupon! She had such passion for things in life. She would light up when she talked about you, and had a sparkle in her eye when she watched you. She was so proud of you and so proud to be your mother! I think many of us can agree that the way she parented you was the way we all wish to parent. You two traveled a lot recently, you both went to New York and D.C. among other places. I enjoyed the way your mother shared her love for life and for you through the pictures she took. You two have so much love, and such a connection.

I do not know why these things happen Dylan. I have to rely on the promise of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise that we will all be together again as my strength. You are her peach, always will be her peach, and she will always be your momma. I love you very much Dylan, and want you to know that I am only a phone call away. I would love for you to still teach Levi things, and visit us as often as you like. I knew I met a friend for life when I met your mother and what an honor to have met her and you, you are my friend for life too sweet Dylan.

Justin, Tiffany, and Levi Karr

From Emily Bellis

Dylan,
I remember the first time Jackson (my husband) and I met your mom. We both started attending Integrity Church around the same time and we met over at the Webster’s for a church event dinner. The first thing I noticed about her was her vibrant smile and love of life. She had a personality that was bigger than life and every time I saw her I was reminded of the joy she had in Christ.

I also remember when she was planning your trip to NYC. Jackson and I had traveled there a couple of months prior and she was trying to make your trip so special and wanted to know all the spots to visit. I remember her telling me about how you both watched the movie “BIG” so that you could see the “Big Piano” that you would later go on to see at the FAO Schwarz toy story in NYC. I know God planned this trip for just the two of you – a time for you both to bond and spend quality time together. She was so proud of you and always lit up when she spoke of you. She will be deeply missed but know that “For those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Love,
Emily Bellis