In loving memory of Carolyn Hibbard - Obituary Baldwin Brothers

Obituary

Our mom and wife, Carolyn Hibbard
July 16, 1944 to Nov 5, 2019

I am my proud and honored to be called my mother’s daughter.
Golden were the days of cherished memories.
Precious were the days learning from mom how to live life by example, to always be a better person than yesterday.
Remarkable was her faith and strength in God. Her testimony, never ashamed.

Wisdom was one of my moms most profound gifts.
Love was always her inner self.
Glorious was her spirit as she met Jesus last night.
Surrounded at home with her husband and family holding her hand; my mom of 51 years left this earth to enter the heavenly home that was ready to take her in.
With a very heavy heart, I write the words that my sweet precious mom passed away last night.
Shocked that our time with her is over.
Weeping that her time with us was cut short, to lead and guide us all…. through our personal difficulties in life. She was the mom to always go to for advice no matter who needed her.
She was always just a phone call away.

My mom will be missed in the most simple and complex ways.

It was a humbling honor to care for my mom on hospice in my parents home along with my dad and daughter.

I’m am so proud of my daughter. She was a rock for me and my dad. Tender and steady.
Strong and present in the moment. We could not have done this without her constant reliable devotion to grandma. My daughter and I are better people today because of this love we gave back to mom.

I am moved at the kind of husband my father is. Stable, loyal, dependable, honest, faithful in and out of the home; in ministry and in private.
He kept the oath he took before God.

In sickness and in health, till death did they part.
It shattered my heart to watch my dad lose the only woman he ever loved. He adored and respected my mom in ways I would dream to be loved. In God’s perfect image as a husband should. My parents are genuinely perfect. Both, still deeply in love, after 52 years of marriage.
My mom thought my dad was precious. She hurt when he hurt. She took care of him. She mended him when he didn’t know he needed mending. She was his 1st mate even when waters were deep. It’s a rare love story not many get to live much less witness.

In the long hard laborious days of exhaustion on hospice, we were ever filled with deep gratitude and humility to have the opportunity to provide the most gentle care for mom as she would have done for us.
I do not know how to “do” today. We have an empty house. Our job to care for mom is over. Today, we should be caring for her.

She became my baby, our baby, in all aspects of life and caregiving. Those last days of her suffering are over.
She is finally free from her body.

She was a warrior in the end. She suffered with a mighty strength I could not fathom.

She left us with all the tools of life to carry in our hearts and minds forever.
I can only pray I become a piece of the woman my mom was.

Married for 52 years to my dad, the lessons were told daily. A rooted dedication to being a role model. A faithful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister to 3, Aunty to many, friend to many, foster mother to 3 sons, a faithful mother in law to the boys she loved so much. A momma to 4 Shih Tzus that always rested in her lap. Lady, Foxy, Marco Annie and Dolly, our family dogs. Mom is survived by Marco, Annie and Dolly.
She will live long in the space and tiny corners of our hearts, in our minds as happy, cheerful, honest, elegant, strong and tender hearted.
She will be with us in spirit, when we feel weak.
Jesus said , come unto me, all that are heavy hearted and I will give you rest.
Mom was the ground we could stand on to find peace and comfort in times of need. She never failed us.

My mom is a Ruby. She was born July 16, 1944. God birthed her into life as a Ruby, as the Bible says a virtuous woman is more precious than diamonds. Mom was a virtuous woman.
The Ruby, is the gemstone for July.

She left us November 5th,2019 as a Citrine gemstone.
The warmth of the Citrine is noted to be a gift from the sun and it’s believed to be a healing gemstone. My mom had a passion for gemstones. She had many.
Mom was a self learned gemologist.
The Ruby and Citrine often worn gracefully on her hands. The Citrine will forever heal me because of this.
Mom healed our wounds, like the gemstone she is, comforting us all as she was experiencing her own death.

As she was passing, she asked our family to sing “Jesus Loves Me” to her.

With broken voices, we sang to mom , as her spirit lifted into heaven. And then she was gone. And we knew beyond a doubt she was seeing the streets lined with gold as I wore my mom’s plain gold wedding band she had passed onto me. As gold unto gold, and gemstone unto gemstone, so is mom likened to each, now and in her death.

Good bye for now momma. We are happy for your new life. Wear your crown of glory, you finally see the face of Jesus.