Dear white family.
Borgie,  I'm at borgie that grace Baptist church the light nineties.  She asked me over and Bible study to disciple me she shared the word of God with me, She gets she makes 2 missed sandwiches and chips, She gave me frozen  Cookies to welcome it a grace Baptist church. I did a little bit of cleaning around the house not much but a little. She let me borrow her car one time to go to school from Hanford  To  Visalia. Her laugh was very contagious. She had to like a child when you remember she just laughed all the time.  I received a casserole carrying dish and she put a dish towel in that it was one of my favorite Christmas presents. I wasn't able to make it to the memorial service at grace Baptist church anymore. Wasn't able to make it to her a few more cause I didn't really know that she wouldn't pass away to a better place. I've been struggling with what to say I know it's been so many years. But you took me in as family and treated me like a sister and Morgan treated me like a daughter The white family was really kind to me. She will watch my kids when I want to go play for a job. I love the white borgie   Would like the 2nd mother to me, And bill was like a  Brother  To me. I will always  love you Borgie White.  She told me that she didn't really like her name borgchild  That she look forward to a new name in  Heaven. We prayed together we laughed together we talked eat together.   Borgie pay for a table in Visalia at right to life. I love, and miss. I pray that I will see you in heaven. 

I was Borgie's son-in-law for nearly 43 years. Over the years I  learned what an exceptional and strong person she was.  I remember  the many discussions we  had around interesting theological issues.  I could see the love she had for the Lord in the books that she kept around the house to read.  I was deeply moved during the time of the funeral to  hear so many stories of the multiple lives that she ministered to throughout the years.  I have also been blessed for 43 years by the way she raised one of her beautiful daughters.  I believe the best way to see the kind, gentle and loving  person she was is through the lives of her grandchildren.  The way they loved her and cared for her and went out of their way to minister to her, right up to the end, was amazing to behold.

November 29, 2014
Grief is not a sign of weakness, 
Nor is it a loss of faith,
It is the price of LOVE.

Dear Borgie,
How I miss our telephone calls and visits together!  You have only been with the Lord for a few earthly months, but the hole you have left in my life will never be filled.  I met you in 1977 when I had newly moved to Hanford from Southern California.  It was a new experience moving to farm country for a city girl like me.  You called me for Christian Women's Club and there started our nearly 37 year friendship.  When I did become a Christian while living in Hanford, you were there, to be what I needed you to be – a kindred spirit, my spiritual mother, and one of my dearest friends.  
When David was 3, you gave him his first Christian book, The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, which he still has to this day.  I know God used you in leading him to the Lord in his late 20's.  You and he shared many talks about God as he learned and grew in the Lord.  It was amazing to see how you related to him at such a deep level.  You were like a second grandma to him and he always looked forward to our visits to your home or your visits to our home. You always greeted David and me with hugs and laughter – so precious!
You were there for me when my marriage ended in 1980 and I had to move back to Southern California for job reasons.  You saw me through my divorce, illness and death of my dear mother, illness and death of my daddy, and most recently, the illness and death of my little brother.  I saw you through the deaths of your Bill and Shelby and all the births of your grandchildren (I have lost count). We shared many good times together and visited back and forth all the years since we met.  We also –
• Shopped till we dropped (shoes, clothes, wallpaper) 
• Cooked (yogurt, pancakes, salad, main dishes, ice cream [I still have my Donvier], herbal tea, pomegranate juice, fresh-picked corn)
• Talked (husbands, kids, deaths, births) 
• Prayed together
• Watched videos of the Gaithers and other Christian-based videos 
• Played chicken foot dominoes
• Made a pact to lose weight (you won)
• Shared Thanksgiving together after my Dad died in 2004 and I was feeling like an orphan and so alone and sad
• Attended church together and when you passed me the communion plate with your shaky hands and whispered “Take it!”
• Bible studies and J. Vernon McGee (David and I saw him in person in West Covina in the 1980's)
• Styled your hair many times with my curling iron
• Celebrated birthdays
• Welcomed you at David's baptism (you were thrilled)

And so….as I end my last letter to you….I know you will be at heaven's gate to meet and greet me with the same joy you did here on earth.  I will see you again!

With all my love,
 Marty

We will miss Borgie! She was such a wonderful and fun person. We met her at church when we lived in Lemoore. One time when she and her son Bill came over for Sunday dinner, we played games, laughed, and laughed some more. May God raise up many in her family to carry on her beautiful testimony of God's grace and goodness!  With love, Lee and Norma

I miss you Borgie with your soft shaking hands and big eyes which always seemed surprised, with your ready smile and little girl laugh, and, in later years, your sharp teenage mind, sometimes mischief, mismatched with your wrinkled body with thinning hair.  You fed me wonderful food and nurtured me as a mother in the early days when Laurel and I were full of enthusiasm but lacking experience.  You were never judgemental or critical but always enthusiastically extending an unquestioning helpful hand.  We are much older now and can more readily appreciate the love and affection you gave throughout you brilliant life.  I know you are happy in the heaven you strived for but I miss not having you here so I could hold your hand.

With eternal Love,  your Son-in-Law

My Mother was a woman with a genuine faith.  The good works manifested in her life, were a result of her faith.  This is my most precious memory of her.  This remembrance of my Mother is based on living with her most of my life, including caring for her, the last twenty years.

By faith, Mother loved and trusted God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.  By faith, she loved and believed the Word of God.  She loved to hear the Word taught.  For over forty years, she listened to bible programs on the radio.  When Mother had to use a walker, then a wheelchair, she still carried a small portable radio with her, from room to room, so she could hear the Word of God.  Some of the programs received financial support each month.  She believed and accepted what God's Word said.  The Word guided her integrity. 

By faith, Mother was a woman of integrity.  She was a faithful wife.  Mother had integrity in marriage and family, toward other people and in her finances.  She was also generous with her finances.  She was happy to pay those that did work for her, whether it was at home or a restaurant.  

Mother's faith was personal.  She became a Christian at about fifty years of age.  One concern Mother had, was that in old age, she would lose her mind. Therefore, she asked the Lord, to let her keep her mind.  A nurse that helped care for Mother during the last week, including the last night, asked her some questions, when she first entered the hospital.  The nurse told me, regarding Mother's mental state, “She is definitely with it”.  The Lord let my Mother keep her mind, to the end of her days. 

By faith, Mother was thankful.  She was thankful for her house.  After being out of town, when we were close enough to see home, many times I heard Mother say, “Thank you, Lord, the house is still there”.  She was thankful for the things God and people, did for her.

By faith, Mother showed love and hospitality to guests in her home.  This is something others have gratefully spoken of, in their remembrance.  She accepted people as they were, age was no barrier.

By faith, Mother was a friend to many women.  She had long time friends that were much younger than her, in addition to those nearer her age.

By faith, Mother mailed letters to missionaries, as well as family and friends.  Thru the years, she sent me to town many times, to make twenty or more copies of a letter she had written.  She mailed these letters around the world.  They were appreciated by those that received them.

By faith, Mother made casserole carriers to give away.  She likely made over a hundred.  Fingertip towels were used in making the carriers. Several times, Mother sent me into a store to buy fingertip towels for her.  This size towel is not very common.  Recently, I was in the towel section of a store and saw fingertip towels.  I immediately thought of my Mother.

By faith, Mother prayed.  Throughout her adult life, she would wake up in the middle of the night.  For over forty years, Mother used this time to read God's Word and pray.  The subjects of her prayer included family, friends, neighbors and Christian ministries.  Whenever I was going to leave her, to go home, I asked if she wanted to pray.  Mother was delighted to pray with me and very thankful, for my prayer.  

By faith, Mother was faithful to God.  She loved God, His Word and prayer to the end of her days.

The day before Mother went home, I recalled Psalm 116:15.  This verse says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of His saints”.  It is a great comfort to know, God views her passing from this life, as precious. 

I am very thankful for all the years I had with my Mother.  I count it a privilege, honor and a joy, to care for her the last twenty years.  I look forward to seeing my Mother again.

With the eternal love of God, 

William J. White


Borghie was a dear friend of my mother, Emma Fraley, as well as myself and siblings growing up in the rural Hardwick area.  My mother along with Georgia Duma begin having home Bible studies with Borghie in the late 1950s.  Borghie received Christ as her personal Lord and Savior and became active in the women's missionary work at the First Conservative Baptist Church.  As the years past she distinguished herself as a prayer warrior for the church families and rural Hardwick community.  Borghie had difficulty sleeping at night and spent those awaken hours praying for us.  I remember her stating that she had prayed for Laura and I and our four sons during her sleepless hours.  We appreciated her prayers, kind demeanor, and thoughtfulness of others and love of Christ her Savior.  She prayed for and communicated with missionaries around the world.  

Borghie beamed with delight and joy when her daughters and grandchildren visited her form Colorado, Florida, and Australia.  I personally commend her son Bill for taking such loving care of her for all her adult years as she was widowed for many years. I know she is in heaven where she has longed to be for the past decade.  Borghie has been a great example to all of us as what it means to be in Christ. We know where Borghie is and we know we can go to to be where she is by putting our faith and trust in the Savior she loved while here on this earth.  We look forward to seeing her again! 

David and Laura Fraley
Lemoore, California

Janice and I have known Borgie more years than I can remember. We both see her as a suragete mom. Every time we saw her she never failed to remind me she was almost exactly 20 years my senior. ( my birthday Aug 5). Only the Lord knows the number of missionaries encouraged by her faithful corresponding with them. Now she's really beginning to enjoy life. Our loss be gain.

Jim and Janice Proctor

It has been a walk down memory lane for me to read all the lovely entries from family and friends.  As I have read these entries it has reminded me of all the times Borghie shared life together with me...lots of long conversations around the kitchen table at the farm,  on the phone or through letters.  She shared about all of her family and many times we prayed together.  Her love for all of you was so unending and it is a wonderful example for me to follow now that I am a grandmother. 

Borghie and I first met at Sunnyside Baptist Church when I was a young single gal fresh out of college.  I graduated from Hanford High School in 1968 and knew of her daughter, Becky, and nephew, Paul.  I didn't actually know them in school, but knew who they were...so that was a fun point of reference.  I also knew Ron and Shelby from church.  I remember getting invited to Christian Woman's Club by Borghie...great luncheons, music and speakers, and a warm and loving friend to sit with. Age was never a barrier with her. I was the proud recipient of one of her casserole carriers and it may have been a wedding shower gift in 1974.  I still have it, use it regularly, and remember her telling me how Bill helped cut the boards and dowels. Mine was made with a red paisley fabric and cream towels, and to this day I use a blue diaper pin to hold the towels together.  It is one of my most precious gifts.

When Borghie befriended me as a young adult, I never dreamed how rich our friendship would remain through the years.  I was a "new" Christian in 1972, and I remember well her testimony.  Whenever I hear a sermon about putting new wine into old wine skins...I think of her and how that was so pivotal in helping her to see the saving beauty of Jesus in her life. From those early years of friendship, I considered her my "spiritual mother"....I thank God for her example to me of loving and caring for her family, her friends, and especially the Word and her Lord Jesus.  She mentored me in wonderful ways.  I am going to miss this wonderful strong woman of faith in my life...the pleasant visits at the farm house (even as my family grew, we were all welcome to descend upon her), the long newsy letters, at first hand-written and then typed, and the uplifting phone calls. 

 For those of you who are her family, you have been blessed in such amazing ways to have Borghie.  By all the beautiful love-filled letters so many of you have written, she has left quite a legacy.  As she would say, "To God be the Glory!"

In Christian Love, 
Sharon Douglas
Custer, WA

I met Borgie through my brother Jim who married her lovely daughter, Laurel. Even though I didn't spend a lot of time with Borgie, I was touched by her loving and uplifting ways.  I always felt honored for who I am in her presence and felt she held me with kind and loving regard. I shall always remember her as a wonderful example of a truly kind and devout Christian. She was so fortunate to have had a wonderful life with many loving family members and many who send her love now that she has passed. Rest in peace dear Borgie and know you will be held in my memories with love and gratitude. Patrice Thiessen

Borgie  and I came to Hacienda Healthcare about the same time in March 2008. 
We met previously at a church service at Grace Baptist Church in Lemoore.  
We were able to renew our fellowship during those early days at Hacienda.  Finding that she had an enormous love for The Lord and scripture, we would study the Word together. One evening, while reading the scripture in the dining room, a couple saw us through the window from the parking lot, came in, and asked if they could join us.  At that same time Joe Silvera who's wife was a resident at Hacienda kept encouraging me to start a bible study.  He and Kim Harrell the activity director thought it would be good to start a bible study one night a week.  Borgie also thought it would be a great idea to minister to the residents.  That bible study has continued until the present time.  Some of the first attendees were Borgie, Bill, Maria, Joe Silvera, Kim and Terry Harrell, and others.  

It was evident that Borgie loved the Word of God and sought to share the scriptures with others.  She went back home after 10 weeks and came back to Hacienda about 2 years later.  We renewed our fellowship around the word.  After staying a short time she moved to Tulare.  Occasionally we would call each other and always share some bible reading together.   I have found that she was a woman who lived the Christian life and brought honor to The Lord. She was indeed a great source of encouragement to us all.  Bill, It was a joy and privilege to have known your mother and to see what a great blessing she was to me and others.

I was able meet Borgie when Jason and I visited her in Hanford in the summer of 2009.  We brought our first child, Ian, with us.  It was really important to Jason that Ian meet his grandmother, and I'm so glad we took the trip.  One of the highlights of my time there was sitting and visiting with Borgie.  She told me about what it was like for her raising children, her husband, the loss of her daughter, Shelby, and how she became a Christian.  She was kind and gentle in her words and very open, even when revisiting painful parts of her life. I appreciated this so much.  Even though that trip was my only time spent with her, I was greatly blessed. After we returned home I wrote about this more specifically on our family's blog: http://blissandthebattlefield.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/borgie/

I met Borgie, as well as her sister Frances, at Christian Women's Club in Hanford.  They both were a joy to me.  I remember Borgie's great smile, unwavering support of me and other women active in Christian Women's Club.  I enjoyed visits at Borgie's and Frances' home.  Laughter was always a part of our meetings, even while seriously considering plans for speakers, music, location, and the message of our Lord.  I would say that both Borgie and Frances were a significant part of my growth as a Christian during those years.  I am blessed to have known both.

Borgie was a great person to know, and and loved the Lord. The following is  Gospel song in memorial of her. 
   
   How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord
   Is laid for your faith in His Excellent Word
   What more can He say than to you He had said
   To you for refuge to Jesus have fled?
   
   Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
   For I am thy God, and will give thee aid;
   I'll strength-en thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
   Up-held by My right-eous, om-mip-o-tent Hand.
  
                                                                      Mary Thiessen(Grover Beach)

I met Mrs. Borgie White as a child, our paths crossing at church.  I remember her lovely smile, quiet humor, and feminine grace ... certainly an example of someone to emulate.  Then when our paths diverged, I to college, graduate study, and eventually to service overseas, I left with pleasant memories of a lovely lady I would have liked to have known better as an adult.  I know she is and will be missed.  M. Lynn Landweer, Wycliffe Bible Translators

Borgie and Georgia were among the 1st friendly faces that I encountered when I started attending Grace Baptist.  Her smile, the twinkle in her eyes is something I will always remember. To me she was a sweetheart, I felt loved by her whenever I visited her, she made me feel welcome each and every time. Borgie took the time to teach me how to make the Casserole carriers that became so famous in our church craft sale. I always looked forward to going to celebrate her birthday with her. She will be dearly missed and I feel blessed to have known her and for her being part of my life.

My Mom was a quiet, sweet, loving and caring person.  She loved her family, she loved her friends and most of all she loved her Lord.  Living in Australia meant most of our visiting was by cassette in the early days and then later by telephone.  Those first years in Australia were very difficult I missed my family in California, I loved getting the cassettes even though they made me more homesick.   When telephone calls weren't as costly we  changed to telephoning each other.  We had many, many long conversations.  I loved how she was always interested in my daughters, my grandchildren and even my friends.  I could tell her about my joys and about my sadnesses and know that whatever the situation it would become part of her prayers.   The comfort I had knowing that she loved my family as much as I did and would pray for them all, gave me this sense of such privilege that I had a loving Christian Mother.
Here are some random memories, the homemade yogurt, delicious especially when you added yummy fruits to it.  The toasted granola always a hit.  The casserole carriers she made, several of my friends and of course my daughters all had one.  The few times she came to Australia she was challenged to catch up on my ironing and what a task that was with many baskets of unironed clothes.  
I will so miss her, but she has left behind her love filled with memories for me to cherish.  The cards and words of sympathy we have received tell us how she has enriched many who knew her.   She had a way of making everyone she came in contact with feel special.  Her testimony for Christ was a blessing to many.  One beautiful memory is from a vision a Christian Staff member had that works at where Mom was last living.  She saw Mom with no glasses on dancing in a green meadow with my Dad.  She knew Dad from the wedding photo on my Moms bedroom wall.   Remember that Mom was in a wheelchair for 17 years, she wore thick glasses, she was 98 years old, living had become very difficult for her but in this vision she is young, happy, free dancing in heaven.  I so miss her but I can't wish she was still here.  Laurel Thiessen, Daughter, Sydney, Australia

As I've read through some of these entries I am overcome with love and gratitude for an amazing woman. My thoughts and feelings came out in this poem...

For Auntie

My dear sweet aunt got her final wish
She is with Jesus again
A true matriarch who left behind a wonderful legacy
And a family who will always cherish her
A family who'll keep her memory alive
We'll emulate her love for the Savior
We'll never forget the homemade ice cream
And we'll laugh a little when we remember playing dress up
We'll all marvel at how much we've changed since the last cousin photo shoot
And we'll feast on dark lefse and drink herbal tea juice
As we share these memories and many more our of my dear aunt
Her love of family will not be forgotten
This mighty prayer warrior has gone home

So many eloquent memories have been told here, many of them I share. The first thing that enters my mind is how she loved to laugh. And extending from that, how much fun it was to make her laugh. Even now, that makes me smile.
I was one of the seven double cousins that grew up on the farm in Hanford.  Yes, we thought we were unique in that special bond.  I think I always felt extra loved and secure.  It was like having extra siblings, an extra set of parents. So Borgie was not just my aunt, she was Auntie. 
Auntie, like my mother, sewed and cooked and canned. There were the reversible corduroy coats she made for her daughters that I looked forward to getting as hand-me-downs. I remember sitting at her dining room table eating cornflakes with ice cream.  There was the pizza made with homemade bread dough (of course), rolled thinner and thinner to make more and more pizzas in every available pan. I recall going to the community cannery in Armona with our mothers and processing what seemed like thousands of cans of apricots, peaches and plums. 
Even as Auntie's life on this earth ended, she provided a reason to gather and remember. To hug and reminisce. To line up the remaining double cousins by age for pictures. She would have laughed with us when her brother and sister told childhood stories at her funeral. She would have smiled while watching her loved ones take the time to be with each other. And she would have enjoyed all the good food.
Goodbye, Auntie.  My heart will smile when I think of you.

These are some of my memories of my Grandma White. For me, the most important memories with her were approximately 1980-1990. In the very early 80's, my mother was getting very sick, so my Grandma would come to help take care of us, often riding down on the train (Amtrak). She would sleep in my room. At first, she slept on a foam pad on the floor. After a few nights, she switched with me, and slept in my bed, which was perfectly fine, my 5 year old body didn't mind, her 65 year old body did.
In 1980 my Grandpa purchased an RV/motor-home, which we thought was pretty awesome. My Grandpa enjoyed traveling and thought he would put this to great use, but shortly after, it found its way parked in our backyard with our Grandma living in it (we thought this was pretty awesome too). It had an extension cable going out to it, fresh water via a garden hose hookup - all the finest aspects of modern living. I don't know how long it stayed like this (seemed like years, in reality I'm guessing 6-9 months). Of course having our Grandma so close by was a real life saver for our family, she would do all of the daily things we needed to function and help take care of my mom, etc.
Grandma was always ready to play board games and do activities with us. We would put the same puzzles together every day; she would say I could do them so fast (everything every grandkid could do was of course amazing to her). For one of my early birthdays, she bought me a clock, which I tore apart, rebuilt, plugged in, and it blew up (literally, springs flying and smoke – a very defining moment in my life and for my personality). So she bought me a second toy with no electronics. She loved re-living those early memories with me, would always tell them every time I would visit.
At some point she chose to rent an apartment close by, so the RV went back to the farm. As we grew older, we didn't need quite so much care. Sometimes we'd go to her place and swim in the pool. Again, it seemed like she lived there for a long time, in reality it couldn't have been for more then a year or two.
We made many trips down to the farm over the years. We loved playing in the barn, petting the various animals which lived there over the years, rough housing with our Uncle Bill and tending the ditches with him. Grandma would make us German pancake for breakfast, pizza for dinner; we made home made ice cream with her many times. We would cut through the cotton fields (or corn depending on the year) to walk to Auntie's to play for a few hours. We would walk down the street to see the cows up close. Every kid in the family loved the farm, maybe because it was a predicable set of experiences, we always know what to expect, we always did the same great things. It was a time capsule; everyone had their own favorite spot or corner.
In 1987 we took a road trip in that very same RV with my Grandma and Uncle Bill. We zigzagged the western states for weeks, visiting various cousins and national parks. Every funny moment we would relive and retell each successive day, so by the end of the trip, we had an excess of inside jokes to recall for many years to come. 10 years later we did a similar trip in the same RV, this time with my other sister. My memories of my Grandma always involve a place which is considered ‘home', be it the farm, an apartment, or an RV.
My Grandma always took care of us. We miss her very much, we miss making memories with her, retelling those memories. We miss being under her roof, being with her in her home.

Dear G'ma, 
I'm addressing this to you as a nod to all the letters we exchanged through the years; you were so diligent about corresponding with me wherever I was in the world, and as I grew, getting a letter from you became a treat. I have been so fortunate to have so many memories with you.

As a young child I spent much of my school breaks on the farm and I know your loving presence in my life has shaped me for the better. I fondly remember Hershey the dog, that dilapidated barn that was great fun for a kid, refreshing fruit herbal iced tea on a swamp-cooler kind of day, BLT sandwiches on sourdough, and your eyes light up whenever you asked me if we wanted to play a game. You let me dress you up and help you make upside peach cobbler with famous homemade ice cream.
 
As I grew up, and though I may have visited less, you were still a great part of my life because I knew you were diligently praying for me whether it be for my studies, job, relationships (with boys and the Lord), or that I would make the right choices in my life. You taught me what it means to hold steadfast in your beliefs and love those dear to you regardless.

As an adult, I feel so blessed to have been able to share so many years of memories with you. I know towards the end you expressed your desire to 'go home to be with the Lord', and I selfishly wanted you to hold on, a bit longer, for the next milestone, the next baby to be born in the family, the next wedding, and so on. When your time (finally) came after 98+ years, for you to go home to the Lord, I cannot express enough how hard it was to let you go, and how blessed I feel to be able to tell you 'I Love You' one last time. 

Your warmth provided the kind of childhood every grandchild wishes for and I cannot thank you enough for it. I'll miss you but your memory lives on in the lives of all you touched.

So, for now, I will sign off (and as you would often type, "I'm running out of room on this paper"). I love you and will see you again someday. 
Love, 
Your 'dear granddaughter', Julie

I'm so blessed to be a granddaughter of a wonderful Christian grandma!  It was always so fun to visit my Grandma White's house.  Since I've always lived in the city, I loved visiting the farm.  I was able to bring each of my four kids to visit when they were about 6 months old and I cherish the memories of grandma and her great-grandkids. I'm so thankful for the way she raised her family and how she has been an example for me to follow.  I will miss the subscription to Readers Digest that she gave me every year for my birthday.  I love you Grandma on the farm!

My dear sweet Grandma meant so much to me, so many wonderful memories and such a large part of who I am today.  Holidays on the farm, both when I was a child and later with my own children, were always full of love, games, eating ( homemade ice cream and granola! ) and spending time together with family around the kitchen table. From playing cubbies in Grandmas wardrobe to trying to make barbie clothes with balls of cotton picked from the cotton plants. From exploring that very exciting barn to spending many hours playing Clue and Dominoes. And of course food, delicious dried fruit always in the freezer, carob and almonds, iced tea in the fridge and as already mentioned, the best granola ever. Grandma cooking, and as I grew up helping Grandma with the cooking, learning how important it is to eat healthy and how VERY bad sugar is! 
Always at the heart was Grandma and her endless love for us, no matter how big we got or how far away we were. Then as we had families of our own her love just kept on growing and growing. I always new I was in my Grandmas thoughts and prayers. 
So, thankyou Grandma, thankyou for your endless love and how special you made me feel, thankyou for all the many things you taught me and always, always caring unconditionally. Thankyou for the memories which are such an integral part of me and the hundreds and hundreds of prayers. My selfish side misses you so much, but I'm also happy you are with the Lord where you want to be, you finally made it!
 I love you.
Jill

In 1971, my brother Jim Stanfield and wife Betty died in an accident in the Gold Country in northern California.  The funeral was held in the Ione Baptist Church where Jim was pastor.  As we sat there, in walked Borgie and Bill White, our Hanford neighbors.  Unknown to us, they'd driven there that morning, bringing Emma and Bill Fraley along too.  I will never forget the comfort and encouragement that brought to us. We loved both of them and will see them again in heaven with our Lord Jesus one happy day
Hank and Georgia Douma

Growing up in Australia meant I didn't spend all that much physical time with grandma in my life, but I have felt her presence always. When I was little she was like a wonderful mythical being because of the love my mum had for her, I automatically loved her too. Mum would get cassette tapes (woah that makes even me feel old) that grandma would send of herself talking. Mum would do the ironing and I would play close by to hear her warm voice chatting away about all and nothing. Lucky for me, as a family, we visited the farm several times which was a larger than life experience for a little girl from another country. Going there tops my holiday list regardless of where I have travelled in the world. The farm meant Uncle Bill and Grandma, two of my favourite people. My family.  It meant lots of laughs, lots of food, lots of yummy food. It meant hanging around, smelling earth and cow dung. It meant peace and love, respect and honesty. It meant chatting around the table and my mum feeling happy to be home. It's hard not to take things for granted, and many things I'm sure I will look back on and realise I have, but these precious moments were something I always knew were special, I never took them for granted. 

Later as an independent adult flipping around the world having a carefree time, travelling with friends, I enjoyed my farm stays just as much. I even took my boyfriend to visit once, to which grandma openly disagreed with. But, while letting her views be known, grandma still opened her home and her heart. Growing up with that kind of engaging support and love, even if from afar, is like an invisible cloak of protection. 

When I had a family of my own, I got to introduce my husband, Michael and kids, Romy, Ava and Zephyr to grandma. Short but sweet, we invaded the house like a swarm along with my sister, her husband, three kids and mum and dad! Grandma well into her 90s enveloped us all with her fun spirit and light nature. My family got to experience my grandma, the farm...the cloak of protection.

Now, physically gone it has been heartening to see the incredible impact she has had in this world. She always made me feel special, now I realise she made everyone feel that way, which makes her even more incredible. I'm lucky as I'm not accustomed to having her physically in my life, so her presence, her acceptance, respect and love lives on for me, even though her body is gone.

I have such great memories growing up the 3rd daughter of a family of 4 kids. My 3 double cousins lived less than a mile away. We played together, worked together on the farm, best way to grow up.

I remember standing behind my mom looking over her shoulder as she sewed. I started sewing doll clothes when I was 5 or 6 copying my oldest sister, Laurel's clothes, because I liked them so much. I continue to sew till this day and I am, along with my daughter, Tiffany, trying to teach her daughters,my granddaughters, starting with Taylor.

My mom always had homemade bread which I appreciated later in life. When I was in high school and my friends were at my house mom always seemed to have oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in the freezer (made with sugar, prior to the decades of no real sugar). They would ask for the "frozen" cookies, because they loved them.

When mom became a Christian at the age of 50 she started praying for me and telling me what Jesus did. To her great joy I finally asked Jesus to be my Savior 1 1/2 years later.

I miss you mom, your understanding heart, your compassion and your listening spirit. The last words I said to mom was " I love you" and her last words to me was " I love you".

well, I tried this once, and it didn't show up, so we'll try again.
It's been a difficult few weeks for me since my grandma's passing, as I guess that's to be expected.  My mom was Shelby (Borgie's daughter), who was sick during the last years of her life, and grandma would come and take care of me and my brother Daniel and sister Julie off and on during that time.  I remember how she was everything one thinks of as a grandma: cookies (yes they were sugarless), warm, home-cooked food out in the country, and an even warmer home, in both the physical and metaphorical sense.  I remember playing games, cooking and cleaning, learning to can, and being included in small ways into my grandma's everyday life, like going to the YMCA for swimming classes with all of the senior citizens (as an 8 year old) or visiting her church or friend groups.  She always had time for me, whether playing a game, reading a book, or sharing Bible truths.  I know the last few years were hard for her, and it was hard for me too, to see her declining in health and mind, (although she was always pretty sharp, almost right up until the end, but at 98 years old, you get pretty much a free-pass on that) -particularly after being self-sufficient with so many things and living her entire life taking care of others.  I'm so grateful for her life investments into me, and now that I'm a mother I'm really realizing those lessons that were modeled for me.  It's always a bit strange to me to hear about her life outside of her family, since we tend to only see things from our own perspectives, but it makes me realize just how many people she touched and mentored during her time here on earth.  She truly made an impact on all of those who knew her, and I keep being reminded of that every time I hear somebody speak of her. She is definitely the example of a life well-lived, and loving and living for others, and I miss her immensely, but I'm grateful for her love and guidance in my life, and I can be assured I'll see her again someday.

Two sisters married two brothers, and one of those sisters was my Aunt Borgie, who I first met shortly after I was born.  The other sister was my mother Frances, who first met my father Frank at my Aunt Borgie and Uncle Bill's wedding.  This is a story I heard many times when I was growing up, and whenever I visit my mother it is still a story that we enjoy retelling.  I have my Aunt Borgie to thank for first moving across the country to California so that my mother could join her later at a young age and meet my father.   

When I was a child, my family lived on the same farm as my Aunt Borgie and my Uncle Bill.  Their children are my double cousins, and we spent a lot of time playing together and working together.  In the fall we would gather walnuts from the trees at my house and sell them for our Christmas money.  I remember that my cousin Shelby was very fast and always filled her bucket sooner than the rest of us.  I also remember that the walnut husks would dye our fingers black, and that there was no way to get our fingers clean.

In the summer after we were old enough to be trusted with a hoe in our hands, we were paid to use our hoes to thin the rows of cotton and also chop weeds out of the cotton fields.  This was a formative experience of my childhood.  I remember enjoying the comradery of doing this with my double cousins, but I also remember figuring out at a young age that it might not be so much fun after my cousins grew up and left the farm, so I decided that I would go to college when I was older so that I could also leave the farm.  

The house where I lived was on different part of the farm from my Aunt Borgie's house, but I spent a lot of time around her house because that is where the barn was with the dairy where we milked cows, as well as most of the farm equipment.  That is also where at a young age I remember showing my double cousin Becky how to make my family's 1950 Chevrolet lurch forward by turning the ignition key.  I don't think we could have gone very far because the oak tree with all the abalone shells was right in front of us, but for some reason I got in trouble for showing Becky how cars worked.  Becky was more than 2 months younger than me, so there was much I could teach her that I had already learned, and I always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with her, even when it got us both in trouble.

I also remember that my Aunt Borgie's family had an Encyclopedia Britannica that had information about almost anything that you might want to know.  My family had a much less complete encyclopedia, so when I needed to look up something for a high school class I would often go to my Aunt Borgie's house for that.

When I was growing up I remember hearing that many people thought that my mother and my Aunt Borgie looked like each other, but I never had any trouble telling them apart.  I remember thinking that our families were kind of special, or maybe just different, because there were not very many sisters married to brothers, and there were even fewer Portuguese-Norwegian couples.  As a child I accepted life without putting much thought into it, but as an adult I now realize how adventurous my Aunt Borgie was to leave her home and travel so far away at a time when the Internet and email and Skype and Facebook had not yet been invented, long distance calls were too expensive to use except in an emergency, and there were no interstate freeways to make the 2000 mile drive to her childhood home less daunting.  My Aunt Borgie married someone from a different ethnic group who also had a different religious background.  My Aunt Borgie was quite a free spirit for her time.

One of the last times that I saw my Aunt Borgie was when my wife Jane and I met her and my double cousin Bill at Superior Dairy in Hanford.  We had a light lunch followed by enormous ice cream sundaes that we were barely able to eat.  It was therefore fitting that one of the final events of our celebration of my Aunt Borgie's life was a visit to Superior Dairy so that we could relive the times that we had been there with her.

I miss my Grandma so much already.  I remember talking with her for hours when she would call for my mom and I picked up the phone. I think I was lucky to experience that. She was always so interested in the lives of her family and friends, and loved us so much.

One of my favorite times to think of was when my family moved up to Seattle and I spent the summer with her, Uncle Billy, and my cousin Julie. We played games all the time, she took me to the library, went out for ice cream, even took horse back riding lessons with Julie.

I remember how healthy and fresh everything was, home-made ice cream, fresh picked fruit we would sometimes dry.  I remember going to Chinese and her making sure that they used no MSG. I don't love milk, but while I was with Grandma it was like the best dessert you could ever have. I had one of the best experiences of my life.

I loved visiting Grandma on the farm. Exploring the barn, riding 3-wheelers, swinging in the yard, swimming at local pool with the huge slide, and going to church. Staying up late chatting about family history.

Grandma always a had a way to make you feel very special. She was a phenomenal woman, that I will always remember and miss.

Dear Grandma,

Thank you for all the wonderful times out on your farm. The two things that really stick out are ice cream and your chess like game.

I remember having homemade peach ice cream. Back when I was younger I always thought it was odd that you had to put salt and ice into the ice cream to make it, although it never tasted salty.

I wish I could remember the name of that knights game. It was some of the best times playing against Grandma. It was sorta like chess but the board had arrows determining which way you could move to capture your opponents pieces. 

I remember some of the stories Grandma would tell, my favorite story was how she got through the Great Depression. It just amazed me the strength that she had and the wonderful life she made for herself.  

I love you and will miss you,

Jared

As I think about my Grandma on the Farm, I can't help but remember how much fun we had together and how much I loved going to the farm.  

Always living a good distance from Hanford, it was usually during the summers that the family would pile into the old station wagon, seats turned down in the back, blankets laid out just perfectly by my older sister.  This was back before seat belts were mandatory so here we would come, four kids flying around the back of the car.

I remember well driving up to the farm.  Even from a long distance away, you could always find Grandma's farm, the huge oak tree that stood there for so many years. And the falling down barn in the back.  I remember the smells of dairy cows and hay.  I remember turning on to Elder and looking for Visava and Visavu's home and knowing that we were back.  The arrival was complete when we turned onto the dirt driveway and parked, right there between the porch and the cotton, or corn, or alfalfa.

I remember going into the house.  The living room never changed unlike the rest of the place.  The living room with it's slide out wall.  Pictures of the grand children on the wall, the Reader's Digest, the pull out couch.

I remember the games we played.  Rummy Cube, cards, dominoes and others.  Grandma was always there, playing with us, laughing, winning.  Grandma was so much fun.

I remember looking at pictures.  So many pictures from all over the world.

I remember talking with Grandma.  She had such a keen mind.  Always got our jokes and laughed along with us.

I remember the food.  The terrible, healthy food.  Carob chips for chocolate.  Fructose for sugar.  Homemade yogurt, preserves, granola, and baked goods.  You name it.  They were all so healthy and so, so, not yummy.  Sorry Grandma, it's true.

There is so much to remember, but most of all I remember her love, for us and for Jesus.  Thank you Grandma for being there.  I will miss you.

Jason Haggard & Family

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Borghild P "Borgie" White

1 août 1916 – 14 août 2014

People’s Funeral Chapel

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