Lorraine Claire St. Ours

Mama has gone home to be with her Lord and her Savior, Jesus Christ.

Just thinking those words brings tears to our eyes, tears that we thought we were empty of, yet they continue to flow. You understand it will most likely happen one day; that you will be speaking those words about one you love, but you never are truly prepared for it when it eventually happens. If you ask us how we are doing, we will say ‘I am good’. But to be honest, we are heartbroken. A piece of us, a wonderful and loving piece of us, is gone. There is a hole where Mom fit so well that will forever be vacated. She was a devoted wife of nearly 40 years to her husband who passed in 2009, a wonderful mother to her four children and a doting Mémère (grandmother to those of you who don’t know French) to her 23 grandchildren and her 11 great-grandchildren. We are grieved beyond words that we will no longer have her with us. Our minds are numb thinking about the future events that will not include her but we are overjoyed as we reminisce on the memories of the events of the past where she was fully present. Loving and smiling. That was her calling to us. A very present source of love and hugs. A continual source of loving affection and gentle simplicity in a world that is increasingly cumbersome, complex, and dark. She was a beam of light. She is gone from us, we mourn, and the world is worse off.

But God…

In His great love, God has taken Mom into His glorious presence. As we mourn, she rejoices in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She is realizing and will for all eternity, the beauty, majesty, and holiness of our great God. None of this is a reward for a life well lived or that she made a positive difference in people’s lives or that she was a good person. Yes, she was all of those and much more. No, those are not the reasons she is with the Lord. She stands face to face with Jesus because she put her faith and trust in Him alone for salvation. She knew who she truly was, a sinner in desperate need of forgiveness, and heard the beautiful gospel message and knew of her need of redemption. She repented of her sin and trusted Christ alone for salvation. She trusted His atoning death on the cross of Calvary and His victorious resurrection. She trusted in His promise of eternal life to all who believe. She simply and lovingly believed. That is why she is in glory today. That is why, even though we are heartbroken and grief stricken beyond words, even though we cry and we mourn and shed tear after tear, even though we do miss her and will always miss her and will never recover…We praise God in this moment because He is worthy. We glorify His name because He is glorious. I know this truth; God is glorified when He calls His children into glory. That is our hope and joy in the midst of grief. He is worthy, He alone is worthy. May His name be praised!

Memorial Services for Lorraine will be at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 949 N Marquis Hwy in Hartsville at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday January 30, 2021. There will be a time of visitation with the family directly following the service. Pastor Jamie St. Ours will officiate.

Norton Funeral Home is honored to serve the St. Ours family.