Dear Mary Chris,
To love someone since 8th grade, then have them suddenly gone, must feel almost unbearable. Terry and I are so sorry. We are praying for you, your boys, and their spouses, and of course the grandchildren. You were so young when you met the man you would spend the rest of your life with, yet I don't remember a time when you ever doubted he was the one for you. Many memories flood my mind, but I will share just one from the earlier years. You and I were walking home from baseball practice, and Dennis was following us in his car. He was trying to talk to you after a quarrel, but you were ignoring his attempts. If I recall you didn't know what to do, and I didn't know what advice to give you. I just knew I wanted what was best for my best friend. Ends up, after 50 years, all Dennis ever wanted was what was best for Mary Chris. Loving you and making sure you were taken care of was so important to him, evident in our recent conversations as you described all he did for you daily. God bless all the Courtad's as you grieve the loss of such an important person as your husband, dad and Papa.