Bill’s Journey

It’s been about a week since we gathered and formally celebrated the life of our dad.  Many of our local friends were able to attend either or both of the services last weekend, and as a family we are grateful for your friendship and support.  However, many of you obviously could not attend, and we would like to share with all of you the sights and sounds of our time together  in celebration of Bill’s wonderful life.

Celebration Service Program
Here’s the program that was given out at the Celebration Service on Sunday, August 30, 2009.
Program

Celebration Service, Committal Service and Military Interment Video
Several of you asked if there was any way we could post part or all of the services (especially the “Pictorial Remembrance”) here on the blog.  The answer: yes.  You’ll notice below that we’ve divided it all up into eight segments for easier viewing.  Once you click the play button, the video will play as it streams to you’re computer (although if you have a slower internet connection, you might have a little wait time possibly).  You can also skip ahead by dragging the blue progress bar forward.

Celebration Service
Part 1: Casket entrance, Hymn Medly (Karen Callison), Opening Prayer (Kent Walton), and Welcome (Terry Shrout)
Part 2: Life Story (Linda Villalva and Laura Avina)
Part 3: Pictorial Remembrance
Part 4: Congregational Hymn and Reflection (Dr. Andrea Cook)
Part 5: Scripture Reading (Melissa and Sarah Shrout) and Pastoral Reflection (Dr. John Johnson)
Part 6: Solo (Karen Callison) and Family Reflection (Rick Shrout)
Part 7: Benediction (Dr. E. Joe Gilliam)

Committal Service and Military Interment
Part 8: Committal Service & Military Interment

Extended Photo Gallery
Here’s a few more photos from the viewing, celebration service, and military interment.  Just click on an image to enlarge.

It was one week ago today that dad passed on from this life into eternal life.  Since that time when the family was gathered around his bed for those final hours, it seems like we have been on the go non-stop.

People who attended the celebration service on Sunday have described their impression of that experience by using words to describe it such as beautiful, honoring, meaningful and even awesome.  With probably close to 300 people in attendance at the service, the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of mostly veterans whose motto is “Standing for those who stood for us”,  stood motionless and silent with flags, lining the sidewalk leading up to McGuire Auditorium on the Warner Pacific campus.

The internment service with a military honor guard at Willamette National Cemetery on Monday was handled with great respect and dignity.   The military did such a wonderful job, dad would have been proud.  Again, the Patriot Guard Riders added even another layer of respect by leading the procession on their bikes with flags.

We sincerely appreciate all of the cards, emails, calls, visits, encouragement, and support that you have shown our family.  We simply cannot thank you enough.  We have posted a couple of photos here, and will let you know when more are available for viewing online.

The Shrout family

The funeral home has also set up a website at www2.mem.com
Search for Shrout

Biography

William Clay Shrout Jr., the youngest of eight children born to William Clay Shrout Sr. and Laura Shrout, was born on October 11, 1926 in a farmhouse near Akron, Indiana.  Growing up as a son of sharecropper farmers, he graduated from Akron High School in 1944.

That summer, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the U.S.S. LCSL 73, a small 158-foot long landing craft support vessel built in Portland.  As a member of a 40 mm gun crew, his vessel performed picket duty during hostile action off the shoreline of Okinawa.  As an 18 year-old, his skipper recognized Bill’s unwavering faith, and was asked to also perform the role of acting chaplain.  Bill was discharged in 1946 and entered Anderson College that fall.

While at Anderson, Bill was introduced to a good-looking gal from North Carolina by the name of Julia Hilda Honeycutt.  After a lengthy four-month courtship, they were married on February 8, 1947, and shared 62 years of happy marriage together.

Bill soon graduated from Indiana Business College and began a long career working for private businesses and corporations.  Sensing God’s direction, the Shrout family moved from Indiana to Portland in 1966 where Bill served a total of eleven years at Warner Pacific College, first as business manager and then Administrative Vice President. During that time, he earned certification in college business management from the University of Kentucky.

Upon leaving the college, Bill worked for Mercy Corps, a relief and development organization.  Finally, he spent his working years before retirement as a realtor. Bill remained a loyal fan and supporter of the WPC basketball team, and when faced with health issues, he would often monitor the Knights at home online.

Serving God was at the center of Bill’s life.  Among the many ways this was expressed, he served in local congregations as church treasurer, on church councils, and teaching young adult Sunday school classes. He was the first layperson to chair the Association of the Churches of God in Oregon and SW Washington, as well as serving for ten years on the National Council of the Church of God.

Bill wrote From Mud Pies and Lilac Leaves in 1997, a book describing his childhood growing up on an Indiana farm during the Great Depression. In 2000, his follow-up book, After the Mud, recounts his experiences in the U.S. Navy. Due to the popularity of his books, Bill was honored as the Hoosier Author in Residence at the Indiana State Fair for four years. Both books are now housed at the Indiana Historical Society.  Motivated by his illness, he started writing his third book before he passed away.

Serving his family was also a center point in Bill’s  life.  He was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He always made time to attend and participate in the interests and special events in the lives of every member of his family.

In November 2008, Bill was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  During the many months of recovery from surgery, chemo, shingles, and then a heart attack, Bill’s faith and complete trust in the Lord was evident to all who visited with him, or read his blog, Bill’s Journey (www.billshrout.com).  Bill passed from this life and held the hand of Jesus in the early morning hours of August 25, 2009.  He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Julia; daughter Linda (Raul)Villalva; sons Terry (Betty Jo) Shrout, and Rick (Toni) Shrout; grandchildren Charley (Melissa) Graham, Laura (Alex) Avina, Jonathan Shrout, Melissa Shrout, Sarah Shrout; great-grandchildren Andy Avina and Benjamin Avina; and sister Christine Watkins.

Our family would like to thank you for your prayers, love, support, emails, and kind words of encouragement.   We invite you to join us for any of these services if you are able to attend.
Thank you.

Visitation

Saturday, August 29 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home
11801 SE Mt. Scott Blvd.
Portland

Celebration Service

Sunday, August 30 at 3:00 p.m.
McGuire Auditorium
Warner Pacific College
2219 SE 68th
Portland

Military Internment at Willamette National Cemetery

Monday, August 31 at 2:00 p.m.
Meet at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home
11801 SE Mt. Scott Blvd.
Portland

Memorial Fund

Bill and Julia Shrout Scholarship Endowment
Warner Pacific College
2219 SE 68th
Portland, OR  97215

It is difficult to know how to write this blog.  Dad had been  
struggling the past several days with getting down sufficient  
nutrition, especially since his heart attack on August 12.

Each day has been new, sometimes he showed improvement and on other  
days not. He had seen a homecare nurse on Monday and we were in  
contact with the doctor. The decision was to bring him in today for  
hydration.

His weakened body had actually shown some improvement over the  
previous day. However, about midnight breathing became more difficult  
to the point where we called 911.

He soon experienced heart failure and about three hours later he  
joined hands with with our Lord Jesus for eternity.  All of the family  
was there at his side in the hospital.

Everthing has happened so fast, but we know that God in His infinite  
mercy has allowed dad to now be free of his discomfort and suffering.

Service arrangements will be posted as soon as we have it figured out.  
Once again, thanks for all of your love and support.

The Shrout Family

Another blog update so soon means good news.  In conferencing with the lead doctor today, he shared that they were quite pleased with how dad’s heart had showed improvement.  Together with his improved energy and mobility levels, the doctor was convinced that dad had progressed to the point that the best place for him to continue to rest and recover  from his heart attack is now at home.   So, this afternoon he said goodbye to the fantastic caring staff in the cardio unit, and together with a sackful of new prescriptions we made the two mile journey home.

We thank God for His touch upon his heart and body, and also for the wonderful care he has received in ICU and in the cardiac unit.  As mentioned in the previous blog, in addition to recovering from his heart attack, there are other health issues and concerns that he is facing on a daily basis.   We can’t say enough about how your emails and comments have been encouraging.  Again, we thank you for joining us in praying for him as his continues on this journey.

Terry

Leaving the hospital, escorted by the kind J.J.

Home at last with granddaughters Melissa and Sarah.

We apologize for the delay in posting this update, as we certainly wanted to get this information out much sooner.  If you have read the past three blogs, then you will know that dad was in ICU at the Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital after suffering a heart attack during an endoscopic procedure.  After receiving excellent care in ICU, on Thursday afternoon he was moved into the cardiac care unit.  Over the past six days here at the hospital, we have met with cardiologists, internists, a gastroenterologist, a pulmonary specialist, and an oncologist, as we attempt to understand the complex and serious health issues that he is facing.

The number one concern is keeping his heart stabilized, which is happening.  They even had him up a bit today walking around his room.  He still has difficulty in swallowing, and thus it is a struggle sometimes to get in needed nutrition.  While here at the hospital, he has met with yet another specialist in an attempt to identify some possible strategies to assist with this problem.

The oncologist shared with us that in comparing a scan done in May with a scan done here at the hospital reveals swelling in certain lymph nodes.  The doctor’s comment was there is a “good possibility” that cancer has returned.  While this has not been conclusively diagnosed and more follow up is to come, this certainly is quite concerning and not information that we want to hear.

In the midst of this situation, we are thankful to God for so many things.  We are thankful for caring and compassionate medical professionals who are providing him with excellent care, for concerned and caring friends and family like you, for answered prayer in relieving shingles pain.  Most importantly, we are thankful in knowing that God continues to remind us of His loving presence each day.

As we continue to travel this journey together as a family, it is quite evident that we cannot see the entire path a head, and we feel now more than ever that we must take this one step at a time.  In Proverbs 3: 5-6 we read “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.”

We are reading your emails and comments to him right here in his room, and those have been so encouraging. We know that dad and our entire family sincerely appreciate it so very much. Thank you so much for your continued love, support, and prayers.

Thank you,

Terry, on behalf of the Shrout family

In the cardiac care unit with nurse Stephanie, one of the caring and compassionate health care providers.

First of all, we want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. Yesterday was a difficult day for everyone involved. What was a serious state of health quickly turned into an unexpected critical state of health in a totally unrelated way. During a quick procedure to enlarge his esophagus yesterday morning, Bill suffered a heart attack. From what we understand, the doctors nearly lost him, but they were able to stabilize his vitals and rush him into the ICU where he was listed in critical condition throughout the day.

Since yesterday, Bill has improved greatly. He is still in the ICU, but is listed in stable condition. He is tired, but alert, and wishes to thank all of you for your prayer support. We shared with him your supportive commits from this blog and the other e-mails we’ve received, and he appreciates them greatly.

We will keep all of you updated as hopefully his condition continues to improve.

Bill’s vitals were stabilized, then took a turn for the worse at about 11:00. Has been now moved to the ICU and classified as critical. May have possibly had an acute heart attack. Prayers definitely needed.