Kelly, Jodi, Jo Retta, Joy, Auntie
12/25/1948 - 8/1/2007

My Tribute

After losing Mom a lot of people all over the world, some I had never met, sent condolences and their best wishes.  It seems that a lot of people knew different sides of my Mother.  To us she was a Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Niece, Sister, Cousin and Friend.  Some knew her as a Hero, an Idol, an Inspiration, an Expert, a Public Speaker, a Volunteer, a Teacher, a Mentor and so on.  It seems she was more to everyone than I ever thought.  My Mom is gone, and we have lost others in our lives, and this is my Tribute to them.

 
The Stockton Record was very gracious to run the following letter I sent to them about Ma:

Originally Published Thursday, November 9, 2000

Stockton loses remarkable citizen

Late on the evening of October 24th, in Yolo County, my Mother, Faith Beckwith, was killed in a motorcycle accident. My Mother taught me many of the "motherly" things that you would expect me to write about: love, honor, respect, responsibility, etc., but she also taught me how to love where I live.

Mom was proud of Stockton and took her civic responsibility very seriously.

Once she made Stockton her final home 23 years ago, she went right to work helping and honoring our city. As a certified employment specialist -- and owner and operator of At Your Service for the past 14 years -- she had helped thousands and thousands of people find work all over the county, state, nation and world.

She had been invited as a public speaker and consultant to countless job fairs and seminars through the years and had been contracted by some of the largest employers in San Joaquin County to help prepare laid-off workers find new jobs. She also did motivational speaking at the California Youth Authority and was a Notary Public
 
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In 1986, the professional dance troupe that she co-founded, The Classy Country Dancers, was invited to represent California by performing at the World's Fair in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Years later, she co-founded the Stockton-based performing dance troupe Rhythm and Boots.

As a 10-year breast cancer survivor, she championed such causes as the American Cancer Society, Women's Shelter, Big Brother & Big Sisters, and every year adopted a needy family for Christmas. She was very proud of her recent appointment to the Board of the Women's Success Group.

My mother has contributed so much for so many people in this community it would be difficult to list them all. I have lost a mother, something that never seemed possible, and Stockton has lost a remarkable citizen.

see original page here.

Click here for my tribute.

Jerome Hilton Bigelow  "Papa" 12/28/1919 - 7/2/1998
 

I could not imagine how my life would have been had I not grown to know Papa.  We were never close and he tended to wanted to be left alone.  After he lost his beautiful sail boat in the Bay he eventually moved in with my Mother and Step-Father.  I thought it was weird at first.  Parents coming home to live with their children was something that I heard about but never saw.  
I got to know Papa during this period.  We would play cribbage, in complete silence.  He did not like chit-chat during this game.  I was taught to play cribbage when I was very young, it was a requirement in my family that you play.  No one ever beat Papa, although Mimi said she would beat him often when they were married but he would never comment.
Papa loved his children, grandchildren and really started to get used to being a great-grandfather.  Living in Mom's house for the last several years of his life he was surrounded by the kids of the family. Emily and her cousins got to enjoy his dry sense of humor, something that I am sure they still will always remember. 
Papa was a true American patriot.  Having served proudly in the armed forces and during two wars, he wore his pride close to his chest but was always willing to share a story. 
Papa enjoyed playing golf and pool. He was a welder and loved to build things with metal and wood.  When my Father met my Mother, he owned and operated a furniture store and continued to build things until he passed away. 
When I was a child I was embarrassed to have Jerome as a middle name.  As an adult, I am very proud to have been given his name.  
 
 

One of Papa's painting. I have this one hanging in my family room where I look at it often and see his eyes.

see original page here.