Obituary
Gloria Jerrel, 77 of Weirton, WV passed away at home on Friday May 8, 2020.She was born February 9, 1943 in Richeyville, PA, the daughter of the late Carmine and Beatrice Kepen Ciervo. She was also preceded in death by her husband, L.Kenneth Jerrel (2009); brothers, Lawrence Ciervo, Arthur Ciervo.
Gloria retired from the Hancock County Sheltered Workshop as an administrative assistant. Her past numerous community involvements included the VFW Post No.2716 Auxiliary, American Legion Post No. 10 Auxiliary, Tri-State Young Marines, where she held leadership roles throughout the years.
Surviving are her daughter, Maria Jerrel-Tasey; son, Mark Jerrel (Janine), all of Weirton, WV; grandchildren, Kelson Jerrel (Sara) and their children Benjamin and Alexander; Jayce Jerrel, Kiri Jerrel (R.J. Cohorn), Megan Tasey, Justin Tasey; sisters, Emily Kotula (Ronald) of Wake Forest, NC, JoAnn Buseck (Mark) of Richeyville, PA.
Visitation will be Tuesday May 12, 2020 from 5:00 p.m. until time of the funeral at 7:00 p.m. at STEEL & WOLFE FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES, INC., 380 Penco Road, Weirton, WV. Dr. J.E. Rudiger will preside. Private burial will be Wednesday at St. Paul Cemetery.
You know, I don't think it's ever easy saying goodbye, and it's especially hard when you're saying it to someone whom you know and love. And even when you believe that you'll see the person again, it's still hard to let them go. I remember, back when I was a little boy, we lived in Norfolk, Virginia and my dad worked for the Newport News Ship Building and Drydock. And every now and then, he'd have to make a business trip up here to Pittsburgh. And even though I knew he was only going to be gone for a couple of days and I knew that he was coming back and I knew that when he came back, there'd be something special for my sister and me in his suit case, I still remember how sad I was as I stood at the airport fence and watched my dad get on that airplane. You see, saying goodbye is always a difficult thing to do.
And of course, that's especially true today, as we say goodbye to Gloria, a woman who was important, but not only to everyone here this evening, but to all those people who's life she shaped at the Sheltered Workshop or through the VFW or Young Marines. Man, she was important to this whole community, and I'll tell you, a person like that will be missed.
And even though I hope y'all believe that what y'all are facing right now is just a time of separation; in other words, the day is coming when God's going to recreate his universe and when that day comes, you'll be able to join those who have died in a brand new world, one where there is no pain or parting or death, and even though I hope you know that you're going to not only see Gloria again but to spend eternity with her, right now it's still difficult, isn't; difficult to say goodbye.
But I'll tell you, God didn't leave you to deal with this by yourselves, because believe me, there are two things you can do right this minute that will sort of help you through the sadness. Now before I say anything else, let me be clear, there's nothing I can say that will made the grief go away. I don't have those words. Still I believe there are two things that can keep you going until y'all see Gloria again.
You see, first, you can simply believe; you can simply trust in God. And although sometimes that's made overly complicated by minister-types like me, I'll let you in on a secret, it's really simple. Let me tell you what I mean. Y'all can simply trust that Gloria was and is and that you are and will always be in the hands of God, in his loving and gracious and merciful hands. Now this is something we can all believe but you know, even if you're not always sure and you have some questions, maybe even doubt, that doesn't change the fact that Christ was born and he died and he was raised, and that doesn't change the fact that we are still in God's loving hands. I'm telling you, that's one thing you can believe.
And you can also trust that, just like God led Gloria through death toward new life, one day she's going to do the same thing for us. Now, remember the Psalm we read a little while ago. Well, that God who like a shepherd takes such good care of his sheep, man, he's already led Gloria through the valley of the shadow of death. You see, God has already done that for Gloria; and when it's our time, he's going to do the same thing for us. This is the something you can believe too.
And I'll tell you, because of that, y'all can trust that you're going to see Gloria again. Now I want you to imagine that, y'all are going to see her again in a new heaven and new earth. And of course she'll probably be in the middle of what's going on, serving on some kind committee or judging a contest or maybe organizing some kind of festival. And you can bet you're bottom dollar that she'll be smiling and so will the people around her. No, Gloria will be there, bragging about her grandchildren and ready to spend eternity with her friends and family. I'm telling you, as you move through the sadness, you can believe, you can trust. That's first thing you can do until we see Gloria again.
But you know, that's not all. You see, second, starting this evening, y'all can remember Gloria. Now, I'm not going to blow any smoke; I met her and talked with her a little bit, but I really didn't know her. But you know, even though I didn't know her, y'all did. Y'all did, and so starting today, y'all can remember. You can remember how I think you could say she was generous to a fault and how she'd always look for the best in the folks she met and how being involved in her community and with her family, man, that was like her middle name. You see, starting right after the service, y'all can remember.
And as you remember, man, you can tell and retell the stories about Gloria, stories that y'all know so well. And please don't forget the funny ones you know, like fainting over Elvis Presley. And I'll tell you why I think that's important. Every time you share one these stories, in a very real way, you'll be keeping alive all those experiences and qualities that made Gloria so special to those who loved her. You see, you can simply remember; you see, that's the second thing we can do and continue to do until we see Gloria again.
Like I said, saying goodbye isn't easy. And I don't believe that God expects us to do this without feeling sadness and grief, even though we know that the separation is temporary. No, saying goodbye hurts. But after the initial sadness eases. I want to challenge y'all to do the two things we talked about this evening. You see, when you leave this place, I want you to make the decision the you're going to trust God and to remember Gloria, until you see her again.
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