Reflection & Remembrance
The last week of February was a time of reflection and remembrance for those who have been associated with UBCS back in the late 70’s through the late 80’s. During that time there were two school administrators, Mr. James F. Hockman and Mr. L. Keith Lay. Both of these men experienced the solemn home-going of their respective wives, Marilyn and Barbara. The service for Mrs. Hockman was held on Friday, February 27 at Calvary Baptist Church in Lansdale, PA and the service for Mrs. Lay was held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Saturday, February 28.
Both men saw the battle of cancer that both ladies fought until the very end. Both men had experienced rich and full marriages with their brides. Both men knew the lives that were touched and the souls that were saved because of Barbara and Marilyn. Both men knew that the passing of their wives was a celebration of life!
Marilyn Hockman taught English for a short time at UBCS and more recently, was very involved with the lives of her grandchildren. She loved planning family vacations and her big Thanksgiving dinners. She was known for always praying for them. The most important thing to her was that each grandchild would accept Jesus Christ as his/her Savior. Every month she would send them a letter with a verse and words of encouragement.
Barbara Lay was very involved with her gift of hospitality. She was well known for her “southern hospitality” to hundreds of pastors, missionaries, and others in Christian service. The most important thing to her was her testimony for others to see. Barbara’s testimony was primarily responsible for two young ladies accepting the Lord. One accepted Christ where Barbara took treatment and one accepted Christ at the funeral service.
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. II Corinthians 4:16-18