Almost two centuries ago, Lord Byron wrote words which seem wonderfully appropriate for a memorial to Faye Edmondson Ginn today:
"She walks in beauty like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and in her eyes…
And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow
And tell of days in goodness spent…”
From her earliest days in Mississippi, her family recalls her delightful attributes as one who brought great joy to the hearts of parents, Dr. and Mrs. H. E. Edmondson, and other family members. In young adulthood, she developed into a beautiful woman and attracted the attention and love of DeWitt M. Ginn, with whom she entered into marriage, education, parenthood and ministry. Pat and Faye, with their three children, Annette, DeWitt and Mary, formed a family unit in which love and dedication to God guided every facet of their lives.
Faye walked in physical beauty; her gentle features and radiant smile were always set in careful grooming that spoke of her respect for her person as a creation of God.
She walked in beauty as a wife and mother, standing beside her husband in every trial and triumph of their ministry, and guiding young lives into understanding and appreciation for congregations as people who love and are to be loved.
Her beauty shone forth in her appreciation for the careful attention of medical personnel and the never-failing affection of friends throughout her several years of progressive illness.
The crowning beauty of her walk through life was the faith that was reflected in her experiences and relationships. That faith provided the strength in which to prepare her children for her death. She never avoided the word or the fact of death. In faith, Faye and Pat planned her memorial service, and she was openly delighted to discuss with me, her District Superintendent, what I would say in that service and what part Bishop Kenneth Shamblin was to fill. When I told her of my plan to refer to Lord Byron's poem as a description of her life, her characteristic modesty, framed in a beautiful blush, prompted a typical response, "Aw, Doug!" She faced death with normal regret in leaving her family, but with a simple confidence that God would care for them and hold them close to her within His heart.
Even in untimely death at age 44, Faye Ginn walked in and left behind a trail of beauty that will be a lasting beacon to all who knew and loved her. With Pat, Annette, DeWitt and Mary, we shall all walk a bit more confidently through life, as we move toward ultimate reunion with her in God's presence, forever.
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