Dollie Bumgardner Obituary, Death – Dollie Bumgardner passed away. Her pain is gone in Jesus’ arms. I want to honor her with kind words, but she meant so much to me that I can’t think of any. She wasn’t just my pastor’s wife or my husband’s grandmother. She’s been my grandmother since I was 15 years old. At her house, I never felt out of place. I felt loved even as a teen mother. When I sat next to her at Fellowship Baptist, she welcomed me with open arms. I adored her because the congregation adored her.
She was thoughtful. She was straightforward, but she let you know she adored you. She was devoted to her family. She prayed for them all the time. She was always talking about her children, grandchildren, and nieces. When Randy told them he’d been called to preach, she told me I’d been called as well, and it wouldn’t be easy, but she’d be there to help me. True. I’d call her and say, “now preachers wife to preachers wife, what do I need to do?” about a situation or something going on, and she’d walk me through it and help me see both sides. She taught me a lot.
I’d call some days and we’d just talk for an hour before I realized it, and I’m going to miss those conversations. I’ll miss having her call me and tell me how much she loved my babies and was proud of them, or how much she liked Randy’s sermon and loved him, because I believe she loved them as much as I do. I’ll miss her hugs and kisses on the cheeks. I’m going to miss that smile, that “you better come here girl” if I walked in without first stopping at her pew. I’ll miss her, but I’m glad I got to know her, be loved by her, and learn from her. She was an excellent role model for the pastor’s wife.
