Ouida Horne — the rest of the story

Ouida Horne’s obituary can be read in this past week’s Sunday Ledger-Enquirer Newspaper (Columbus, Georgia). It tells of her birth, death, family, and a few references to her life as an interior designer. It also gives the news of her funeral service and the so-called final resting place of her remains. But, unfortunately, obits just don’t tell the whole story. Newspapers would get rich if the whole story were told.

I was (am still so in the economy of God) the first cousin by marriage of Ouida Park Horne. She married into our family some three years after I was born and yet her intersections with my life over the years made great impressions. Not only on me but my immediate family also.

I would not call her the church lady and that’s where you know we ministers can take a ride. We love those faithful to the door, Sunday after Sunday and Wednesday after Wednesday. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I encourage it.

But Ouida was a shining example that it was not how many times you filled a pew, but how many hearts you touched. “Ouida” is a unique name, containing all the vowels but one. It’s a French name and means woman warrior. One minister friend described her as a maverick that did more than many realize to help put Warm Springs, Georgia back on the map after FDR died and left. She was full up of life of the Lord even when her body was giving up.

She could put stuff together that just did not belong together. My sister remembered that Ouida, in one of her gifts as a flower arranger, wove mustard greens from our Uncle Webb’s garden with red roses as the floral blanket for his coffin. Mustard greens and roses. That’s class and brains.

Ouida was one of the first ones who taught me that Christmas was all about celebrating and decorating. About 40 Christmases ago I was giving our new pastor a little tour of Ouida’s and Earl’s home. In Gomer Pyle-mouth style I informed him that she had a Christmas tree in every room including the bathroom. Who had ever heard of such?

In the last seven weeks of home confinement, she begged off drugs so she could extend pure and alert hospitality to her many friends and family members that came calling. She asked for no tears and no flowers in her memory only that folks go out and do something kindly for someone in need. That was her nature. One of pastors commented that Ouida was generous beyond her resources and sought out need so she could meet it.

Jesus tells us that at the end there will be a great accounting. He personally will separate the sheep from the goats. He will say to one bunch, “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom.” Some will ask why the special treatment? He will respond, “When I was hungry you fed me; when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink; when I was a stranger, you took me in.” They were even more dumbfounded and asked him, “When did we do all that?” And Jesus said, “Ouida, when you did it to the least of them, you did it to me. Come on in and enjoy the life of the kingdom.” Or, something like that.

Jesus also said there would be a great banquet table in heaven. I really believe Ouida, and many more like her, are serving up the chicken and dumplings to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Gertie, Lorea, and Willie. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thank you for letting me brag on family.