Today was the funeral services for a dear lady that was a co-founder of the Tombstone Transcription group. Sally Goehring was more than that - she was a friend.
Sally Goehring was the first person to call me back in 2001 after the Albuquerque Journal ran a story about my work in a local cemetery. At that time I had completed one cemetery with the help of Danielle Sengel. The newspaper kindly added a post-script that said I'd be interested in volunteers to work on additional cemeteries. If I remember correctly, Sally called the afternoon that the newspaper was published. I hadn't even had time to think of training because I didn't think anyone would be interested.
My first group meeting was September 12, 2001 (yep, day after 9/11) and Sally arrived early and stayed late. She was anxious to hear of my plans and what we could accomplish. She said she had been climbing over fences into any cemetery she could find for years. She couldn't pass up a cemetery without getting out of the car and walking through it. Didn't matter if it was a new one or 100 years old, she enjoyed it.
She quickly became my friend and a very dedicated hard worker. Sally came to the cemeteries we were walking whether it was hot or cold, windy or spitting rain. She would wear mittens that had removable fingers just so she could work in the cold. Didn't make any difference to her - she was doing what she loved. And she had impeccable writing. She knew the work was important and the information would be left for all generations to come.
Sally also taught me the love of quilting. She and I worked together - she teaching, me stumbling with getting seams straight and matching points. She didn't care if my points matched, she just told be to try harder next time. I love quilting now and every quilt has a bit of Sally in it as I remember her instructions and love of the quilt.
Yes, a dear lady has left this world and entered heaven where she is teaching the angels how to make heavenly quilts and pointing out all the burial places in New Mexico. I will miss you Sally Goehring!
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