Fredna Jean Inman Pierce Fielden

80 years. Depending on your perspective, that can be a really long time or not nearly long enough. For the family and friends of Fredna Jean Inman Pierce Fielden it is not nearly long enough. We lost Mom on December 8, 2015, after she suffered an unexpected stroke. Mom passed peacefully at The Hospice of East Texas in Tyler, TX. Mom, born September 20, 1935, was a product of the Great Depression in that she came of age knowing that life was what you made of it, that you should always be thankful for what you do have, that family is everything (worth respecting, loving, cherishing and forgiving), that maintaining a sense of humor about yourself and your world was important, and that believing in something greater than yourself was the path to a meaningful and fulfilling life. There are a multitude of gifts that Mom bestowed on us over the years and condensing them down is a nearly impossible feat. However, there are some key gifts that she consistently shared with us over the years that were intertwined in to the very fabric of her life and character: faith; unconditional love; gardening; laughter; and a killer fashion sense. Faith in God and faith in others. Mom’s faith was not merely anecdotal to her life; it was infused in all of her actions. Actions being the operative word. Mom never used her faith or beliefs to drive conformity, to judge or to promote any self-interest. Unless, of course, you are talking about her children. There was many a sermon that required Mom pulling on our hair, pinching a shoulder or giving us “the look” to make sure we were paying respectful attention to the pastor. Ultimately, Mom did lead by example and, oh my, did she ever provide us with plentiful demonstrations of selfless giving, grace-filled convictions and good ole’ fashioned discipline and honesty (when the occasion called for it!) all delivered by a 5’4” woman with a hat (in the early years), dress or suit, purse, shoes, jewelry and eye make-up to match! It is a special gift knowing how best you can serve others. Mom possessed that gift and applied it quite generously over the course of 60 years and 3 church homes during her adult life; where she cultivated and maintained life-long friendships. Mom’s faith, friendships and wardrobe pairings were not the only things she cultivated. Mom loved to watch things grow, both literally - due to her life-long love with planting floral and vegetable gardens; and figuratively - in nurturing familial relationships. As the oldest of six children, Mom shared a rare relationship with her siblings that was built on mutual respect, trust and love. Mom and Dad’s relationship was built on the same principles. 13 years and 3 children later, Mom’s resilience and resourcefulness were truly forged by the untimely death of our father. This was merely the beginning of testing Mom’s character as she still had 3 pre-teenage children to raise! Nothing tests your strength of character, your faith, your patience or your sanity quite the same way as the children you raise. We have often marveled over the fact that Mom survived our formative years dealing with us on her own and, given some of our antics, that we survived as well! In retrospect, some of the most loving things Mom did for us were the result of her doing absolutely nothing for us; other than allow us to make our mistakes, to fail and to learn how to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back in the game of life. For that alone, we are eternally grateful. Mom may not have understood or even agreed with our choices or actions, but we always knew that she loved us, supported us and would comfort us when it was clear that we had chosen poorly! So, how do you survive in a household where your mother (a former pastor’s secretary we might add) seems to be (1) all-seeing (we assumed she had spies … everywhere or eyes in the back of her head), (2) all-knowing (those Reader’s Digest and Good Housekeeping articles did highlight some sound advice), and (3) sometimes just plain lucky in discovering your indiscretions? You fall back on the humor and laughter that you can remember being a part of your family from the very beginning! During a recent chat with family, it was discussed that the voices of those we have loved and lost may fade with time, but we typically continue to hear their laughter. We know that Mom’s wonderfully contagious laugh will stay with us. And, it makes sense that laughter endures. It embodies an emotion that is joyful and fully engaged in the moment. And, that sums up what was best about Mom, joyful and engaged in the moment. Mom once said that taking yourself too seriously would set you up for disappointments and that learning to laugh at yourself would spare you a lot heartache in the end. Yes, laughter was indeed a big part of our Mom’s character. Years later, Mom shared a favorite quote that she heard somewhere (no doubt one of those many sermons that we might have fallen asleep during – but never your sermons Dr. Craig!) that “character is built on the debris of one’s life.” Mom thought the quote was a good one, but could use a little improvement (no surprise there, right?): “Good character is built upon understanding the mistakes made that created debris in one’s life.” After all, if learning is not occurring how can you possibly avoid making the same mistake again and if you are not learning from your mistakes how can you lay claim to having good character? Mom analyzed this point quite thoroughly, but we’ll spare you the full exploration. Suffice it to say that the quote resonated with her. She need not have worried about it, when it comes to character, Mom’s character was unparalleled. While the end of Mom’s blessed life leaves us grief-stricken, it was the way in which she lived her life that will continue to inspire those of us fortunate enough to be a part of her world. So, join us in celebrating our Mom’s wonderful life! Pray for those in need, engage in random acts of kindness, plant a seed and watch it grow, forgive yourself and others for shortcomings, give freely of yourself, laugh, love and enjoy each of life’s moments! And, if all else fails, make sure your outfit completely matches! We’ll miss you always, Mom!! XXOO Mom was preceded in death by our father, James Kirby Pierce; her parents, Fred Eugene and Clara Bell Inman; her sister, Mary Lynn Inman; her granddaughter, Bailey Jean Allen; her in-laws, John Newton and Stella Mae Pierce; and other relatives. Mom is survived by her second husband, Earl Fielden of Gilmer, TX; son, John (Suzie) Pierce of Gilmer, TX; daughters, Cindy (Patrick) Allen of Prosper, TX and Shari (Dennis) Redden of Denver, CO; step-daughter, Debbie Fielden of Dallas, TX; 2 grandsons, Chris (Dawn) Pierce of Nacogdoches, TX and Garrett Allen of Prosper, TX; 1 great-granddaughter, Evelyn Pierce of Nacogdoches, TX; 2 brothers, Tom (Sybil) Inman of Columbus, GA and Jim (Sys) Inman of Florissant, CO; 2 sisters, Carol (Steve) Boothe of Lubbock, TX and Sharon Inman (Steve Lipasek) of Frisco, TX; beloved brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law from the Pierce family in Georgia; beloved cousins, nephews and nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces; and numerous other relatives and close friends. Memorial Services – Gilmer, TX: Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the Croley Funeral Home, 305 West Harrison Street, Gilmer, TX 75644 (903.843.2555). Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 11, 2015 at the Croley Funeral Home Chapel (same address and phone number as the visitation). Memorial Services – Fairburn, GA Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at the Parrott Funeral Home, 8355 Senoia Road, Fairburn, GA 30213 (770.964.4800). A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at the Holly Hill Memorial Park, 359 W. Broad Street, Fairburn, GA 30213. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a contribution in memory of our mother to the charity of your choice. Mom was a firm believer that every little bit helps in a meaningful way!

Fredna Jean Inman Pierce Fielden

September 20, 1935 - December 8, 2015