Nathan Roger Stone

I WILL NOT TELL YOU HOW NATHAN DIED, BUT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU HOW HE LIVED.

TO SUM IT UP, NATHAN WAS A BEAUTIFUL, MEEK AND HUMBLE CHILD OF GOD; THE DESIRED QUALITIES OF A PERSON IN WHOM THE LORD IS WELL PLEASED. TO BE MEEK MEANS TO BE QUIET, GENTLE. TO BE HUMBLE MEANS BEING MODEST NOT PROUD; EASILY IMPOSED ON.

NATHAN BLESSED OUR LIVES WITH PERFECT LOVE AS HE KNEW IT AND WE LOVED HIM BACK WITH AS GREAT A LOVE AS WE COULD GIVE; HOPING EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE HE FELT THIS LOVE. I BELIEVE HE DID. BECAUSE NATHAN LIVED A MEEK AND HUMBLE LIFE, I FIND GREAT JOY IN KNOWING THAT HE WAS FILLED WITH THIS PERFECT LOVE.

I KNOW OUR LOVE FOR NATHAN FILLED HIS LIFE WITH HOPE AS HE NAVIGATED THROUGH THE DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE THAT SO EASILY TROUBLED HIM. IN THESE MOMENTS NATHAN FOUND GREAT JOY AND REST TO HIS SOUL.

NATHAN AND I HAD MANY, MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HIS LIFE AND I WAS HONORED TO FILL THE ROLE AS A FATHER TO GUIDE AND COUNSEL WITH HIM.

I DID MY BEST TO TEACH HIM TO HAVE HOPE; TO BELIEVE IN HIMSELF; THAT HE WAS GREATER THAN WHAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS; THAT HE IS A GOOD MAN, A GOOD FATHER, AND A GREAT SON. THAT HE BROUGHT SO MUCH JOY AND HAPPINESS TO MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF HIS FAMILY.

I LOVED THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON HIS FACE AS HE PONDERED THE WORDS WE OFTEN SHARED DURING THESE TENDER MOMENTS OF LOVE, MERCY AND UNDERSTANDING; THAT ONLY A FATHER AND SON COULD SHARE.

NATHAN LIVED SUCH MOMENTS WITH ALL OF US. AND I HOPE THAT AS WE REMEMBER NATHAN THAT WE REFLECT ON HIS GENTLE SPIRIT. THESE MEMORIES WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS AND COMFORT US AS WE REVIEW THEM LOVINGLY IN OUR HEARTS.

A DAY OF FISHING WITH NATHAN - ONE DAY NATHAN AND I WERE FISHING. WE USED NIGHT CRAWLERS FOR BAIT. WHEN I FIRST TAUGHT NATHAN HOW TO FISH; WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUES, I REMEMBER TELLING HIM THAT YOU ONLY NEEDED HALF OF THE NIGHT CRAWLER FOR THE HOOK. I BELIEVED THIS METHOD WAS THE BEST WAY TO ENTICE THE FISH TO BITE.I HAD TAUGHT HIM TO TRY AND THINK LIKE A FISH. SOMEHOW NATHAN GOT IT IN HIS HEAD THAT THE FISH WOULD BE MORE ATTRACTED TO THE WHOLE WORM AND NOT THE HALF. I SUPPOSE HE THOUGHT IF HE WAS A FISH HE'D WANT THE WHOLE MEAL AND NOT JUST HALF.

WE FISHED A LOT TOGETHER AND I WAS ALWAYS AMAZED TO WATCH HIM SO HAPPY AND FULL OF LIFE DURING OUR TRIPS TOGETHER. NATHAN HAD A GOAL TO BEAT ME FISHING; MEANING TO CATCH MORE FISH THAN I DID. HE TRIED SO HARD. EVERY TIME HE'D ASK HOW I CAUGHT SO MANY FISH I'D TELL HIM I USED HALF A NIGHT CRAWLER AND NOT THE WHOLE WORM. ON THIS DAY HE DECIDED TO DO IT THE WAY I DID. SO I TOOK A NIGHT CRAWLER, CUT IT IN HALF AND HANDED HIM THE BACK HALF OF THE WORM. NATHAN LOOKED AT ME SO SERIOUSLY AND SAID: "CAN YOU GIVE ME THE LOVELY PART OF THE WORM?"I BUSTED UP LAUGHING SO HARD! HE ASKED "WHAT IS SO FUNNY?" I TOLD HIM "NOBODY IN MY LIFETIME HAS EVER DESCRIBED A WORM AS LOVELY AND NOW IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO TELL YOUR MOTHER HOW LOVELY SHE LOOKS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT WORMS". THEN WE LAUGHED TOGETHER FOR SOME TIME. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE.

AND NOW THIS BEAUTIFUL MOMENT IS FOREVER ENGRAVED IN MY HEART AND IT DESCRIBES MY SON SO PERFECTLY TO ME. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I SPECIFICALLY TELL MY WIFE HOW BEAUTIFUL SHE IS AND NOT LOVELY; BUT BEHIND THESE WORDS, I THINK OF MY NATHAN AND THAT DAY AT THE LAKE. IT IS INDEED A LOVELY MOMENT FOR ME EVERY TIME THIS MEMORY COMES TO MIND.

THE LESSON ON PATIENCE - ONE DAY NATHAN WAS HELPING ME WITH SOME MECHANICAL WORK ON OUR MACHINES. I LOVED TEACHING NATHAN HOW TO FIX THINGS BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE DONE WITH A PROJECT HE WAS ALWAYS SO EXCITED TO HAVE COMPLETED THE JOB AND FOR THE KNOWLEDGE HE GAINED. HE WAS SO PROUD OF HIMSELF. THESE MOMENTS BROUGHT ME SUCH OVERWHELMING JOY TO SEE HIM SO HAPPY AND CONTENT.

SO I SENT HIM TO THE SHED TO GET A TOOL FOR THIS BRAKE JOB WE WERE WORKING ON. I FIGURED BY THE TIME NATHAN CAME BACK I WOULD BE READY FOR THIS TOOL AT THAT TIME. TEN OR FIFTEEN MINUTES PASSED AND I WAS READY FOR THIS TOOL AND YET NATHAN HAD NOT RETURNED. FRUSTRATED I GOT UP TO GET THE TOOL MYSELF.

NATHAN WAS IN THE SHED WITH A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOOL THAN WHAT I ASKED FOR IN HIS HAND. HE LOOKED AT ME WITH THE LOOK ONLY AN INNOCENT CHILD COULD GIVE AND SAID "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?"

I TOLD HIM "NO" AND CONTINUED WITH A STERN STATEMENT ABOUT WASTING TIME LOOKING FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS LOOKING FOR. HE LOOKED BACK AT ME AND SAID "I FORGOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR." THEN HE STARTED LAUGHING.

I MUST HAVE HAD A STUNNED LOOK ON MY FACE THAT CAUSED HIM TO LAUGH. I WAS SO CAUGHT UP IN MY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW HE COULD BE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS LOOKING FOR AND NOT SHOUTING OUT TO ME TO ASK WHAT I WANTED ONCE HE REALIZED HE DIDN'T KNOW. BUT THIS MOMENT LASTED ONLY BRIEFLY BEFORE I STARTED LAUGHING MYSELF. I COULD NEVER BE UPSET WITH NATHAN FOR VERY LONG.

THIS IS MY SON AND THIS SUMS UP A LOT OF HOW WE RELATED TO EACH OTHER. WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS A PLANNED MOMENT OF LAUGHTER OR HOW THINGS JUST TURNED OUT THIS WAY, THESE ARE PRECIOUS MEMORIES OF MY BEAUTIFUL BOY AS WE LIVED THEM AND I WOULD NOT WANT ANYTHING DIFFERENT BETWEEN US. WE LIVED; WE LOVED AND WE LAUGHED OUR WAY THROUGH LIFE TOGETHER. NATHAN LEFT US TOO SOON, BUT I CAN SEE HOW SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT IS NEEDED IN HEAVEN AND WHY HEAVENLY FATHER CALLED HIM HOME.

THIS IS NATHAN; A QUIET, GENTLE SOUL....MODEST AND NOT PROUD...A MEEK AND HUMBLE CHILD OF GOD IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

I FIND GREAT COMFORT KNOWING THAT NATHAN IS IN HEAVEN AND HE IS WITH FAMILY. I KNOW HE IS HAPPY AND WAITING FOR US TO SEE HIM AGAIN.

HIS RESTLESS SPIRIT HAS FOUND THE PEACE AND COMFORT HE DESERVES UNDER THE LOVING WATCHFUL CARE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

HE KNOWS FOR A CERTAINTY HOW SPECIAL HE WAS TO ALL OF US AND HOW MUCH HE WAS LOVED HERE ON EARTH. THE TRUE STRENGTH OF A MAN IS NURTURED IN HIS HEART AND POURED OUT THROUGH HIS SOUL. WHEN ONLY LOVE IS SHOWN THERE IS BY NO OTHER WAY TO DEFINE HIM. THIS WAS NATHAN. MY BELOVED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF NATHAN, BE AT PEACE THIS DAY AND UNTO PEACE SHALL WE ALL RETURN HOME. (PETE MAESTAS)

Our staff will continue to keep your family in our prayers. We thank you for allowing us to serve your family.