My Labor of Love, Bob Shepherd

I don't know where this is going, but I know I must go there.  Donna and I went to my uncle Dow Jenkins funeral last week in Dallas and it was a very moving day.  The services were held at Bethany Christian Church on Oram Street in Lakewood.  My aunt and uncle and three cousins have been fixtures in this lovely church for about the past 48 years.  It started with my cousin Melinda.  You see Melinda was very sick with Ewing's Sarcoma.  Treatment included removal of her leg, but nothing worked.  She died on Christmas eve about 46 years ago.  She was 13.

During Melinda's fight 40 people joined Bethany.  Melinda touched everyone she met, including Bob Lilly.  After her passing Bethany honored the Jenkins family by building a fellowship hall and naming it Jenkins Hall.

We had lunch in Jenkins Hall last week and keeping a vigil over everything that happens is a nice photo portrait of Melinda.  A very faded 47 year photo of Melinda.  As a portrait painter who has done, and enjoyed doing, so many posthumous portraits I knew I had to paint Melinda's portrait.

I would like to use the painting of this portrait in some fashion so that I can donate my profit to Bethany Christian Church.  I'll be working with the Church to see how we can do the most good and hopefully raise the most money.  I'll let everyone know what we can do.

I've been drawing on this 20" x 24" portrait of Melinda all day.  Wasn't she a beautiful young lady?