Fern Catherine Gregory

Grandma Fern’s journey with us as a military grandma began 27 years ago when she came to live with us after having to disability retire from her Juvenile Probation job in California. Time on this earth is too short to be apart when you are each other’s only family. Mom lived with us for 22 years before transitioning to greater nursing care. Our desire was for mom to go Home right from our home, but our good and wise God had other plans.
Grandma Fern was a quiet behind the scenes servant. She has been at CBC since 2007, 2 years before we returned home from Korea. Those who knew her remember her as a spry senior who always said life begins at 80! Mom served every opportunity she could….cooking for our One28 group, making Tom a little Sunday snack plate (which began with Pastor John when we were attending Grace), setting up the coffee and snacks for the Berean Sunday School class, caring for the babies in the nursery, cleaning the sanctuary, stuffing Operation Christmas Child boxes, and anything else she could find to do.

On the home front, mom always had her own life and living quarters with us, and she kept very busy! Grandma Fern moved with us every 3-4 years and just became a “military grandma,” serving our young men and women all across the United States. When Chas was s flight commander at Squadron Officer School in Alabama, mom cooked for and cheered on countless Knight flights over a 4 year period. She also became Lou Priolo’s secretary and book editor and continued to edit all Lou’s books even after moving away.
When we relocated to LA Air Force base, mom was asked to edit all the theses for the biblical counseling majors at the Master’s University. She continued working for John Street for years afterwards until her Lewy Body dementia at age 86 made it impossible to continue.

Mom loved to give and shopping was a favorite past-time when not editing.
Christmas Days began to get long with hours of opening presents…sometimes 10 gifts for each person (Mom started her Christmas shopping early and always counted to make sure everyone received the same number of gifts.) Wrapping was an event, and Grandma’s gifts were always easy to spot under the tree!

Suffice to say, Grandma Fern was never happier than when she was serving, and now she serves the God she loves face to face!
Mom’s days started early at 6:00 and ended around 11:00 when she would finally retire after a little read/snack time in her bedroom recliner. Suffice to say, she never had any trouble sleeping. And now, Grandma Fern is enjoying her true eternal rest and reward. As Mike Fabarez says, “This side of heaven is service and sacrifice. That side is rest and reward.” May we all labor as Grandma Fern did, still bearing fruit in old age for the glory of our wonderful Savior.