Pam
12-26-2002, 08:46 PM
Friends,
I just wanted to thank you for your donations to Kairos, the
prison ministry that helped Keith and others so very much. The last I heard,
over $2000 had been donated in honor of Keith. There may be more by now. Thank
you, thank you. He would be overjoyed to know that.
I wanted to share something with you. I don't think my brother and
sister-in-law would mind. Can you believe they went to Donaldson Prison
Monday, on the regular visiting day, to visit another Death Row inmate? The
entire time Keith was in prison, 18 1/2 years, they went faithfully every week
to visit him, the last several years that was to Donaldson each Monday. I was
concerned about what they would do now that they would not have that to look
forward to.
Now I know. They visited another inmate who never has visitors.
He, inmate Doyle Hamm, had listed them on his visitor's list and he would come
with Keith to the visiting yard to see Alton and Frances. That was typical of
Keith, to "share" his parents with someone who did not have visitors.
I was amazed at their strength. I know that was such a hard thing
for them to do and I admire them so much for being able to do that. They said
it was hard, but comforting at the same time, and that everyone - from the
guards to the inmates - told them how much they loved and missed Keith.
Mr. Hamm shared something with them Monday. The Death Row gets
breakfast around 3:00 am each morning. Mr. Hamm was the "hall runner" who
delivered breakfast on the morning Keith was transferred from Donaldson Prison
to Holman Prison where the execution took place. They do not tell anyone when
they are going to be transferred, they just come in one day and tell them to
get their stuff together, that it's time to go. So, neither Keith nor Mr. Hamm
knew that this particular day was the day Keith would be transferred.
Keith told Mr. Hamm that morning that he was very tired and was
going to go back to sleep for a little while when he brought him his
breakfast. A little while later, Mr. Hamm came back by Keith's cell and Keith
was standing up on something as close to the little opening at the top of his
wall as he could. Cold air was pouring in on him, but Mr. Hamm could tell that
Keith was soaking wet.
He asked him what was wrong, and Keith told him that he had gone
back to sleep and he had a dream so vivid and real. He dreamed Billy Waldrop
(the inmate who had led him to Christ and was executed several years ago) was
sitting on the foot of his bed and told him, "Get up, boy. It's time for you
to go with me. Come on, it's time." He said he woke up drenched in sweat.
They came and got him shortly afterwards to take him to Holman. We now believe
that he probably knew after that dream that he would not get the stay.
Also, their preacher who was with Keith at the end said Keith told
him that when the warden called him to his office on that last afternoon, he
told him at that time the stay was denied and Keith asked him to keep it from
us until after the visiting time was over and they had taken him away.
I can't remember how long that was before they took him, a few
hours, I think. Five or Six guards had come and handcuffed him and took him to
the warden's office. Before that, the warden had come into the visiting area
and took Keith to the side anytime he wanted to talk to him. He had never sent
for him like that.
When he got back that day and I asked him what had happened, he
told me that he had wanted to talk to the warden about how he was limiting his
visitors, not letting us sing very loud, etc. and that the warden had told him
those were the rules and he would not bend them. That's all he said, that it
was just a bunch of silly stuff and he just passed it off and wanted us to
sing some more and read scripture. He continued to "work the room", visiting
with each of us and encouraging us, trying to cheer us up.
The preacher said Keith had asked the warden not to tell us the
stay had been denied until he was taken away. And, they came and got him at
4:20, then we found out immediately afterwards.
I thought at the time that it was odd that we found out as soon as
Keith was gone. And, I had wished at the time that we could have seen him one
more time after we were told, but I realized later that it was better that we
didn't know until after he left us. It was hard enough to let him go then,
when we were uncertain, but still hopeful. If we had known it was the last
time we would see him, I don't know if we COULD have let him go without him
having to be physically pulled away from us. And, that would have been
horrible for all of us, I know.
So, he gave us that one last gift. He let us enjoy so much those
last few hours with him, still believing that there was hope that he would get
the stay. And, he never let on that it had been denied. He stayed the picture
of calm and peace and faith. Of course, the preacher said Keith still had
hoped that somehow something would happen, even after being told. But, you
would have never guessed that he knew anymore that we did.
A guard had told me that when news came about the stay, there were
several different ways he could be told. And, one was the warden telling him.
But, Keith never let on, so I didn't think that anything more than what he
told me had happened in the warden's office.
Like I've said so many times, Keith was an amazing man. I was, and
still am, so proud of him.
I just wanted to thank you all again for your prayers, your
donations, your letters, etc. I know there are some of you who have not
responded to me at all about Keith, but I hope you have not minded me keeping
you informed, hoping that you were praying for him. I ask you to please
continue to pray for his parents and brother, and I thank you for doing that.
This has been a difficult holiday and your prayers have helped them to get
through it.
The following article was in The Decatur Daily today about the
Kairos ministry and Keith. By the way, the severely handicapped child and his
father who are mentioned in the article are another nephew of mine (my
deceased sister's son) and his son, my great-nephew. Casey is almost 12 and
was born with CMV. He can neither talk nor walk and has to be strapped into
his wheelchair, with even his head strapped back to hold it upright. But, his
parents are the best and most loving parents you will ever find.
In His Love,
Deborah Jones
I just wanted to thank you for your donations to Kairos, the
prison ministry that helped Keith and others so very much. The last I heard,
over $2000 had been donated in honor of Keith. There may be more by now. Thank
you, thank you. He would be overjoyed to know that.
I wanted to share something with you. I don't think my brother and
sister-in-law would mind. Can you believe they went to Donaldson Prison
Monday, on the regular visiting day, to visit another Death Row inmate? The
entire time Keith was in prison, 18 1/2 years, they went faithfully every week
to visit him, the last several years that was to Donaldson each Monday. I was
concerned about what they would do now that they would not have that to look
forward to.
Now I know. They visited another inmate who never has visitors.
He, inmate Doyle Hamm, had listed them on his visitor's list and he would come
with Keith to the visiting yard to see Alton and Frances. That was typical of
Keith, to "share" his parents with someone who did not have visitors.
I was amazed at their strength. I know that was such a hard thing
for them to do and I admire them so much for being able to do that. They said
it was hard, but comforting at the same time, and that everyone - from the
guards to the inmates - told them how much they loved and missed Keith.
Mr. Hamm shared something with them Monday. The Death Row gets
breakfast around 3:00 am each morning. Mr. Hamm was the "hall runner" who
delivered breakfast on the morning Keith was transferred from Donaldson Prison
to Holman Prison where the execution took place. They do not tell anyone when
they are going to be transferred, they just come in one day and tell them to
get their stuff together, that it's time to go. So, neither Keith nor Mr. Hamm
knew that this particular day was the day Keith would be transferred.
Keith told Mr. Hamm that morning that he was very tired and was
going to go back to sleep for a little while when he brought him his
breakfast. A little while later, Mr. Hamm came back by Keith's cell and Keith
was standing up on something as close to the little opening at the top of his
wall as he could. Cold air was pouring in on him, but Mr. Hamm could tell that
Keith was soaking wet.
He asked him what was wrong, and Keith told him that he had gone
back to sleep and he had a dream so vivid and real. He dreamed Billy Waldrop
(the inmate who had led him to Christ and was executed several years ago) was
sitting on the foot of his bed and told him, "Get up, boy. It's time for you
to go with me. Come on, it's time." He said he woke up drenched in sweat.
They came and got him shortly afterwards to take him to Holman. We now believe
that he probably knew after that dream that he would not get the stay.
Also, their preacher who was with Keith at the end said Keith told
him that when the warden called him to his office on that last afternoon, he
told him at that time the stay was denied and Keith asked him to keep it from
us until after the visiting time was over and they had taken him away.
I can't remember how long that was before they took him, a few
hours, I think. Five or Six guards had come and handcuffed him and took him to
the warden's office. Before that, the warden had come into the visiting area
and took Keith to the side anytime he wanted to talk to him. He had never sent
for him like that.
When he got back that day and I asked him what had happened, he
told me that he had wanted to talk to the warden about how he was limiting his
visitors, not letting us sing very loud, etc. and that the warden had told him
those were the rules and he would not bend them. That's all he said, that it
was just a bunch of silly stuff and he just passed it off and wanted us to
sing some more and read scripture. He continued to "work the room", visiting
with each of us and encouraging us, trying to cheer us up.
The preacher said Keith had asked the warden not to tell us the
stay had been denied until he was taken away. And, they came and got him at
4:20, then we found out immediately afterwards.
I thought at the time that it was odd that we found out as soon as
Keith was gone. And, I had wished at the time that we could have seen him one
more time after we were told, but I realized later that it was better that we
didn't know until after he left us. It was hard enough to let him go then,
when we were uncertain, but still hopeful. If we had known it was the last
time we would see him, I don't know if we COULD have let him go without him
having to be physically pulled away from us. And, that would have been
horrible for all of us, I know.
So, he gave us that one last gift. He let us enjoy so much those
last few hours with him, still believing that there was hope that he would get
the stay. And, he never let on that it had been denied. He stayed the picture
of calm and peace and faith. Of course, the preacher said Keith still had
hoped that somehow something would happen, even after being told. But, you
would have never guessed that he knew anymore that we did.
A guard had told me that when news came about the stay, there were
several different ways he could be told. And, one was the warden telling him.
But, Keith never let on, so I didn't think that anything more than what he
told me had happened in the warden's office.
Like I've said so many times, Keith was an amazing man. I was, and
still am, so proud of him.
I just wanted to thank you all again for your prayers, your
donations, your letters, etc. I know there are some of you who have not
responded to me at all about Keith, but I hope you have not minded me keeping
you informed, hoping that you were praying for him. I ask you to please
continue to pray for his parents and brother, and I thank you for doing that.
This has been a difficult holiday and your prayers have helped them to get
through it.
The following article was in The Decatur Daily today about the
Kairos ministry and Keith. By the way, the severely handicapped child and his
father who are mentioned in the article are another nephew of mine (my
deceased sister's son) and his son, my great-nephew. Casey is almost 12 and
was born with CMV. He can neither talk nor walk and has to be strapped into
his wheelchair, with even his head strapped back to hold it upright. But, his
parents are the best and most loving parents you will ever find.
In His Love,
Deborah Jones