Funeral For Jewel Newcomer

Welcome

Good Afternoon

On behalf of the family, I want to Thank you for joining us tonight as we say so long to a Mrs Jewel Newcomer.

Jewel was a person who was sincerely loved by many in this life, and she will be dearly missed.

Saying so long to someone is one of the hardest parts of our journey in this life.

It is especially in times like this, that we need friends and family who are willing to come together and help lift each other up.

We need each other in this time.

Today, we’re going to have friends who will come and share fond memories of Mrs. Jewel.

Mrs. Donna is going to play a few of her favorite songs.

Im going to share a few words about her and a couple of scriptures that I know she held dear.

and we will end with a poem that I believe is fitting for this evening.

Then, tomorrow we will meet at the graveside at 11 to lay her to rest, and we invite those who are able to come and join us for a lunch with the family at Freedom Church just around the corner.

But as we begin, will you join me in a word of prayer?

Prayer

Gracious heavenly father. I thank you for the time we have today to gather together. I thank you that even though we gather to grieve and mourn we can draw strength, peace and comfort from you in times such as these. You are the rock that we can stand upon when the waves of tragedy and grief bear down heavy upon us. I also thank you that we do not walk through these dark times alone, but you surround us with friends and family to help hold us up and see us through. We know that your word promises that you walk though these times by our side as well. Today, you see the grief and the sorrow in our hearts. The pain of separation that we are already feeling. I ask that in these next few moments we have together that your spirit would minister to us. Bring peace to our hearts, like you did on the seas with your disciples. Help us to find closure as we say so long. Helps us to share the wonderful memories we have of Jewel in the coming days. Finally, I ask that you would remind us of the love and comfort you offer to each of us through times like this. Guide our time today. In Christ name we pray. Amen.

Obituary

Jewell G. (née Griggs) Newcomer, age 93, passed away on November 19, 2025. She was the beloved wife of the late Robert Newcomer and the loving mother of Matthew, Jackie (Jim), and the late Robert Jr. and David. She was also the cherished sister of Clara (Gary) Bush, and was preceded in death by her siblings Bill, Clarence, Dorothy, and Kathel.

Jewell was a devoted grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, and a dear friend to all who knew her. She loved her church and treasured the many friendships she made there over the years.

She was truly an angel on earth and is now an angel in heaven.

Special Song

At this time Mrs Donna Schultz is going to share a few words about Jewel

Donnas Mom, Maxine Darby was a close friend of Jewels

Though she had a couple of them..

After she has shared, then she’s going to play one of her favorite songs.

Donna to Share

Donna to Play - “Ill Fly Away”

Memories

Certainly Jewel made many friends during her 93 years in life.

Undoubtably many have already left this world.

But there are still many people she impacted through the years.

At this time a couple of those people are going to come and briefly share some fond memories about her.

Mrs Terry Erhman is going to come first, she has known her since she was a kid, and would pick her up for church regularly.

Maria fernaro, a family friend, is going to follow her. Maria has helped Jewel and her family for many years in general.

And finally, Diane Patrick is going to come and share. Her family and Mrs Jewel have a long relationship as well.

Reading from Jackie

Mrs Jackie, Jewels daughter, has written a few lines she wanted me to read tonight.

Special Reading - Pastor Josh

Special Song 2

Sister Newcomer, as she was known by her church family, loved to come to church.

In 93 years, the church changed a few different times.

But through those years there were some things she held onto dearly.

On of those things was a set of songs that her and her friends loved.

Mrs Donna is going to play one more of those songs and then Im going to come and share a couple of scriptures and a few brief remarks.

Donna to play “In the Garden”

Scriptures and Remarks

John 14:1–6 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Special Person

as we’ve already heard tonight, Mrs Jewel was a special person.

As a her pastor, I can honestly say that she was one of the easiest members I’ve ever pastored

Complain

She didn't complain about anything..

The music, the sermon, the changes in the church..

even when she was struggling with her health or worried about about the things in her life..

I never once heard her complain.

Asked

She never asked for anything..

In fact at times we had to coerce her to take help.

i remember once particular winter, I believe Matt had been dealing some health issues and the person who was supposed to do the snow didn’t show up.

I called and asked, Sister Jewel do you need some help with the snow?

Pastor dave and I would be happy to come help you..

And after some back and forth she finally agreed to let us come do it.

The same was true for other needs..

She wasn’t prideful in that manner

She just never wanted to burden anyone..

People

one of the things that marked her as such an amazing person though was her love and care for others..

She was always concerned for others..

Not in a gossip sort of way..

I never knew her to gossip..

But real concern for their well being..

If somone was sick she wanted to pray for them..

If someone was in need she wanted to help provide

If someone was hurt she want to give them a hug

If they were down she wanted to encourage.

She encouraged me through many different situations in our church.

she was kind

She was loving..

she was generous with whatever she had..

Cards

Ill never forget her Christmas cards…

She made sure to make one out to each of my kids by name..

and put something small for them in it.

She made people feel special..

Feel seen and loved.

She was certainly marked well by her name..

Because she was a Jewel among people..

a precious uncommon person..

one, that in my experience, is rare to find

And when lost, there absence is surely felt

and her absence has been felt.

Faith

Above all though..

The thing that marked sister Jewel more than anything else was her faith.

If you knew her, you knew what she unapologetically believed.

Yes, she loved the church.

Yes, she loved the people..

But most of all, she loved Jesus.

She knew, loved, and trusted him with everything she was.

If one of the kids were sick..

She would ask us and ask us to pray..

And I knew she was praying..

If she was going through a difficult time her faith was always on her sleeves..

She knew without doubt Christ would take care of her.

No Fear

Even in her waining years

She didn’t seem to have any fear of what was coming next.

Of death and eternity

She was well aware that she wouldn’t live forever and that the day would come when she left this world..

and unlike many others..

she had already determined in her heart and in her life that she was certain of what would come next..

Eternity in heaven with her savior.

Believed

You see jewel believed without any doubt the words of Jesus that we find here in john 14.

That Jesus, when he died, rose, and ascended to heaven went and prepared a place for us..

for those who love him..

and that if we believe in him..

as john 3:16 says

If we confess him as lord

as Romans 10:9-10 says..

We too know the way to him when this life is over..

Just he told Thomas in john 14.

This is what she believed

And it gave her great peace to know that when she closed her eyes here..

She would open them in his presence.

Heaven

We know that place as heaven..

a place that the bible discribes in great detail.

A place of unimaginable beauty

A place of transcendent peace

Free from sorrow, grief and the struggle of this world

A place without sickness or disease ..

a place that is the restoration of how humanity was originally created in the garden.

but most importantly..

a place where we are united face to face with our savior..

This is the place created for all who know Jesus a Lord.

A place created, not just for Jewel, but for us..

You and I

because of this place that has created for us..

And because of the Savior who gave his life for us..

the bibles encourages us about days such as today..

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Paul reminds us that since Jesus died and rose again..

Since he has prepared of place for us..

When se say so long to the people we love like Mrs jewel..

People who know Jesus as lord..

That we don’t have to grieve like those who have no hope..

because one day..

If we know Christ as well..

We will be reunited with them..

We will be their.. together..

forever..

Known as we are know.

In this we can take hope..

hope that we will one day again see mrs Jewel..

That is, afterall what she believed.

that was what her hope was in..

and it can be ours as well if we know Christ.

Prayer

Im not going to ask you to make that choice tonight.

but I want you to know that you can make that choice to serve christ, as she served christ, at any point..

Its as simple as calling out to god, and invited christ into your life to be the lord of it.

and i know that would thrill her more and than thing else.

Poem

As we close I would like to read you a poem.

I read it at every funeral I do because I believe its speaks volumes about the grieving process.

Its author is unknown.

But its words ring very true during times such as this and the times that will follow this day.

As for grief, you’ll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.

In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don’t even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you’ll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what’s going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything…and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life.

Somewhere down the line, and it’s different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall. Or 50 feet tall. And while they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming. An anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas, or landing at O’Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. And when it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you’ll come out.Take it from an old guy. The waves never stop coming, and somehow you don’t really want them to. But you learn that you’ll survive them. And other waves will come. And you’ll survive them too.

Closing Remarks

In the coming days and weeks there will certainly be many times where grief will come in waves..

undoubtable for some it already has.

I encourage you to give into these waves.

To let yourself mourn and grieve..

to let your emotions out..

and I promise at some point..

memories, like the poem says will become sweet..

with a person like Jewel, its not too hard to find wonderful memories to think about..

And you will end up cherishing them for life..

Closing Prayer

Before we dismiss I would like to pray one more time.

Then Mrs donna is going to play one final song

and following that the funeral director will be coming to give final instructions.

Will you join me in a final word of prayer?

Dismissal

Father I thank you for the time we have had together today. I thank you for your presence in this place and the hope that your word gives us. I thank you that we have hope that, if we know christ, we will one day see Jewels again. Father, I know that this may conclude our service but it does not conclude the grieving process and I ask as we leave here that your holy spirit would go with us and continue to minister peace to us. Help us to navigate this difficult time and remind us regularly of your presence. Give us strength, give us peace, give us comfort as only you can bring these in an abundant way. Help us to remember the beautiful times we have shared together with mrs Jewel. Times that will live on forever in our memories. We love you and again we thank you for your presence in our life’s that enables us to make it through days such as this. In Jesus name we pray… Amen.

Donna to play “Precious Memories”

Sloan to come.