Justin Charles Overturf, 31, of Richmond, TX, went to heaven to be with the Lord Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

He was born in Houston, TX on December 10, 1985 to Larry and Theresa Overturf.

Justin is preceded in death by his Grandfather Robert McGee, Grandfather Frank Overturf, Grandmother Verda Thomas and Grandfather James Thomas.

He is survived by his parents Larry and Theresa Overturf, Sister Kimberly Overturf, Daughter Madalyn Overturf, Grandmother Mary McGee and Girlfriend Jennifer Johnston.

Graveside services were held on May 23, 2017 at Port O’Connor Cemetery.

Dear Friends,

We would like to thank each and every one for your cards, calls, visits. food and the beautiful meal you planned for our family after the death of Justin Overturf (grandson of Mary Nell McGee).

Your steadfast support is a beautiful expression of love and friendship. Thank you again.

May God bless you in a very special way.

Mary Nell McGee and Family

“Death is not the greatest loss in life.
The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”
-Norman Cousins.

The loss of someone close to us or even someone we just knew in passing is nothing new to any of us. When we are younger it seems like a rare occurrence, like a comet or a meteor shower. As we grow older it seems to start to show its face all around us, chasing us down behind the sound of a ticking clock.

This may sound like a gruesome and depressing subject, but it does not have to be. In fact, if you loved or respected the person who passed, it is also a celebration of the who and why of that person and the qualities that made them stand out from the rest of the world that marches on like so many ants on a hill.

Recently, a gentleman I knew named Richard Raj Aruldoss, who I knew as Rich, passed suddenly right before the Fourth of July holiday at the young age of forty-nine.

At the time, things for Rich were not going perfectly, but he amazed me with his perseverance and the fact that even though he may have been struggling, he kept his soul in tact; he was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt right off his back if you said you needed it.

When I first met Rich, we instantly fell into conversations that most people would shake their heads and walk away from. Political discourse and theory, views on modern society, psychology, old films and music, the places he traveled while in the service with the Air Force (in the Intelligence Department where he reached the rank of Tech Sergeant) and various things as far and wide as you can imagine.

Rich also was one of the people who over the last couple of years seemed to be seeing more in me than I see in myself and actually was interested to see some of my printed archives of this very column and the book I was published in. When I got the captures of the magazine piece I did on modeling, he sat there and read the entire thing, and like many times before, told me: “You’re in the wrong business.”

Coming from his intelligence background, he’d always tell me that I was just the kind of ‘cat’ they look for to do those jobs that can read people well, think outside the box and see the bigger picture others cannot see.

To say I was not flattered would be a lie.

I also recall a random person I bumped into after Rich passed who said he provided the reflective vest and work gloves for the man to start his new job, even though Rich had little at the time himself.

Acts like that are, for me, what separates humanity from the beast.

In today’s world we reach for the golden rings on top of the pedestal, we have faith in the words of the television and the internet…in turn we miss the true examples of true humanity that rest at our collective feet.

Rest In Peace Rich, and thanks brother, for everything.

The kids at Seadrift’s First Bapist VBS were in for a big surprise when they were handed out prayer cards and picture of the Seadrift Police Force. Shown above are just one of the children’s classes receiving the cards to serve to remind them to pray for our Police Officers.

This is what the cards said: Tireless in their call, making duty their all, a policeman serves not just the people in their beat, but a higher purpose of upholding the law and crime’s defeat. In this hour of civil unrest, remember your police officers and pray for God’s best! “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalms 19:7

You can get one of these cards at Seadrift Bank, La Terraza Restaurant, Barkett’s Restaurant, and Rocky’s Noodle House, as well as at Seadrift City Hall.

How many of you have had a childhood hero; someone you looked up to, and aspired to be like? I certainly did. I was quite a dreamer in my formative years. Aside from my dad, who was my first and most important hero, I tended to idolize TV personalities like Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, and of course, the King of the Jungle, Tarzan. In my way of thinking, these larger than life specimens of manliness and sense of right and wrong, could put any nefarious “bad guy” in his proper place whenever it became necessary. That was important to me at the time. Since I was scrawny and diminutive, I could always think of a half dozen bullies I’d like to straighten out if only I were like one of my heroes. After all, my secret mentors could do no wrong. They always knew what to do.

However, as I matured I came to understand that people everywhere are all basically the same; they are all flawed; they all make mistakes; they all have quirks. I’m not saying that there’s no one who can serve as a worthy pattern in one’s life, but rather that one must allow for the humanness of the pattern, whoever they might be. On the whole, human beings may eventually disappoint or fail us in some way. For all our respect and fondness of someone, the wise Christian will do well to steer clear of “hero worship.”

There are very few real heroes to look up to these days. Many look up to athletes, only to discover that rather than being the role models they appear to be, they have propped themselves up with steroids, marijuana, or other harmful substances.

Others may look up to actors or actresses; mistakenly thinking they’ve got it all together. It’s not uncommon, however, to learn that one’s idol is more about hoopla and hype than hero qualities. Many idols turn out to be self-centered, selfish and rude individuals with far worse issues than the admirer, himself.

Having said that, there is one pattern for the Christian’s life that will never lead him in the wrong direction; that will never fail or disappoint. There is one hero that we should worship and adore from the depths of our hearts—the Lord Jesus Christ, who was “…in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15b). Need someone to pattern your life after? Then look to Jesus. The Word of God says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).

The late Adrian Rogers stated this idea well with the following:

There has never been a man like the Lord Jesus. John Phillips wrote these words about Jesus that deeply stirred me. He said, “He never uttered a hasty, unkind, untrue, or frivolous word. He never entertained an impure thought. His talents never debased for selfish ends. His influence, never bad. His judgment, never wrong. He never had to apologize for anything that He did or retract a single word He said, He was never too late or too soon, never upset, never insipid, never shallow or afraid…He had absolute victory from the moment He drew his first breath in that Bethlehem barn until the moment He closed His eyes in death on the cross of Calvary.”
If you’re looking for a hero, let me suggest mine. His name is Jesus.1

1Love Worth Finding Ministries with Adrian Rogers, Daily Devotional, Copyright © 2006, Love Worth Finding Ministries ®, All Rights Reserved.