My Sister Sissy

Lola Jill, Gigi Arlene, Billy Sanford Jr., Carla Elaine, and Claire Leigh (Sissy) Crenshaw

Sissy is on the far right.

Such a precious picture of her and my siblings.

I am the oldest and she is #2 in our family.

Claire Leigh Crenshaw Anderton

January 20, 1959 ~ December 31, 2010

Sissy passed away this last day and last hour of 2010 at 11:42 p.m.

The following is and email my parents wrote to our family and friends.

It's easier to just share that with you.

It has been a crazy week and I have been so sad

and my heart has ached and I've been so full of emotions.

But I have a lot of fun and happy memories too.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Sissy was born Deaf and with heart defects.

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We have felt your prayers and been uplifted by them and appreciate them more than we could ever tell you. Thank you, and please keep our family in your thoughts & prayers. Your emails, phone calls and visits have been so appreciated, You all truly bless our lives.

Sissy has lost her battle and will probably be beyond the bounds of earth soon. Her organs are not sustaining her , they have failed. She has not responded since Wednesday and before that she was sedated so as not to respond.

Our hearts are so heavy, yet we have definitely been buoyed up by the prayers we have received. We have had our crying time and prayers for the Lord's will be done and feel that He indeed is in control.

We are joyful in the knowledge that Sissy Claire is one of God's choice spirits sent to us to bless our lives and she excelled in doing just that. We feel gratitude to have been chose to be her earthly parents. She has fought long & hard in her 51 - almost 52 years. Enduring multiple heart surgeries - three open-heart surgeries.

It is so great to know that she will hear.

She has made so many friends in her lifetime. She was home in November and we had a great visit with her. She came home to go to the 100 plus years reunion for alumni of the Florida State School for the Deaf. She saw all the newest equipment of communication for the deaf and returned home and was able to get some of the latest things to be able to communicate with longtime school friends here in Florida.

( When Sissy came for that School reunion Harry was in the hospital with the ecoli. Mama and daddy picked Sissy up from the Jacksonville airport and they drove straight to Brunswick and came and saw Harry and me in the hospital. It was a quick but fun visit and I am so grateful to have had that last visit with her.)

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Our Christmas was somewhat unusual as Jan fell on Wed The 22nd and went to ER bleeding profusely with head wound. Tests showed she have a concussion and bleeding on brain and it took six staples to close the wound. Needless to say she is stove up and never knew there were so many places to hurt when you make the least little move. Our Carla came down from Kingsland to go with Jan to her private physician in St. Aug. on Christmas eve. Since they had no records or reports they just got her sign for release of the ER's - Xrays & cat scan. When we returned home Billy had to take some nitro glycerin and Carla took him to urgent care, who after 3 hours sent him to the ER, so Carla, Billy and I spent Christmas Eve in the ER and finally admitted Billy for atrial fib - heart out of rhythm where he stayed until Monday afternoon. Tuesday Claire had her stint procedure and that's our life for the past week & half in a nutshell.

Again thank you all, God Bless you and may see fit to bless us all with a great new Year 2011.

Our love
B & J

Billy is my daddy and Jan is my mama.

We are planning on trying to get to Utah for her funeral this week.

Harry has had the flu but is getting better so I will try and have one of our boys stay with him so that I may go. It will be a fast trip out and back.

Again, thank you for your friendship, love and prayers.