Category Archives: AnnaLeah and Mary

Industry opposition to life-saving measures deepens my grief. Peace in my soul & pain in my heart.

AnnaLeah and Mary, Truck Safety, , ,

There is peace like a river in my soul but pain does not leave my heart. The ongoing inaction and opposition of the trucking industry, to solutions which could prevent such grief for others, does not make it any easier. In fact, the frustration and anger it stirs up is one more grief too hard to bear.

The power of misinformation and subtle suggestions have the power to sway and delay decisive action. This has gone on far too long. May truth and mercy prevail.

To still my soul in the midst of this raging battle, I am reminding myself of the joy and love of life shared by my daughters during their short time here on this earth before their lives were so abruptly ended by a preventable truck underride crash.

Mary loved to capture every moment on her camera–from the mundane to the amazing. That included our walk on the trails of Battle Park on a beautiful day in January 2013 in her new home of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Mary’s photo story of the walk with her sister, AnnaLeah, dad, and mom is set to Horatio Spafford’s well-known hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Fitting in so many ways. Peace like a river attendeth my soul.

Photography by Mary Lydia Karth (and her mom)

AnnaLeah & Mary Lydia Karth. . . Never Forgotten. Always in my heart.

AnnaLeah and Mary,

You will be forever on my mind.  Always in my .

Full of joy and sharing it freely. . .

Kind, witty, and wise. . .

How many families are feeling the loss of loved ones this Christmas because of preventable underride?

AnnaLeah and Mary, Truck Safety, ,

How many families are feeling the loss of loved ones this Christmas because of preventable underride? How many more must die before we solve this problem once and for all?

 

This Year & Last Year…Before & After
Existence and perception sometimes seems to have a line of demarcation [May 4, 2013]. Nothing will restore it to what it was. I have to work harder to pay attention to and be involved in the new memories–to embrace the good in the after so that it does not get lost in the longing for the before.

STOP Underrides!

Mary Lydia Karth, you will not be forgotten. Forever 13. August 6, 1999 – May 8, 2013

AnnaLeah and Mary, , ,
Mary Lydia Karth. Forever 13. August 6, 1999 – May 8, 2013
 
Sharing this post full of videos because I don’t want Mary to be forgotten: Every Day’s A Holiday With Mary; Joyful Memories of Mary
 
Every memory is both sweet & bitter. So full of life! Oh, my heart breaks for her lost years. <3

A compelling look at Death By Underride from Cool Breeze Studio

AnnaLeah and Mary, Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety, ,

Lois Durso & I were privileged to meet with Michael Hawkins (Cool Breeze Studio) last week at his studio in South Carolina to begin work on some underride video productions. Mike just finished this short look at Death By Underride.

In memory of Roya, AnnaLeah & Mary and the countless other victims of underride

With the hope that countless other people will be spared a similar fate

Sign the STOP Underrides! Petition here: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underride!

STOP Underrides Brochure 2018 3

Glimpses of 13-year old Mary’s hopes & dreams — from a letter she wrote to herself 2 weeks before she died

AnnaLeah and Mary,

Glimpses of 13-year old Mary Lydia Karth — her questions, hopes, & dreams — from a letter she wrote to herself two weeks before she died from truck underride. 

She also wrote: “I hope . . . I’m living every day like it’s my last.”

You were, Mary — so full of joie de vivre. Missin’ you.

Mary models a wedding dress Mary had fun modeling Rebekah’s wedding dress as it was sewed step-by-step…she will never wear her own.

Mary with her brother’s dog

Mary, A Photo Album

AnnaLeah Karth: Precious one gone too soon; we remember you on your birth day.

AnnaLeah and Mary

AnnaLeah Karth: Precious one gone too soon; we remember you on your birth day, when we welcomed you into this world. May 15, 1995 – May 4, 2013 

(After putting together this list of videos which capture memories of our birthday girl, I realize again how intertwined AnnaLeah’s and Mary’s lives were. The youngest two sisters of nine siblings.)

AnnaLeah Photo Memorial Slideshow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-dUs0gKAT0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BIpdLAPxb4

It is well with my soul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMPmNsvL33Q

Particularly poignant photos of AnnaLeah, Mary, & another young girl, Bethany, having water balloon fun on July 30, 2007. What makes it heart-wrenching is that, within 6 short years, they would all lose their lives in crashes. See more of their stories here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2mDYj-SS1o

Camp Concordia 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfG33KjoUnY

Moments (30 seconds) with AnnaLeah and Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyYIWaipo7w

A Day at the Beach with AnnaLeah & Mary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPHoPQugCvk

AnnaLeah & Mary; A Short Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mP-bueIJ7A

An Afternoon at the Duck Pond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdMMg6o4XiQ

Simply AnnaLeah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU_SE1fGia8

Farewell to AnnaLeah & Mary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpKdHfc_xFY

AnnaLeah Visits Historical Durham AnnaLeah and her dad shared historical interests. Jerry took her to Durham in the Spring of 2013 to see historical sites. AnnaLeah borrowed Mary’s camera to capture the memories. Background music by her Grandpa Waldron on his dulcimer.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8SMzNrsDj4

AnnaLeah’s Confirmation AnnaLeah thoughtfully shares a few words from her heart…about her faith.

See the statement which AnnaLeah wrote when she was 13:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY393AmtB8E

AnnaLeah’s First Year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwPSDNWIodU

AnnaLeah Trims the Blinds While Mary Plays https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwnmGzFzmEI

My Favorite Present https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDiBDZIj2mM

With Hope, We Carry On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp7acA3CI34

AnnaLeah Karth: “I believe that I, and all true believers, will one day join Him in Heaven.”

AnnaLeah and Mary, ,

From the Library of AnnaLeah Karth, 1995-2013: She hadn’t read them all yet; Death By #Underride

AnnaLeah and Mary, ,

I wanted to mark AnnaLeah’s books so that they will always be a part of “her library”. Her sister Susanna picked out this bookplate & just finished putting one in each book. Now they are ready to donate.

Her 600-book collection. . . many of them from a used bookstore where she had volunteered. She hadn’t read them all yet. A precious life ended too soon.

Death By #Underride

#stopunderrides

AnnaLeah’s Very-Thorough 30-Category Booklist

AnnaLeah & Mary: With Their Sister’s Wedding Dress, Allison’s Angel Gowns Sewed A Dress For A Baby Who Never Made It Home

AnnaLeah and Mary, ,

Allison’s Angel Gowns takes donated wedding dresses and creates outfits for babies who don’t go home from the hospital. I just received a message that Deb has taken the wedding dress which I sewed for Rebekah Karth Chojnacki in 2013 and made this beautiful little dress.

This is the message which the seamstress sent to me:

I’m sorry to be invading your FB page but I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to create angel gowns in honor of your beautiful daughters. I need to apologize for the delay, You see, your dress touched me in ways I never expected. I know the pain of losing adult children and I had a hard time getting past my own grief when I worked with your dress which was the very reason I jumped at the chance to sew for you. I think of you every time I sit at my machine. I wish you and your family peace Friend of the heart, Deb

Here’s the full story: A Story of Four Sisters & A Wedding Dress; Bittersweet Memories Transformed Into a Gift of Comfort

My heart is overflowing.