Yesterday I did something that was very difficult. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided not to attend a memorial service for an old friend. She died in Waterloo, Belgium on February 26. Due to the pandemic, her memorial service at her home church, Bethel United Methodist in Midland, North Carolina, had to be postponed until yesterday.
I got to know Beth in the ninth grade. She stood out in the crowd even at that age in our class of around 200 students. She was artistic and funny. She was unassuming and gracious. She was beautiful inside and out.
Her leadership qualities were rewarded our senior year when she was elected class president. A group of us girlfriends rode together to a concert at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte one night. The main attraction for us was teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman. I’m not certain, but I believe Beth was our driver. That was about as wild and crazy as we got back in the day.
Beth’s artistic ability blossomed and, by our senior year, we knew we were in the presence of a true artist. After college, Beth eventually moved to New York City, where she met her husband, Jaap Koestal. Jaap was from The Netherlands. They moved to Amsterdam and Beth starting making a name for herself in the European art world.
They later moved to Belgium, where she continued to hone her craft. She was commissioned to paint many paintings and portraits. A highlight in her career was when she was commissioned to paint more than eighty plein air paintings commemorating the bicentenary anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo in 2015.
She even created a series of coloring books about the Battle of Waterloo to entice children to learn about history and appreciate art. She sent me several sketches from her coloring books while they were in the planning stages for me and my sister to give her feedback. Like I was qualified to do that!
In recent years, Beth and I communicated occasionally via Facebook and Facebook private messages. She knew that now in our sixties, I was an aspiring novelist. She sent words of encouragement along my journey. My novel isn’t published yet. I had looked forward to the day I could send her a copy with my thanks and admiration.
She was one of those people who found the most interesting and varied things to share on Facebook – whether it be art, archeology, architecture, nature, or science. She loved to learn new things and was interested in everything.
To learn more about Beth’s work, visit https://teresabethhough.com/.
During this pandemic, it wasn’t an easy decision not to attend Beth’s memorial service. I have not attended several funerals in the last several months, including one for one of my first cousins. A part of me just can’t believe Beth is gone. I thought going to her memorial service would make her death more real for me, but I was afraid to go and risk catching the coronavirus.
This is life during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Until my next blog post
Stay safe. Stay well. Wear a mask out of respect for others.
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
It’s very sad that we can’t be able to participate in these important moments.❤️
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Yes, Laleh. It’s so sad we can’t gather together to give support to one another at such times. And we don’t know how long it will be like that. Perhaps God shields us from knowing the future because we couldn’t handle it. Thank you for your comment.
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May God help us all.
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That was beautiful. Thank you for posting. The service was a well planned tribute to Beth. Two slideshows, one of personal photos and the other of art. Four friends spoke, including me. We all were in agreement in our thoughts and experiences with Beth, including your comments.
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Thank you, Beverly. I know y’all did a wonderful job planning the service. It broke my heart not to be there. I was there in spirit. Thank you for all you did and for being such a good friend to Beth her entire life. You’re a very special person.
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Janet, I am so sorry for your loss. Furthermore it is even worse when one cannot really honour those loved ones because of the hardships imposed upon us by this pandemic. However, we do well with remembering our loved ones and good friends, always at their best moments, at their happiest, at their time at peace. I saw her webpage and her work is beautiful and shows what a good artist she was. This was a beautiful post to remember a friend and you have done it with love.
Take good care my friend and all the best to you,
Francisco
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Thank you, Francisco. I somehow missed seeing you comment until just now. Beth was an extraordinary person and I was blessed to know her. Sadly, on July 5 another friend who was my best friend since we were 10 years old, died. It’s been a difficult time for me, but I am at peace now about both of these friends. There has been a great deal of sadness and stress for everyone in the world this year, but those of us fortunate enough to survive must count our blessings and not take a single day for granted. Stay safe and well. My best to you. Janet
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I am so sorry to hear about your other friend as well, Janet, and you are so right on those two points you so well made. This has been a year with much sadness for many but for us who have survived, are surviving, we must not take a single minute for granted. Stay well Janet and all the best.
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Thank you, Francisco. Sending my best to you, too.
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Thank you for writing this post. I knew Beth from 5 years leaving in Waterloo, Belgium about 20 years ago. I did her Art exhibition at the American Women’s Club. She was great! I am so sorry to hear about her passing away:( My deepest condolences to all her family and friends 🙏 Marina Khudobina from San Diego, USA
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You’re welcome, Marina. Beth was a precious person. I came to know her when we were in the ninth grade. She was a leader who never drew attention to herself. Her artistic talent and flare were obvious even then, and I was thrilled when she had the opportunity to move to Europe and share her work there. Her death was difficult for her friends here to cope with not only because she died in Belgium, but Covid prevented many of us from safely attending her memorial service. We did not have a vaccine yet and, ironically, I had broken my leg on the day she died. Not being able to have the closure that a funeral or memorial service gives, I still find it hard to grasp that she is gone. I’m glad you had the opportunity to know her. Thank you so very much for finding my blog post and getting in touch with me. It means more than you know.
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Yes, it is hard to believe that she is no longer with us:( May her memory be a blessing to you and her loved ones 🙏 Thank you for your post.
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Thank you, Marina. Beth’s memory is truly a blessing. Thank you again for contacting me about your connection with her. I have some high school friends I want to share that with. It will mean a lot to them.
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