My story starts in 2015 when I became caretaker and overseer of my brother Bill. We had 10 children in the Thomas clan. After Momma died in 1965 and Dad in 1968, Bill was the only unmarried sibling. He continued to live in our old home place on Route 66, where my family had lived since 1952.

words + photographs SARAH TYLER

It was a big five-bedroom house, and we decided Bill would remain in the family home until he passed away or chose to move on. My sister Bonnie and her husband helped Bill run the manufacturing business. They also took care of him as his health declined. However, Bonnie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and we knew changes would need to be made. Surprisingly, I was informed I would be the one to take over, and I was named Bill’s Successor Trustee.

Becoming caretaker proved hard enough, but I was overwhelmed with the idea of being Successor Trustee. “No,” I said. “I can’t do this,” I said. “No way. No how. I have no idea where to turn,” I said.

Bill passed away from a long illness in November 2015. The light in this turmoil is how I was given the gift of leading my brother to the Lord Jesus just one month before Bill went into a coma. He died 10 days later. I celebrated Bill saying, “Yes,” to Jesus as his own personal Savior, while my heart grieved no longer having Bill here on earth. I continued wrestling with being his Successor Trustee. The longer time went, the more I knew I couldn’t handle it.

Yet, God knew otherwise, and He showed me, “You can do it, Sarah.”

After crying and pleading for help, God gave me Psalm 108:12-13 as my anchor. The Scripture says, “Give us help from trouble: For vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: For he it is that shall tread down our enemies.”

“OK,” I said. “If You say I can, I will follow You, Lord.”

I sprang into action. I used a timeline, and it brought me through. One moment at a time.

1) Handle the burial. Come to find out, this was the easy part compared to what lay ahead of me. I oversaw all aspects of arranging the funeral, the obituary, the gravesite service, the music to be played, the tombstone.  

2) Open a Trust account. My CPA told me to do this.

3) Obtain a copy of Bill’s death certificate. Must start with that.

4) Put all bank funds into the one Trustee account.

5) Look for an auctioneer to hold an auction on all 9,000 square feet of manufactory equipment. The Lord arranged an auctioneer from a flyer I just happened to pick up at the senior center as I gathered supplies to help care for Bill, like a walker, grab bars, a cane. Yes, I just happened to pick up that flyer. I was there one day when I saw the words, “Do you need an auctioneer?” I didn’t, but amazing God knew I would.

6) Prepare for auction. I took pictures, organized items and made ready all the equipment, big and small. I counted more than 1,000 small tools and 500 pieces of heavy equipment. Some pieces worked. Some pieces needed a mechanic. Some old-but-really-neat machines just couldn’t be fixed. The auctioneer company requested (!!!) to sell the old home place during the auction. My Lord once again worked out the details. The old home place also had to be made ready for auction. Bill had taken in so many homeless people, who had lived there for a time but eventually left (though their clothes stayed). We had bags and bags of stuff to remove. “I can’t do this,” I said. “Yes, you can,” God said.

7) Find a mechanic. I was scammed by two so-called mechanics who accepted deposits from me but who never came back. I cried. I pressed on. God arranged for the right one. One day, a man came and knocked on the office door. I was going through tons of old paperwork, receipts, invoices, wondering what this was and what that was. The man began asking about the old pontoon boat and what I thought it might go for at auction. He had on an army cap. He said he served as a mechanic in the service. BINGO! That was my mechanic.

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“OK,” I said. “If You say I can, I will follow You, Lord.”

Sale day arrived on Feb. 10, 2016, with the weather as cold as Alaskan air. Still, many, many people showed up. Bill’s business was well known all over. Not only did people show up, they spent money. All the factory equipment sold. One hurdle out of the way.

I was told it takes at least two bidders to keep a bid going, so I was grateful to see two people go after the property. One was a man I had never met but who had just sold a property for $1,000,000. I followed him around like a hound dog. “God, You sent him,” I said. The property sold. “Thank You,” I said to the Lord, wondering what chaos would come next.

I am a semi-retired real estate broker, and I knew some about the closing of the property and how the closing company handles the legal stuff. I had kept all my Successor Trustee records in order, which helped keep the process smooth. Another hurdle down.

Before I knew it, it was time to distribute the inheritance to each living sibling. “I can’t do this,” I said. “Yes, you can,” the Lord said.

My family made it work. It was over. I could rest. I could be at peace. For more than two years, I lacked both. Being a caretaker, taking care of major health issues, relying on workers to fix home problems, crying and praying, falling down, God picking me back up to start again – I discovered who I really am. When I say, “I can’t do this,” God says, “I’ll show you, you can.” ST

Sarah Tyler is an author who lives in Springfield, Missouri. Learn more at www.sarahtylerauthor.com.

COVER Sarah Tyler with her parents, grandma, brothers and sisters.

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