From my cousin Victoria's memory shared with me on Facebook:

One of my favourite Christmas memories was when your dad & mom rented the horse sleigh and the whole family was there. We rode through the neighbourhood singing Christmas carols in an open sleigh. 🙂 still makes me smile

We celebrate the victory that our dear friend Clarence is now living large at the right hand of his Savior,  Jesus  Christ.     I  chose  the category "Social  Worker",  due to the fact that as a member of  "THE GOSPEL MESSENGERS of YAKIMA"  we  all felt  the Lord's calling  on  each of our lives  and  blessed  us  for  it ( PTL ).    Please  allow  me  a  personal  "Flash  Back"  to  our  early  teen  years that  began  in  1950.     That is the year  that  the  Robins  family  migrated  from Redlands,  California.    Having  left  behind  our  family's Redlands  Nazarene  Church,  the only one we  knew  at  the  age  of  five.   So  with  the  move  complete,  we  of  course  found  our  new  home  church  in  Yakima,  Washington.    I  say  all  of  that  to  come  to  this !     As  I  vividly  recall,  that  is  where  we  ( The  Robins  Family /  Mom - Barbara  /  Father-  Art  / Sister - Marilynne and  Twin Boys - Daryl and David )  settled into our new church life in Yakima,  Washington.      The Crow family was  there for fellowship, and with all of those boys and their sister.    The  church  softball  team  quickly  brought out all of the same interests and our families became close in sporting activities as well as spiritual  growth.     Our  teen  years and YOUTH  FOR CHRIST  activities kept  us  in  contact  with both  Clarence  and  Linda.    Found  ourselves  all  highly  enjoying  and  involved  as  we  would  begin  each  Youth  Service  with  the  song :    TITLED:  "Christ  for  me - Yes  it's  Christ  for  me".    With  Clarence  and  Linda  being  older than us,   we would  watch   listen  and  learn  from  their  testimonies  as  we  sang  to  the  top  of  our  voices.    Great -fun  days  gone  by !      We  also  remember  that  later in our married  life  about 1964,  Clarence moved his family  into their  new home  in  Yakima  on  the  corner   South 71st Avenue  and  West  Prasch  Avenue.   That was only two  houses from ours  and  we  were neighbors  for  a  few  years.     As  years  passed  our  lives  were  intermixed  with  most  all  of  the  Crow  Family  and  we  were  blessed  by  it.     Looking  forward to seeing  the family  again.    My  fondest  memory  of  recall,   would  be  when  we  moved  to  the  West  Valley  Nazarene  Church  to  worship  there  and  enjoy  greater   involvement  in  music  programing  and  presentations.    We  did  and  found  sweet  fellowship  for our  now  empty  nest  family.    Then one  day  Clarence  asked  me  if  I had ever thought about being in  a  Gospel Quartet.    That was an answer to my  prayer and  gave conformation why the Lord led  us to this  particular church  fellowship.     My  answer to his question took no further thought,  because.  I  knew it was from the Lord's  direction and  He  was  using my  long  time  friend  in Clarence  to  complete  the  task.     The  answer came  out  as  just  that !  .. "YES"  that has been  my  hearts  desire  for  a  long  time having been  involved  much  the  same  in my earlier Christian walk at other fellowship churches.   Then I asked Clarence :   "What  he  had in  mind" ?   He  laid  it  out  and  we  were  blessed  by  it.     So,   Clarence,  Dan, Tom, Dale and Dave  felt  the  Lord  was  blessings  our  formation  and  practice sessions  good enough to stretch our ministry.    Thus,  THE  GOSPEL  MESSENGERS QUARTET  OF  YAKIMA  was  given  life.    We  selected  a  Bible  verse  as  our  "Banner" to  serve  our   Lord  under,   because  we  all  agreed  it  was  a  representative  inspiration  to  follow  from  our  combined  heart  for  this  ministry  commitment  ahead.   Verse :     PSALM 98;1     Sing  to  the  Lord  a  New  Song;  for  He  has  done  great  things.      Amen

"Thanks  Clarence  for  your  lifelong  friendship  and  love  of  a  Christian  Brother" ~   I  would  always  close  my  E-Mail's  to  Clarence  by  saying  and  signing  off  as :

"In  His  Grip  Forever"   Dave    (  see  you  again  and  we'll  sing  around  His  Throne  - I'll  learn  some  of  your  new  heavenly lyrics  that  He's  taught  you  and  Dan,  UH ?  )  "Be  Blessed  family  at  His  successful  journey  of  life".

Join me in celebrating Clarence’s Heaven home going ..on to ‘new beginnings’ after 8 days vigil with him here at home. No one’s e v e r had loving care our daughter Melissa gave better demonstrated, + her husband Jim & our 2 grands in home.

Clarence had his earthly 4 yo angel visit that evening, as Jan 6 is Epiphany, bringing ‘gold, frankincense & myrrh’ like the Magi did for their face to face with The Child. And so-oo a few hours later Clarence also left..for his face to face with The Savior.

He’d been a few yrs focusing on heaven bound music, missing his group/quartet singing…we did sing with him often here, such a melodious bass; Melissa & Emilie told him to “stay in your lane”! as he was fond of moving within a song to other parts 🤗

The body gave up and angels ushered him into Christ’s presence was a ‘story’ ending he’d have approved!

Linda