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Note: Arrena's father wanted to name her "Arrena Bachelor Champion Taft Funderburk". But her mother put her foot down on that idea. He named all the children after his relatives , except we are not sure about Nancy. He wanted her name to be Mabel Nancy, but her mother did not like the name Mabel and told the hospital "Nancy Mabel".
Arrena Bachelor Champion Taft is the mother of Martha Jane Taft. Martha Jane is the step-mother of Arrena's father.
Martha Jane also had a daughter Fannie Arrena Funderburk, who is a half-sister of Arrena's father.
Elegy given by Rena''s sister Margaret:
I just wanted to tell you a little bit about Rena and how she came to be the Rena you knew. Rena, as you know was a fighter and she was feisty. She was a fighter from the beginning.
When Rena was about six months old, she had polio-infantile paralysis. My mother had to massage her legs. Rena was weak on one side throughout her life. ÙCiÙD(and was unable to run or drive a car as a result.)
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At around age 19, she had to drop out of school due to family circumstances. She loved school. She had a teacher who befriended her and she just loved that teacher and loved going to school. So she left school and took care of us kids. There was my brother, myself, my sister Martha and my sister Nancy who was two. From that time she looked on Nancy as her baby.
In her early 40's, she went back to school to get her diploma. Not a GED, but a diploma from Framingham South High School. It took her three years at night, but she did it and got her diploma, which enabled her to get a job with Digital after working 27 years in a shoe factory. She worked at Digital and retired after 17 years.
After Rena found the Lord she found she found love and acceptance. Many pastors came and went and one day God sent a man who overlooked her feistiness. He began to talk to her showing her the love of God and encouraged his congregation to do the same. Rena responded to the Love of God, and she began to change. It was the love of God shone by this man of God and you all that changed Rena.
She loved you all. When we talked, for over one or two hours at times, she would tell me all about what was going on at the church and about all the people. She really appreciated all you did for her and speaking for the family, we do too. Thank you so much.
She was a fighter and she fought a good fight. And now she's won the race. Praise the Lord!!
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