Sarah was a little girl who had suffered tragedy in her life, leaving her questioning why this could happen to her.  Her mother, Lola, was killed in a tragic auto/train accident when she was only two years of age. Sarah, her parents, and her siblings were in the car.  That day, the signal at the railroad crossing didn’t work, and the engineer failed to blow the whistle.  Ray and the children witnessed the impact as Lola was ejected from the car and hit by the train.  The car had only slight damage to the front bumper of the car. But why?  Why was she killed?  The accident wasn’t that bad! Why did she leave? The children didn’t understand.  Did mommy leave because she was tired of them?

Sarah’s father, Ray, blamed himself for the death of Lola. You see, one week prior to the accident, Lola had told Ray that she was leaving him.  Ray knew that Lola wasn’t leaving him for another, nor because of trouble in the marriage, but rather because of a vision that Lola had had.  Lola had seen a vision of an angel floating down the staircase of their home, and the angel telling her to prepare to leave her family. Lola spent that week doing extensive household chores, mending clothing, and sewing Easter dresses for the girls. Ray had managed to keep Lola in the home for that week, until Saturday came, which is the day Lola did her shopping.  Since Lola didn’t drive, she insisted Ray take her into town.  As much as Ray wanted to refuse, he finally took her.  That was the day that changed their lives forever.  

Following the accident, the family relocated to a small town where Ray had numerous family members living nearby. Ray was able to purchase a home with the $6,000 he received from the railroad. The railroad and the courts deemed that the amount was fair and reasonable, given that the engineer failed to sound the train whistle.

Many friends and family members offered to take the three younger children, as they were all girls, but Ray refused, because he knew Lola would want them to grow up together.  But was that the best decision for the children?  Sarah has always wondered.  Ray was no longer emotionally capable of being the father he would have been.  He spent his life blaming himself for killing his wife, and the children’s mother.  Each anniversary of the accident, he reminded the children that that was the day he killed Lola.  Ray never remarried, even though he was 39 years old when his wife died.  He said he didn’t deserve to be happy.  He had killed his wife. 

Moving forward was a challenge for everyone, but it seems that Ray suffered more than anybody.  He cried every night, and the children found themselves trying to shower enough love upon their daddy to dry his tears. The children took care of their daddy, and the older children took care of the younger ones.  All the children grew up to be fine and respectable people.  Surely an angel was sent to take care of this family. Maybe that angel’s name was LOLA.