Cynthia, or Cindy as she was known to her family and friends, was born on November 1, 1946 in Binghamton, NY. She was the eldest of six children born to Arlyn and Dorothy Colwell. Her early years were spent helping on the family farm. She enjoyed cooking and took over meal planning and preparation for the family while in her teens. While in high school she achieved Wing Explorer in Pioneer Girl’s Clubs (the equivalent of an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts). She graduated from Windsor Central School and attended the Bible Institute of New England for two years. She then earned her RN at Robert Packer School of Nursing, graduating valedictorian of her class.
Following her graduation from nursing school, she married Lee Judkins and moved to Maine where he pastored and taught school. She held a few different positions as a nurse until she discovered her niche working in geriatrics. She often worked as a nursing supervisor and also enjoyed training nursing assistants. Cindy trained 17 classes of nursing assistants for certification and often told them that their work was acceptable only if it met her standard of being the care she would require for her mother.
While living in New England, married, and working as a nurse, Cindy also found time to serve in her church. She served faithfully alongside her pastor-husband entertaining in their home and serving in a variety of capacities in the church. In 1973 their son Jeffrey was born. The pride and joy of her life they enjoyed a close relationship until her death.
In 1997 another important person entered Cindy’s life. Cheyenne Judkins was born and Cindy had a granddaughter. She enjoyed her granddaughter and took pleasure in taking her to see sights, scrapbooking, cooking, going to church, having sleepovers, and creating memories with her.
In between working as a nurse, caring for her family, and serving the Lord, she also found time to travel. Cindy loved to plan and take trips across the country. She visited many of the national parks and always had fun and interesting stories about the places she had visited. Even in recent years and in declining health she enjoyed a trip to Tennessee, another to Washington, and about a month ago an overnight trip to Niagara Falls. Cindy enjoyed these trips with Jeff and his wife Christa and was thankful that he found options to provide a way for her to enjoy the sights despite her waning strength and mobility.
Cindy was a creative woman who loved to decorate her home for each season and had a knack for making a house or apartment into a home. She enjoyed baking, scrapbooking, counted cross-stitch, crochet, knitting, and sewing. Throughout her lifetime she used her creative skills to make many gifts for her loved ones.
For the last three years of her life, she returned to her hometown to care for her aging mother. In doing so, she kept a promise she had made to her parents long ago to care for them at home so that they would not have to go to a nursing home. In conjunction with her siblings and assisted by home health aides, they kept this promise.
For those who knew her and loved her, there is now an empty spot at the table, a hole in our days, yet she had come to want little more than to be with her Savior. Although her body had become weak and fragile, she stubbornly, independently, and with great strength lived honorably until the moment her heart stopped beating and her Heavenly Father answered her prayer to call her Home. The Apostle Paul tells us that we will receive a new, heavenly body. She can see and hear clearly now, the pain in her joints is gone, the mysterious illness that plagued her for months is healed and she is well and whole and delighted to be with her Savior and loved ones who went before her. We look forward to the day we will be reunited with her.
Verses that gave her strength in hard times were Psalm 121:1-2 KJV
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."
