A Father’s Graveside Message

by Rick Shrader

A Graveside Message for Rebekah (Shrader) Schrepfer

These are a father’s last words for his oldest child, standing near her grave in Palmer, Alaska.

Rebekah was born on May 4, 1976 in Cincinnati, Ohio, a Bicentennial baby. She passed away from Ovarian cancer, June 14, 2026 at the age of 50. She was the oldest of four siblings, Rebekah the oldest, Michael, Rachel, and Matthew. Rebekah received Christ as her Savior at the age of 5 and lived a life honoring to her Savior for 45 more years. She married Aron Schrepfer on September 24, 2004. They have four children, Matthew, Katie, Nataly, and Sara. Aron is the pastor of Pioneer Peak Baptist Church in Palmer, and Rebekah was his godly wife.

Paul’s simple statement applies so correctly to Rebekah, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Though we stand in a cemetery with a casket and a body in front of us, and though this body will be resurrected at the great resurrection day, I don’t want to talk much about the body of Rebekah, I want to talk about Rebekah in heaven. That is the hope of eternal life which we have in Christ. When we believe in Him, “we shall not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). She is not far from us. She is still part of our family. David, when his baby died, taught us to say, “she cannot come to us, but we can go to her.” Paul wrote that the “whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph. 3:15). Part of our family is in heaven.

We have simple but profound statements in Scripture: “We sorrow not as others which have no hope” (1 Thes. 4:13). “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). There is so much written in Scripture about what happens when a believer dies, and I want to draw three encouraging thoughts from three Bible characters who tell us these very things: David, Paul, and Jesus.

Rebekah learned from David: “I am not afraid to die”

In Psalm 23: She learned to be Unafraid of the Valley. There is a valley called “the valley of the shadow of death.” David said, “though I walk through” this valley. It is not a matter of “if” but only of when. But David said, “I will fear no evil for You are with me.” Even the rod and staff comfort us. Why was Rebekah unafraid? Because at the end of the valley, She is now dwelling “in the house of the Lord forever.” I call those kind of statements in the Bible, “Release statements.” Death releases us to our heavenly home. That’s where Rebekah is–right now.

In Psalm 90: She learned to be Unafraid of the Flight. God told David that we have an average of 70 to 80 years of life (vs. 10), but sometimes longer and sometimes shorter. Rebekah had 50 wonderful God-honoring years. David confessed, “It is soon cut off, and we fly away” (vs. 10). Some think that is an odd way to put it—we “fly away.” But Enoch walked away when God took him (Gen. 5:24). Elijah rode to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). The beggar Lazarus “was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (Lk. 16:22). Jesus also, “passed through the heavens” (Heb. 4:14). Rebekah also joyfully and immediately “flew away” to the Savior’s presence on June 14th, 2026.

In Psalm 16: she learned to be Unafraid of the Beatific Vision. This wonderful Messianic Psalm speaks of the bodily resurrection of Jesus, “Nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption” (vs. 10). Therefore, David said, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fulness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (vs. 11). Rebekah just walked into the presence of God the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. She said with David, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (Psa. 17:15).

Rebekah and I had lunch some months ago. She said, “Dad, I’m not afraid to die.” I said, “Honey, I know you’re not.” Last year she wrote an article titled, “Heavenly Peace.” She wrote, “I am not expected to live much longer. And yet, I will continue to live.” She had that confidence to the day she did die. And yet, she did not die. She traded this earthly scene for a heavenly vision. Our son, Matthew, was at a prayer meeting with our friend Roy Beacham, who prayed that “the Lord would gently walk her into His arms.” And that is exactly what He did.

Rebekah learned from Paul: “I am willing to go”

In Philippians 1: she learned to be willing to depart and be with Christ. Rebekah suffered for a year from cancer. However, she said with Paul, “so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1:20), and she kept that promise every day. But Rebekah, like Paul, was “hard pressed between the two” because “to remain in the flesh is more needful for you” (vss. 23-24). Rebekah was a pastor’s wife with much ministry to keep; she was a mother who never got to see a daughter walk down the marriage isle, or hold a grandbaby in her lap. But Rebekah had a confident “desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better” (vs. 23). Truly, to be with Christ is the greatest moment in our existence.

In 2 Corinthians 5: she learned to be willing to be clothed with her house from heaven. “We know that if our earthly house of this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (5:1). We also know that if we are still present in this body, this tent, we are absent from the Lord (vs. 6). We fight and wrestle much to remain here. But Paul said, “We are confident, yes, willing rather, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (vs. 8). When the fight with cancer neared the end, Rebekah was confident and willing to be present with the Lord.

In 2 Timothy 4: she learned to be willing to depart on the journey. Paul’s last words were, “For I am already poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Tim. 4:6). So with Rebekah. The cancer caused her to be poured out and exhausted. It was time. She was on board the heaven-bound ship and waiting for the moorings to be loosed. “I’ll see you on the other side” she said. “I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith” (vs. 7). And she did valiantly (Psa. 60:12; 108:13). There is laid up for her the crown of righteousness. And for all of us who also love His appearing.

Our friend Bill Jenkin called me (and Aron) quite a few times this last year. He and Terri had lost their son many years ago. As I was asking Bill about when that happened, he turned to Terri and said, Honey, when did Clifford go to heaven?” I thought to myself, that’s all that I’m waiting for, when Rebekah will go to heaven. I can also answer, “Rebekah went to heaven June 14th.” She is with “the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Heb. 12:23).

Rebekah learned from the Lord Jesus: “I am wanting to go”

In John 14: she learned she wanted to go to her new dwelling. Jesus said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). Though He was speaking of the rapture of the whole church, we are received now in spirit to the house He has prepared for us. Philip said, “Show us the way” (vs. 8). Rebekah knew the way. “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). It is because of Rebekah’s faith in Christ that we know and she knew the way to the heavenly home.

In John 11: she learned she wanted never to die. At the graveside of Lazarus, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (vss. 25-26). Death is just the door from here to heaven. Rebekah was very confident of that. We may go through the dying process because that is appointed to the whole human race. But at that point we call death, the spirit separates from the body and is immediately in heaven. Absent from the body and present with the Lord.

In Revelation 1: she learned she wanted to see Jesus. Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1:18). When someone has the key to the door, you are invited to go in with him. Long ago, Enoch was walking with God out among the starry heavens. It was late in the day and the Lord said, “Enoch, it’s closer to My house than it is to yours, and I have the keys, come on home with me.” And Enoch “was not for God took him.” Sunday afternoon, God said, “Rebekah, it’s closer to my house than it is to yours, and I have the keys, come on home with me.” And Rebekah went home to be with the Lord.

In that article titled, Heavenly Peace, Rebekah wrote, “10 months ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. These months have been a journey through treatments and preparations. I am not expected to live very much longer. And yet, I will continue to live. Oh yes, I have emotional times that overtake me sometimes, but overall, I have a settledness, a calmness, a grounded way of thinking. I’m resting in the truths that I believe by faith.” Here, Rebekah walked by faith, not by sight. Today that faith has become sight.

So let me ask:

How many are we now. Are there only 5 in the Schrepfer family? Or are there still 6? How many are there in the Shrader family? Are there only 5, or are there still 6? Soon others will go. Will we still be a family? Remember, Paul said, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph. 3:14-15).

Paul was confident, willing rather, to be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6). Rebekah is absent, but not missing. She’s not in a tent, but in a house. She’s not unclothed, but clothed. She’s not corruptible, but incorruptible. Not mortal, but immortal. She’s with that part of the family, “the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Heb. 12:23).

We Are Seven (“The little cottage girl”) (William Wordsworth, 1770-1850)

I met a little cottage Girl:
She was eight years old, she said:
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That clustered round her head . . .

“Sisters and brothers, little Maid
How many may you be?”
“How many? Seven in all,” she said
And wondering looked at me.

“And where are they? I pray you tell.”
She answered, “Seven are we,
And two of us at Conway dwell
And two are gone to sea,

“Two of us in the church yard lie,
My sister and my brother,
And in the churchyard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother…”

“You run about, little Maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the church yard laid,
Then you are only five.”

“How many are you then,” said I,
“If they two are in Heaven?”
Quick was the little Maid’s reply,
“O Master, we are seven.”

“But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!”
‘Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, “Nay, we are seven.”

Yes, we know: God said to Adam, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). Solomon said, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, but the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecc. 12:7). And Paul reminded us, “As we have born the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Cor 15:49).

John wrote, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been reveled what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:2-3).

If we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will also see the Lord, and we will see Rebekah, and we will see the whole family who are in heaven. Praise God for His unspeakable gift.