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Abts has been there at the end for many area residents

LAUREL — It’s a tune you can waft over the mourners at many area funerals.

Legend has it that the Rock of Ages hymn, which was penned by Augustus Toplady in 1763, was inspired by a stormy event in England in which Toplady found shelter in the cleft of a rock. The fourth stanza of the hymn speaks to the end of life:

“While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death. When I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on Thy judgment throne. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

Marilyn Abts has walked alongside many people as they drew their fleeting breaths and began soaring to worlds unknown.

Abts, who recently retired after nearly 16 years as a hospice nurse, considers her role in their journeys a privilege.

“Many people don’t understand how we hospice nurses keep going. I found my inspiration in helping patients and their families navigate the end of life,” she said. “I never knew how long they had, so I focused on quality of life rather than quantity of life.”

Abts began her nursing journey in a skilled nursing facility in 1993. She joined the Hospice of Siouxland team in December of 2004. At that time, most of the patients were Iowa-based.

Abts was able to use her ties to the communities west of Sioux City in Nebraska to expand the area the company serviced.

For many the end of life is a journey and hospice services become a crucial part of the process. Hospice emphasizes comfort instead of curing. They educate family caregivers on the process and how they can participate in the care if they so choose.

They also provide emotional and spiritual support in helping to prepare the family every step of the way.

“On one occasion, a lady had been hanging on for a while. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything for a few days. We knew it would be soon,” she said. “I kept asking her family if we could call a chaplain and after numerous attempts they decided perhaps it was a good idea. The chaplain showed up and together they recited The Lord’s Prayer, asked for their sins to be forgiven, and asked for peace and comfort. The patient passed away during the interaction. She needed spiritual care at the end of her life.”

While events like that may sound sad to some folks, Abts said she has many great memories of her patients and their families.

“I have many great memories, but one of my fondest was one of my patients who was an Army veteran. He had hoped to attend an Army reunion in Myrtle Beach. It was on his bucketlist. I knew that I needed to find a way to make it happen,” she said.

With the help of the patient’s family and Abt’s communication and coordination with other hospice providers in North Carolina, the man was able to experience his wish. Although he couldn’t attend the actual event, they did make accommodations for him to meet with his fellow comrades while he was there. He passed away shortly after that trip.

“It made his day and helped end his life on a positive note,” Abts said.

For most nurses, their profession is more than a way to make a living — it is something they were meant to do.

This has definitely been true for Abts.

“Not only has this been a career. It has been my calling; my ministry. I got to walk alongside patients and their families as they left this world for the next. It has been a blessing,” she said.

Abts and her husband, Dave, live in Laurel. They are the parents of Angela Abts and Julie (Nick) Kvols of Laurel, and Eric (Christy) of South Sioux City. The couple also has five grandchildren.

She now hopes to spend more time with family, taking in grandchildren’s activities, and traveling.

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