Charis O'Donnell

Thank You, God, for Grace

You show me grace as I recall the talent she possessed
To bring a smile, a tune, a tear, my joy, I felt so blessed!
It seems she always had a plan, a plot, a ploy, a scheme,
She kept her goals in front of her and drew us with her dream.

When she was young she gave her life to You to make complete,
Her strong will was to share Your love with all that she would meet.
Our little Gracie had her hurts, she felt so deeply, Lord,
We did...

Charis, you would be so proud of John, He showed Jesus to the Red Mountain Respite family once again at your memorial Saturday the 11th. We all got to meet 3 of the girls that were in the accident, I hope and pray they will give their lives to Jesus, the seed has been planted. We miss you so..... The girls talked a lot about your singing, and I reminded them you are singing in Jesus' presence everyday now. Love you, Auntie M

After graduating from Maui High School in Hawaii, I was not sure where God was leading me for the future, except for the urge to go to a Bible college. I really didn't know of any Bible colleges...until God brought Charis into my life. She came to Maui to visit her family, and eventually became a part-time youth leader to a group of teenagers who needed direction in their lives. Although she was one out of three leaders, her devotion, love of Christ, and love of people made it a full time...

Two words come to mind when I think of Charis: Radiant and Vivacious. From her beautiful red hair, to her fun and (sometimes outrageous!) clothing, to her quirky sense of humor, Charis defined the word "joy." She knew how to live life to the fullest: to love deeply and passionately, to find humor in every situation, and to encourage and uplift others.

Charis loved Jesus and she loved people. Her smile always cheered me; her hug always lifted my spirits. I learned to look at the...

Kathy's expression of "our song is gone" is incredibly poignant. Charis's life was indeed a song with one of the catchiest tunes I have ever heard. I enjoyed her immensely, laughed with her endlessly and loved her whole-heartedly. She is forever my friend and I can't wait to see her again one day.

To all the family of our Gracie, O'Donnells, Crains and Clements.
Our Prayers and our Love to all of you for this Great loss. We share your pain and loss.
Love to all.
Tom and Edith Clements Family

Dear John and Family, I'm so sadden about the loss of a wonderful woman, wife, mom, daugher, and friend. I am so honored that I was a part of Charis's life. She filled my life with happiness and laughter. I truly miss her. I pray that God will hold you all in his hand at this difficult time. Know that you r all in my thoughts and prayers.

Dear Chet and Kathy,
My heart hurts with you at your loss of such a beautiful daughter who was faithfully serving the Lord. It is difficult for us to understand why, but we don't need to understand. We just need to trust the character of God. God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.
Praying that the God of all comfort will bring comfort and peace to your hearts and minds....

I want to express my heart-felt thanks to all who attended Charis's Memorial Service, and also to all of you who have supported us in your prayers. I was very happy at how the service went, and I know that Christ is and will be Glorified as a result.

For those of you that were unable to attended, a trust fund has been set up for my children. God bless you all!!

The O'Donnell Children's Education Fund
c/o Merrill Lynch
3333 Warrenville Road, Suite #100
Lisle, Illinois...