Rory Feek Reflects On His Life With Joey Feek, Thanks Her Hometown For Memorial

Rory Feek has had an emotional month, to say the least, but he is handling it well. Feek is choosing to reflect on the time he got to spend with his bride and focusing on raising their 2-year-old daughter, Indiana.

On Friday, March 4, his wife of 15 years, Joey Feek, lost her battle with terminal cancer. The next week, Rory laid Joey to rest on their family farm in Tennessee. On Sunday, Rory returned to Joey’s hometown for a public service memorial put on by Bill and Gloria Gaither.

On Friday, Rory shared a post on his blog, This Life I Live, which he has used to document Joey’s battle with cancer. In the post, titled “our town,” Rory recalled the first time he ever visited the small town of Alexandria, Indiana — it was the day he was going to ask Joey’s father for her hand in marriage.

“This wasn’t just a cordial visit though… Joey and I were there for a reason,” Rory wrote. “I was there to ask Jack for permission to marry his daughter. I think the question caught him off guard to say the least. He was worried about losing another child and I couldn’t blame him. But I promised to love and honor her and reluctantly I think… he gave us his blessing. I didn’t have to ask her daddy for permission. It was 2002 for goodness sake. But I wanted to. I wanted to do the right thing in every way. I still do.”

Joey Feek’s life was filled with joy, but it was also tainted with heartache and loss. Joey’s brother Justin was killed in an accident when he was only 17-years-old. His death left a mark on Joey’s entire family and left them stricken with grief for years.

“We stopped about a quarter-mile away, right in front of the white cross on the side of the road where Justin had been killed,” Rory wrote. “I knew that spot meant a lot to her. She had told me all about it. Many times. It’s where her and her mama were the first ones to the scene and where she had knelt over her brother praying for him, minutes after the accident that took his life. I wanted to change that moment for her… to try to make it better. To turn that place into a beautiful beginning instead of a heartbreaking ending.”

“So there we were, in the spot where her she felt her greatest pain,” he continued. “But this time I was the one who knelt, and I asked Joey to marry me. And we both cried. And together we prayed that God might take our broken hearts and our broken pasts and make something truly beautiful of them. And He has. A million times over, He has.”

Since that day, Joey and Rory Feek have made countless visits back to Indiana, but Rory said none were more special to him than when he and Indiana traveled to Alexandria to attend the memorial. When Rory and Indy arrived, they received a standing ovation from the crowd. After a number of people spoke on Joey’s behalf, they all took the time to watch a tribute video to the woman the town had grown to know and love.

Joey’s hometown celebration from Hickory Films on Vimeo.

“The whole day was so special,” said Feek. “Thank you to everyone who was there and to everyone who wished they could be there with us. Like me, I know my wife would’ve found a way to see the beauty in this sad day.”

“I would also like to thank the wonderful town of Alexandria, Indiana,” he continued. “Joey’s town. My town.”

[Image via This Life I Live]