Family, Friends Remember Julia Gilbert

Hundreds of mourners filed into St. John the Baptist Church in Edmond to say goodbye to Julia Gilbert.

Thursday, January 14th 2010, 12:27 pm

By: News 9


By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

EDMOND, Oklahoma -- Hundreds of mourners filed into St. John the Baptist Church in Edmond to say goodbye to Julia Gilbert.

It was an emotional outpouring of remembrance for a young woman whose life ended way too soon. Faithful, smart, feisty and a lover of all things French, that is how 21-year old Julia Gilbert was remembered by those who knew her best.

"We bask in admiration at a teenager so fluent in French that a French waiter complimented her accent. That almost never happened," said Father John Metzinger.

But it's what happened last weekend that led to this tragic moment. Gilbert's body was found Sunday in her car off of Waterloo Road. She was reported missing Friday.

The official cause of death is still not known. But despite that tragedy, her funeral wasn't sad. Friends say Julia wouldn't have wanted that.

Even in her treatment for lyme disease, she managed to find humor. Doctors inserted a port in Julia's vein so she could bypass nauseating side effects of her medication.

"Ports are routinely installed below the neck and above the breast so Julia called it her Boob Tube," said Julia's friend Jane Romine.

Her pastor remembered Julia as an active member of St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, the same church where hundreds packed into pews for her funeral.

"I believe that Julia Kathryn Gilbert in her 21 years understood what is essential. She welcomed God's love. She shared God's love," said Father Metzinger.

Love that stretched beyond Oklahoma. A friend Julia met in her travels to Europe flew in from Ireland to attend her funeral.

"I only knew Julia properly for a bit more than a year, but just me standing up here is testament to the fact that she made friends everywhere," said friend Andy Collins.

Julia had planned on moving to France to teach English to French children. She would have graduated from OU this May.

Julia's family is collecting donations in her honor that will support lyme disease research and provide scholarships for French students at OU. You can make a contribution at BancFirst.

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