Timeless October/November 2021 | Page 13

ON THE COVER
Rachel Thrash and step-great-granddaughter Nevaeh Gilmer bond over art .

Two-way redemption

Rachel Thrash and Nevaeh Gilmer find healing , hope in new life together

When Rachel Thrash ’ s step-great-granddaughter , Nevaeh , was born , she and her husband made a point of driving to see her regularly . Almost every weekend , they made the three-hour , one-way drive to Alabama to pick her up on Friday , and then to return her on Sunday evening .

“ We were always close ,” Thrash recalls of the girl , who is now 12 . “ Her mom was in the restaurant business and so we always picked her up on the weekends so her mom didn ’ t have to pay for a babysitter . Then , when school was out , she was pretty much always with us , too .”
Nevaeh Gilmer ’ s father passed away before she was born . Then , her mother suddenly died in September 2020 . When social workers asked her where she wanted to live , Nevaeh said she wanted to go with Rachel and her husband , Austin . continued on page 10 www . meridianstar . com
• 13