This photo was taken Christmas Day 1964 in my maternal grandparents dining room. We always went to my maternal grandparents home on Christmas Day. I had a whole bunch of cousins there. I was the oldest.
The little gal with the brown hair looking at the envelopes with her head down in the center of the photo is my cousin that died. She was one of the eight oldest cousins. The oldest eight kinda all stuck together...they were the cousins that I knew best.
A few people in this photo are still alive but many have died. (Aunt Karen, Aunt Skip, Grandpa Fideler, my Grandpa, Uncle Dennis, Uncle Ray and now Linda have passed on.)
My cousin Linda had a beautiful voice...she sang at my Grandparents funerals. She was a happy, smiley person. She loved horses, dogs and cats and her job as a Psychologist. The last time I spoke with her by email was in August. She didn't "do" facebook. She was married but had no children. She changed her name after her parents died. She had a rough childhood...her parents were both alcoholics. I like to think that some of her cousins were a good support system for her growing up. We were there for her baptism, confirmation and graduation from High School and Sunday afternoons at our Grandparents.
Her funeral is in a suburb of Mpls/St Paul. Too far to go in the winter. It is hard when you are the oldest and those younger relatives than you start to die.
Romans 14:8 "If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die we belong to the Lord."
Far Side
I am sorry for your loss, it is hard when the younger relatives die. You and Far Guy are in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that she passed away. What a heartache to go so young.
ReplyDeleteI know how hard it is go travel in the unpredictable weather and with FG still not recovered, it would not be wise.
I am so sorry for your loss! I will pray for God's "comfort" for you in this time of sorrow.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry. I lost a cousin right before Christmas and it was surreal. He was the baby of our combined families. He was 60 He was yet another victim of this horrible opioid crisis that also claimed his sister a few years ago. It can happen to anyone. Both suffered with arthritis.
ReplyDeleteIt seems many of my friends are losing family right now. Maybe it's usual in the winter to have moe pass away, but it's never easy to lose loved ones. She seems awfully young at 62 to have died. :-(
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss. She was such a young woman and sounds very accomplished. When my mother died almost 12 years ago, I became the oldest member of my family on that side. I was 52. I only have 2 younger cousins on that side, their mother for whom I am named died in her 40's. My grandmother was an only child and my grandfather's sisters never had children. It really gives you a sense of your own mortality. Prayers.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences on your loss. She certainly was too young to be gone. I am the oldest of 16 cousins on my maternal side. Only a few of us are close however, as we're scattered across the country. One family of 5 youngest cousins were little kids the only time I ever met them, and I was already an adult at the time.
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry to read about your cousin Linda passing on so early in her life. Hugs to you and the rest of your family. I told my husband last night that it seems so many of our friends, our age, are sick, some very sick. I don't know when we got to be this age. But I guess we are lucky that we did.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to lose those that you have known for so long. The last cousin that I lost was only a couple years older than me and cancer was the enemy. I am not very close to cousins now except for one, my youngest, who needed me to talk with her as her husband was very ill and now has died. I am sorry for the loss of your cousin.
ReplyDeleteMy sympathies on the passing of your cousin Linda. She was far too young.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your family on the loss of your cousin Linda. As others have said, she was so young. I understand the weather, distance and Far Guys illness preventing you from attending her service, but reading between the lines, I also understand that that is hard for you.
ReplyDeleteMay God give you peace and you remember her and relive the good times you had with all of your cousins and family. That verse in Romans is a good reminder to us all isn't it?
Blessings,
Betsy
I'm sorry for the loss of your cousin. Far too young. I have only have a couple of cousins I keep in touch with. One via email and her brother on Facebook. All my cousins are in England.
ReplyDelete62 seems so very young. Hard to have younger friends and relatives die. Sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely memories of your cousin. It is difficult to watch our own generation grow smaller. I have a group of cousins that is gradually becoming smaller and it is sad. I am sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteOh my, she was so young and she sounds like a very special person. Peace be with you.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry for your loss. I was close to my cousins and I thought we would stay close because most of us were only children but I guess we all got busy. She was very young and so sad but I love the Bible verse...so true. Take care.
ReplyDeleteIt’s sad to lose friends from childhood, which is what cousins are. I’m sorry she passed away so young. 60s IS young!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for the loss of your cousin, Connie. I'm glad you have some sweet memories of Christmases past. How is your dad doing these days? And your daughter that was in the hospital? Praying that they are all doing much better. Was your dad at Bingo last week? Then he must be doing better! Peace and Blessings to you both.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for your loss. It is difficult when younger relatives pass away.
ReplyDeleteSo sad to lose a cousin that you were close to. I have many cousins of which I am probably one of the oldest but so far none have died that I know of. We all live scattered about the country and don't keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteWhat sad news. I am so sorry to hear... Looking at that picture of your cousin so young, it's hard to think of all the years and all the changes that took place in between then and now. Sometimes, it really helps to still have those old photos. Keeping you and your family in our prayers...
ReplyDeleteMy deepest sympathy. So very sad. She was the same age as me. I'm glad that she had your (cousins) love and support.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences.... may her soul rest in eternal peace.
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