Healed

Aunt Lila’s funeral was on Saturday afternoon.  The theme that ran through the service was that she is now healed.  Her suffering and pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis is over.  Her children reported that after her last breath a huge smile came across her face….who knows what wonders she saw…we can only imagine.

It was a fairly long service first by a cousin who is a retired pastor and then by the pastor who visited her in the nursing home.

After the service a time of food and fellowship was held in the fellowship hall.  A meal of scalloped potatoes and ham, tator tot hotdish, corn, coleslaw, pickles and flat bread was served…topped off by a dessert buffet of bars and cake…every kind you can imagine…I had gingerbread Far Guy had chocolate.  After we finished our meal and coffee we headed to the cemetery.

The cemetery is located high on a hill, the single lane road going up was covered like an archway with changing leaves.

 

The gravedigger sits against the colorful tree high on the hill.  My Paternal Grandparents are buried on the left side of the photo at the top of the hill.

After a graveside service we sang Jesus Love Me and the gravedigger came down from the hill to ready the casket for lowering into the vault.  When the casket touches bottom it makes a thud four times as it settles into the vault.  Some threw flowers into the grave.  Most time the family is not present for the lowering of the casket….I have been to one other funeral where the casket was lowered in the presence of the mourners.

My Aunt would have been pleased with  the church full of people that came to say goodbye and to hug her children.  She would have approved of the meal…and the coffee.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ  Philippians 3:20

Funeral: Aunt Grace

Yesterday was my Aunt Grace’s Funeral.  She was 82.  Two years ago when it was her 80th birthday, her kids showed off many of the quilts that she had made.

Many were well worn and used.  She like to see them that way…well used=appreciation!

Sadly in the last few months she lost the use of her hands, no more quilting, embroidery or hand work to keep her mind busy.

She was one of the kindest people I have ever known.  She was a good Aunt.  She was married to my Uncle George who died in 1997.  She invited me to quilting bees even though I couldn’t quilt…I learned and whatever my stitches were she always said they were perfect.

Far Guy and I both went to the wake, and then I attended the funeral.  After the service we had a Minnesota Funeral Lunch; scalloped potatoes with ham, bread, green beans, pickles, coleslaw, macaroni salads, fruit salads, every color of Jello with and without fruit and every kind of cake or bar you can imagine.  I didn’t take Jello cause I don’t like it to melt on my plate and get mixed up with my hot foods.  I balanced my slice of bread precariously on top of my green beans.  When I sat down to eat, I arranged my food just so… my other baby brother said “It is all going the same place anyway.” I know but I still don’t like my food to touch. I had a fine visit with one of my cousins who is usually too busy this time of year to talk.

It was raining.  I left before the Funeral Procession, I wanted to get some photos at the cemetery.

The rain was not letting up.

The casket awaits.

I got out of the car and stood under a very tall Spruce Tree.

Aunt Grace’s casket bearers were her seventeen grandchildren.

It kept raining, after the priest was done, someone began singing Silent Night.

The voices carried across the graveyard as it rained and rained. 

Rest In Peace sweet Aunt Grace

Her birthday photo I took two years ago.

This is the poem her children chose for the inside of her funeral program.

******

Mother’s never die – they just make quilts in the sky.

We will often remember and then realize.

That mothers are special and wonderfully wise…

And when she “Goes home” to recieve her reward

She will dwell in her heavenly home,

and make quilts for the Lord

Where she will “light up” the stars

that shine through the night

So dry tears of sorrow, for mothers don’t die-

They just move in with GOD and make quilts in the sky.

************

 

Funeral in Blackduck

Yesterday we drove north to attend a funeral. Our Son In Law Andy’s Grandfather died. We wanted to be there to show our respect to Art’s family especially our son in law, daughter and our grandsons.

Art was 91 years old the father of eight and a WWII Veteran who served from 1943 to 1946 in the Marshall Islands as a Hospital Corpsman.

One of Art’s sons relayed this story about their family. “ Me being one of the youngest ( He said a mistake, a playmate, another mistake and another playmate) we were in the grocery store with our Mom, Fern, one day when a lady stopped to admire “The grandchildren”  Fern replied oh no these are my children.  The lady said I didn’t know you were Catholic?  Fern replied we’re not we are amorous.”

We had a funeral lunch: a hotdish complete with sliced olives, pasta salads, a wonderful pistachio salad (that had pineapple in it but it was so delicious), fresh buns, pickles of every kind and raw vegetables and dip.  Every kind of sugar loaded chocolate top bar known to mankind, coffee and lemonade.  The lunch was before visitation and the funeral.

The weather was sunny but the wind was cold.

The Honor Guard

Grandchildren were casketbears

The flag is clutched by Aaron (Art’s Grandson and Andy’s brother), Aaron presented it to one of Art’s daughters.

The bugler plays Taps for his Father.

I didn’t know if Bob (Art’s oldest son and Andy’s Dad) would play for his Dad or not…I think it was hard for him but something he wanted to do.

Bob is a Lutheran Minister, he had a small part in the service but basically left the service to his brother and the Pastor.

Bob was part of the five piece band that played during the service; a pianist, two trumpet players, a trombone player and a tuba player.  I admire people that can just pick up an instrument and play…we asked Andy what he played?  He replied “I used to play trumpet when I was in High School.”

Aunt Violet

I saw Aunt Violet a few weeks ago at the family picnic.  She was looking painfully thin and frail.  Last Friday morning she gave up the fight in this world and died.

She made the best dumplings you have ever tasted.  I loved visiting their house when she was making dumplings.

She was an awesome woodworker and woodcarver.  Far Guy and I took a woodcarving class with her one winter.  She went on to carve a Merry Go Round horse for each of her children.

When she lived nearby, I would stop by and visit. One day I stopped by and she said “Come on in, but you can’t stay long, I have Widows Club today here at my house.”  Not wanting to upset her preparations I had a quick cup of coffee and was on my way.  “Widows Club” was formed by a bunch of women who were all widowed, they took turns cooking lunch and hosting the group.  They met once a month.  It was a highlight of the month for many of the widowed women in our area.

Her four children will miss her,  her sisters will miss her, and all those Grandkids and Great Grands…

 

My Uncle Ervin, Aunt Violet and my cousin Geraldine in 1951.

Aunt Violet and my cousin Hilda in April of 1951.

The funeral is Monday, there will be a sermon about grace and about how we are all saved by grace through faith.  There will be a trip out to the cemetery high on the hill. Afterwards there will be a lunch with Finnish flatbread and sliced meats and cheese and a hotdish and Jello salads of every color of the rainbow and all kind of cakes and bars and coffee:)

A Trip With My Brother

Today I ventured out with my brother, we headed off to the funeral of my Mothers brother. It was a nice service, the cemetery committal service was a little long... trying to stand upright on an icy hillside behind my ageing Mother and Father. Luckily no one fell and broke a hip or anything. I think however I have a very young cousin who wished that she had not worn open toed sandals to a snow and ice covered hill in Minnesota. But I have to give her credit, her toes looked lovely and they were perfectly manicured. I am sure as she shivered away in her leather coat she was quite jealous of my down filled parka and especially of my feet which were warmly incased in lambs wool covered snow boots.

The Funeral Lunch was pretty good, the Funeral Hotdish was hearty and plentiful..a hamburger, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce with chunks of tomato and huge pieces of celery. There were the usual side salads in all colors and forms, fresh buns from the bakery spread with real butter. Cupcakes of every kind..German chocolate, chocolate and white ones with all kinds of different frosting's. That's what we do here in Minnesota..bury someone in the cold ground and then have lunch.

I had a good time visiting with some of my cousins from that side of the family that I hardly ever get to see. You see I am the oldest cousin. So it is the older children that I know well. My Mother is also the oldest living family member, It is hard for her to bury her brothers and sisters. She only has three brothers left and one sister..out of eleven..so over half of them have departed this earth.

My one cousin recently welcomed his seventh child into this world while he was on a little over night vacation with his wife..so this brand new 9 Ib 9oz boy was birthed in a Motel Room near Minneapolis. I asked my cousins wife if she was afraid..she replied " not really..It wasn't like I had never given birth before." The next day they packed up and went home.

I have a really hysterically funny cousin, she told me when she was fifty she had a mid life crisis so she bought herself a motorcycle. I asked her if she also bought a helmet..she replied "Oh yes, and Leathers."

The Amish have purchased my Grandparents D old farm place. I guess it is a clandestine bakery with some of the yummiest of items for sale. They cannot advertise because it is not a state approved kitchen. There is also a place that you can have your horses shoed. We did notice that the highway was a little brown and horse appley in some spots and the horse and buggy warning signs are up.

We took a different way home, on a road that I had not been on in years. Past some more of my cousins and second cousins homes..we had a good trip my brother and I and a good visit:)