Family History

 I have to back up a bit in our recent family history.  Back to February 24, 2024 the day of my Mother's funeral and interment.  ( Just in case someone a long time from now wonders...or wants to know because they were not there)

Mom's urn at the church was carried out by her granddaughter Rachael (aka Toots), followed by all of Mom's granddaughters...except for one who was unable to attend.

Luckily because of the warmer than normal Minnesota Winter weather we were able to go to the cemetery for the interment of ashes.  My other baby brother, Nephew Josh and a few others not sure who...dug down to the double vault that contained my Father's urn. 

The Granddaughters bringing the Urn up the hill. 

Mom's urn joins Dad's  ( he has a prayer book that he had with him in Korea on top of his urn)

Our daughter Jen dropping her flower and her sister's flower into the urn vault. 

We visited the grave this week. 

May 22, 2024 the spot that was dug up was reseeded by my baby brother.  New grass will grow there eventually.  The cemetery high on the hill is beautiful in the Spring, the green so intense this year that it almost hurts your eyes. 

Dad's Veterans foot marker is not in place yet nor is his flag holder.  Mom's date of death has not been engraved into the headstone as of yet.

It all takes time.  I for one was very thankful that we could inter Mom's ashes in February, after Dad died in December of 2022  his ashes were not interred until the end of July in 2023...it was a very long seven months for me...it was like the grieving process was halted.  I know we all grieve differently but that waiting was difficult.

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A special quilt

 My Mother requested that a quilt be used under her urn.  My sister and I thought about all the quilts that Mom had made...how do you pick one special one?  I thought I knew which one or two were the most special.  Mom carried around the embroidery on many travels she worked on the squares in the car and in the evenings.  Turns out she lost track of the number of squares she made and she had too many...so she had to make two quilts.  They were used on her bed and my Dad's bed at the apartment...before that they were used at their home.  She was so excited when the quilts were completed!

The bluebird quilt.  It became the inspiration for preparations to purchase a urn and flowers.  My sister and I picked out two urns...both were very pretty. One would look lovely with the quilt.  I am not sure who made the final call...one of us.  My sister was in charge of the flowers, she made awesome choices. 

I think that Mom would have liked it. 

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The weekend

 We are back up North safe and sound before the big storm that is supposed to blanket us with a good amount of snow.

Saturday was the Celebration of Life for my Mother.  The Pastor was a Sunday School student of my Mothers a very long time ago.  There were 306 people at the church service.  The luncheon went off without a hitch. There were plenty of leftovers. The inurnment took place later in the afternoon. 

Sunday my siblings and I read cards out loud and wrote thank you notes. 

It was a busy weekend, now we need to rest up a bit. 

Jen took two awesome photos. 

The florist was working overtime delivering all the flowers, my Mom would have loved it.  Bouquets were sent home with relatives that were close to Mom.  The big sprays were taken to the Nursing Home, there they divide up flowers putting them in bud vases for all the residents...Mom would have liked that too. 

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Celebration of Life

 Today is my Mother's celebration of life/funeral.

I hope everything goes as planned.  Mom wanted a good meal after the service.  We chose ham and turkey buns, pickles, cheesy potatoes, fresh fruit and an assortment of cakes and bars, there will be a special section for the gluten free foods.  The Ladies Aid is making and serving the food so it really makes it nice for the family...and we get to take home the left overs.  At my Dads funeral last year they served 180 people and ran out of some food...so I believe they are planning to feed 250 people. ( Those ladies keep great records)

I will let you all know how it went when I get back.  I have scheduled a few blogs to automatically post since I will be real busy. 

We had 160 plus people at the visitation last night. There were people in all areas of the church. One of mothers surviving brothers was able to attend, he has bone marrow cancer, so he didn’t stay real long, but enough time to give him closure.  Mom’s other brother lives in Nebraska and his wife is very ill with the flu. He called my siblings and I a few days ago to relay his condolences. 

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Visitation

 Today we have visitation at the church back home.  We are displaying quilts that my Mother made on the back of the pews.  I have just a few to pack up and take.  We have lots of helpers, so the project should move right along. 

Here in Minnesota visitation can either be the evening before the funeral/celebration of life or an hour before the service.  We decided to have both for my Mother as she was very active in many Volunteer organizations, she has many relatives, my Father has many relatives, my Mom was a very social person and knew a lot of people.  My Dad was a stay at home read a book and putter in the garden kind of guy, and Mom was just the opposite...think social butterfly.  So we are expecting lots of people at the visitation today.  People who work on the weekend can come in the evening.

A visitation is where you pay your respects to the family, look at the video and the picture boards. No food is served.  You can come and go quickly sign the guest book say hello and leave or you can spend some time sharing memories. 

I am certain that the Florist will be busy delivering flowers to the church today, my Mother loved flowers. 

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Fun or not

 Busy day yesterday, a funeral...not much fun but necessary to have closure. It was a ninety minute drive and the roads were decent until the last seven icy miles.  Dawn and Gravy were at the funeral and Far Guy and I...so there were two of Dave's classmates present.  The church was full, there was standing room only.  

The message was clear, celebrate that you have faith and are assured of a heavenly home. 

"If God is for us who can be against us?"

 Dave planned everything for his funeral service right down to the lunch served after the service.  He chose the foods he like best; scalloped potatoes with ham, pickles, turkey buns, ham buns, cinnamon bread spread with cheese whiz and topped with olives, baked beans, huge bowls of fruit and plates of baked sweets.   There were doughnut balls and coffee near the entrance of the church so no one would go into the service hungry.  Dave was a thoughtful guy. 

A puzzle we finished this week, it was a difficult puzzle...you may notice a funny looking piece toward the top...Sadie was helping. 

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All here

 The grandchildren and great grandchildren that could not attend my Dad's funeral last December are here now. 

Last December...

Friday we had a graveside service...

 

My Nephews carrying my Dad's ashes.

The headstone is not in place yet.  The white markers are up for its placement.

It was a very nice committal service.  I am glad it is finally accomplished.

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1946 and 1968 Funeral Costs

 While helping my Mother go through "stuff" we have run onto some interesting bits of information. 

Funeral Costs for my Grandfather's parents. 

The 1946 bill for funeral services for My Great Grandfather Christian Drewes total $364.50

The 1968 bill for my Great Grandmother Hatwig (Hattie)  total was $787.00

My thoughts were :  Great Grandpa got flowers , Great Grandma got a vault and underwear ...must have been some fancy underwear too for $3.   The sexton of the cemetery also got a dollar. 

Interesting the things that were kept.  Great Grandpa did not have a funeral book...just a bill. 

My Mother asked "What do we do with the funeral books? Throw them out? "  So I brought three of them home with me...my Great Grandmothers, my Maternal  Grandfathers and my Maternal Grandmothers.  I will have a look through them and pass them down to my baby brother.  My Grandmothers funeral book needs to be updated...so I shall do that. 

I was hoping to find a proper obituary for my Great Grandparents.  I found a newspaper death notice for my Great Grandmother. 

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Until we meet again

 The funeral for Far Guy's sister is today. 

The rose bush near her mail box that was full of blooms one year when we visited her....the dew was still on the roses. 

One of the things she always told her brother on their many phone calls was that she loved him and she would see him in heaven. 

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Bill

Our friend Bill died last week.  I went to the funeral two plus hours south of us...a fellow friend and woodcarver Jim and his wife Theresa went with me.  Far Guy stayed home unattended and did just fine.  There are too many germs and fragrances for him to be in a crowd.

Bill had many friends from all walks of life.  I first met Bill when I was working at the museum. I wrote a blog about him here. 

Bill died with his boots on working in the yard doing something with his lawn mower.   Bill was 80 years old.   He was born in Canada and raised in a home without running water or electricity.   His Dad worked for the Railroad.  They moved to Northern Northern Minnesota vs Southern Northern Minnesota.  After graduating from High School he went into the Air Force, with the GI Bill he went to school in Bemidji MN and then the University of Minnesota and got a degree in Biology, decided teaching and the classroom was not for him...so he went to Medical School.

He was a Doctor in the ER in Washington State for 9 years then he had a heart attack at the age of 39...city living had taken its toll. Seeking solitude and cold ( he liked cold weather) he headed to the Arctic Circle in Alaska.  He worked there for a number of years...he visited his village by dogsled, the other three doctors there used planes to get to outlying villages....but not Bill.   A nurse caught his eye and much later they would marry.

He came back to Minnesota to care for his aging Mother and in 1987 he married that Nurse he took a liking to in the Far North.

Bill and Janice have a primitive cabin...with a super dooper pooper outhouse in the Park Rapids area.  Bill moved that outhouse a few years back and dug a new hole for it...it was quite a story as he dug so deep he had a hard time getting back out!  Bill joined our woodcarving group.  Bill made 12 Nyckelharpas in his lifetime and would carve the keys at woodcarving and tell us stories.   He was a character...a good one...someone who was a pleasure to call a friend.  We would compare what kind of wildlife we had going through our yards and which birds we were feeding.  One of his favorite sayings was "Get over it!"

Until yesterday I had only heard one Nyckelharpa played at a time...there were at least ten being played in tribute to Bill.  There are only 20 Nyckelharpa players in Minnesota and half of them were there at the funeral.

Bill was frugal, his Nyckelharpa case was handmade.  I commented on the case once...he said it was custom made and fit his Nyckelharpa perfectly.   One time he left his Nykelhapa in my care, I got detailed instructions on how to remove it from the case...and then he said "Pick it up and hold it, I will teach you to play a note or two."  I did and my attempt at playing sounded like a dying cow...but he still left it in my care for a woodcarving exhibit...I was so relieved when Monday rolled around and I could return it safely to him.  He said "How did it go...did you play?" I replied "NOPE it stayed inside the case the entire time!"  He would often give impromptu concerts at woodcarving!

Bill's friend who makes Maple Sugar gave the eulogy and The Doctor's Doctor gave a blessing for The Healer.  They along with the button accordion player and storyteller all gave Bill a good send off accompanied with lots of music.

We stayed for  a funeral lunch; pretzel buns, ham, turkey, cheese, vegetables, fruit and cookies.

I was back home just after dark..

I am certain Bill was there in spirit...his hat and the box he put his foot upon were there.

A photo of Bill I took in 2013. 

Rest In Peace my friend.

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May Day Funeral

On May 1st we celebrated Uncle Archie's life.  ( Arch is the last of his generation, he and Far Guy's Dad were brothers.)
The church was full, he had many friends during his 89 years.

Jen and I attended the funeral.  Far Guy was just not well enough to attend. After the funeral I came home to get Far Guy so he could go to the cemetery.

It was also a funeral service for Archie's son Steve who died in February.  His ashes will go back to be buried in a Veteran's Cemetery in Missouri as per his wishes.

Archie enjoyed his sunny yellow 1969 Mustang Convertible.   It was only fitting that it made it to the cemetery.

While we were at the Cemetery many Loons were calling down on the lake and as the Minister kept saying prayers there were a few flakes of snow in the air.

Full Military Honors were conducted at the church.

Arch was a career Air Force man, a Navigator on the B 52's.  I took this photo on Memorial Day 2016 when Arch was the speaker for Memorial Day. 

This past winter was tough for Arch, he had stents placed in blocked arteries on two different occasions and both times the stents failed.  The Doctors did what they could with medications but he was sent home on Hospice. We were able to visit with him several times before he died.

We will miss him.

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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

Aunt Louise Laid To Rest

Tuesday morning was Aunt Louise’s funeral.  It was a very nice service with a luncheon afterwards….Minnesota funeral food; lettuce salad, scalloped potatoes, ham, dill pickles,  crusty bread and all kind of bars.

Aunt Louise was a heck of a bread baker we always enjoyed when she shared a loaf of bread with us.  I recall one day years ago when Far Guy’s Mom was alive Willard and Louise were visiting her in the Nursing Home and someone mentioned fresh bread…a little old lady came over and said “That is one thing I miss…fresh baked bread.”  Well you can guess that planted a seed in a bread bakers mind and a few days later fresh bread was delivered to that little old lady. Years later when Far Guy was at his Mom’s bedside for days…loaves of bread were delivered for him to bring home… comfort food from a special aunt.

After lunch we left town and drove the 15 miles to the cemetery…a number of cars pulled to the side of the road and waited for the procession to pass by.

Funeral procession

She was laid to rest next to her husband.  We have a plot in the same row as does Alaska Guy.  Family has to stick together.