Wistful Wednesday : Another Goodbye

One by one my Maternal Grandparents immediate family is dwindling.

There are only three children left…my Mother and two of her brothers Al and Kenny.

This is a photo taken in 1961 at the farm where I grew up.  Those sections of boards going horizontal used to mark the walls of the old pantry. When my parents remodeled the house in 1959-1960 the pantry walls were removed and a picture window was added. The drapes were off white with shades of green tropical plants and small pink flowers…wall to wall drapes.  My Mother sewed the drapes.

This is a photo of my grandparents and their children with their spouses in 1961.

from the left the stars ** are living persons

**Madeline and **Jake (my parents)

Marion and Marvin both deceased in 2004

Vivian “Skip” (2007) and Theron (1978) both deceased

Delbert in back (2009) and Delores (2018)  both deceased.  Aunt Delores died last Friday night/Saturday morning in her sleep.

Dennis in back and **Judy  Uncle Dennis is deceased (2015). My Aunt Judy is Delores sister…brothers married sisters.

Esther “Toots” (1996) and Ray (2004) both deceased

Clarence “Butch” in back (1993) and Kay (2017) both deceased

Elsie and Albert my Grandparents both deceased in 1995

**Al (standing behind my Grandparents)  He wasn’t married in 1961.  He did marry **Pat, divorced and now is married to **Donna.

In front is the Twins

Karen she was married to and divorced from **Al Dean  She is deceased (2017).

**Kenneth “Kenny”  married to **Linda.

Two children died before this photo was taken Alfred 1947 in and James in 1948.

I saw my Aunt Delores a few weeks ago.  She asked “Do I know you?” I said “Yes I am Connie” she replied “Of course you are” and gave me a hug. She had been more confused since moving into assisted living this spring. The funeral is later this week. What a blessing to sleep away during the night. No long drawn out hospital stay or convalescing in “the home.”

Roads To A Funeral and Burial

The weather was frightful Tuesday night, snow fell from Monday afternoon and quit sometime late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Would it be foggy and icy all the way?  Luckily the plows had made a pass through on the main roads.

The snow hung in the trees.  It was heavy wet snow, good for snowmen if you had the energy after shoveling.

The fog lifted and were had partially blue sky.  We took the shortcut to the main highway.

The shortcut has not been plowed, beyond the crest of this hill are swerve marks where someone, won’t say who almost ended up in the ditch the night before.

The main highway was much better.

The funeral was well attended, my Uncle Dennis had many friends.  We had a typical Minnesota funeral lunch, scalloped potatoes and ham, buns, cole slaw, pickles and a variety of cakes and bars for dessert.   No red Jell-O to melt into and color my scalloped potatoes pink…and they even had plates with sections so my food didn’t touch….although my brownie was dangerously close to my pickle.

Funeral procession going down Dead Horse Hill and turning left. We were amazed with the amount of Police Officers and Sherriff's Deputies that were on duty to make the possession safe.  Eight officers in total.

We headed down toward my Aunt and Uncles home where we followed the procession through his equipment yard.

After making a big circle we headed back down the road again.
Past the place where my Uncle was born.  Onward to the little church where he was baptized and confirmed.  I was baptized there too.



Not a goodbye… but I will see you later.

Wistful Wednesday: Uncle Dennis

Last Friday my Uncle Dennis died.  He was 78 years old.  He was a strong man not only physically built like a big old bear but strong in his faith.  He could quote you a Bible verse or two or three.
He adored his wife my Aunt Judy.  He was a good father, grandfather and great grandfather.  He was an honorable man serving God and Country.

This photo was taken shortly after he was drafted in 1955 at the age of 18.  He spent six years in the Army.  This photo in a 8 x10 slightly colorized version was always on top of Grandma’s Cabinet where she stored her pretty dishes or on the porch on the cabinet where she kept favorite pictures. 
My Mother has marked this photo Dennis May 6 1951. He was 14 years old.

Laura, Julie, Dennis May 6 1951.  Dennises Confirmation.  The photos were taken by my Mother at my grandparents farm.

I think that Laura and Julie (short for Julius) were my Uncle’s Godparents.  It is sometimes a custom (in Lutheran families) to have a photo taken with your Godparents…those people that held you at your baptism and renounced the devil and all his wicked works and ways for you because you were too little to speak for yourself….well they were also there the day when you confirmed your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and they were people who upheld you in their prayers. Julie and Laura were long time friends and neighbors of my grandparents.

I have no doubt that my Uncle went straight from this world to heaven….and that is a joyous feeling!  The last time I spoke with him we touched on the subject of death…he said “Ya ya in God’s time, he is in charge you know? Ya ya.” (Ya ya was one of my Uncles favorite ways to begin and end a sentence.)

My Maternal Grandparents had twelve children.   My Mother and her three youngest siblings are all that remain.  My Mother is second to the oldest.