Thursday, June 2, 2011

Funeral #2

I went to two funerals on Tuesday.  One was at 9:30 in the morning here in Tiny Town.  The other was at 2:00 in the afternoon in the hometown area.  This one was for my Great Aunt R.

Aunt R and I bonded when I was just a grade school kid.  She lived just down the street from the school. 

I've written before about taking piano lessons after school.  Dad was supposed to pick me up on his way home, but frequently forgot me.  The custodian would finish his cleaning and then wait with me.  Dad would get home, and Mom would send him back to get me.  I'm pretty sure Mr. Herbel was late for dinner quite a few times on account of me. 

Anyway, Aunt R volunteered to let me walk to her house on nights I was "forgotten."  More times than I care to count (or Dad wants to remember), I walked the block to her house and then sat in her kitchen and watched her make supper for her family.  Her kids were all older than I was so most of them were at athletic practice.  Her youngest son B would be watching television or playing next door. I kept Aunt R company.  (She was a saint!)

I also loved to go to her house on Halloween and Trick or Treat the little town of L'ville with cousin B.  I'm guessing that Mom or Dad probably visited while we made the rounds to get our loot. 

Eventually, Aunt R moved their house (literally--they moved the whole house) to just a few miles from my parents.  I saw her fequently through the years.  She was a good lady; but she had six kids and quite a few grandkids, so in later years I didn't see her as often.

At her funeral on Tuesday, one of my Tiny Town High students and her mother sang a beautiful version of "Amazing Grace."  I was baffled.  On the way out, we compared notes.  Aunt R was my student's great grandmother.  We went through an entire year and had no idea we were related. 

I know.  I should have kept in better touch with Aunt R.  I know she would have been proud to tell me that Sarah was her great-granddaughter.  And she would have been prouder to know what a great student and kid Sarah was. 

I hope she is smiling down on both of us. 

2 comments:

Dandy said...

I am sure she is smiling down on both of you- she is probably so excited to know how you two are linked!

You can move a whole house?

katie (can't get there) said...

Your tributes always bring tears to my eyes; I'm sorry you've had cause to write so many this year. I hope the second half of hte year is filled more with laughter and less with tears. hugs!