THE WAKE!

Today I will write about the days leading up to the funeral. It was early morning when my husband came home from work and my mother-in-law was running across the lawn. I couldn't imagine what was going on. I thought my husband had taken sick. He told me to sit down and then proceeded to tell me that my father had died of a heart attack that morning while picking corn. The words didn't register, and it was as if he was telling me about somebody other than my dad. It wasn't until I saw the casket coming up the walk of our home, did it finally register.

We were meeting with the funeral director to make arrangements. My aunt said that if it were her dad, she would want the visitation in the home. That is all that needed to be said. Nobody, but NOBODY, loved their dad more than we, so this is where the body was brought and visitation was held. Looking back on this, this was really not a great idea. People came all hours of the day and evening. My husband, sister's husband and an uncle stayed up all night. (They call it a wake). Nobody got any rest. Needless to say, when my mother passed away, visitation was in the funeral home. Years ago, it always was in the home.

In memory of my father, I will type something that was written about him in the small local paper. It said--"Our neighbor, John __, picked the ideal way to depart from this world. No fuss, no bother to anyone else. He lived a life that commanded the respect of his friends and neighbors. Jack___ as a youth, worked three years as a farm hand for John. Jack and his wife, Helen, drove from Chicago to attend the funeral. Jack told us that you wouldn't want to work for a better man than John. Thought for the week--You do not need to be rich or famous to be a success. If you will do the best you can to be a friend of man, you can take your place beside the great!"

My older daughter was being cared for by my mother-in-law during these few days. At the funeral they brought her up. She was literally a "breath of fresh air" when I saw her that day. The Lord gives and takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord! The Lord gave us a baby girl one month later and she also has been quite the blessing!