She died early Monday morning. About 2 a.m. We got the phone call at 2:20 a.m. and pretty much were up from that point on. John took off immediately to Bonnyville to make arrangements and I set about emailing people at 3:30 in the morning. I went back to bed for an hour and a half and then got up to go to work. I did the same the next day.
By Thurday morning all was coming together and people were advising of arrival times. Our daughter and niece arrived on Thurday nite and together we took off to Bonnyville on Friday. We had a wonderful gathering of "family only" at the funeral home viewing and we sat and talked and cried with mom as she lay peacefully in her new 'home'. A beautiful walnut dwelling with crisp white satin and white-on-white embroidered flowers and leaf trim. The backdrop of white with three crosses on a treed hill embroidered in green with 'In God's Care' totally describes her new home.
Some family headed back to the farm while some of the new arrivals went out for a late supper and spent time reminiscing about the good ol' days. It was a late night.
The day of the funeral (the next day) Saturday, was sunny and bright. Temperature above zero with the Alberta blue sky and sunshine. The funeral was held at mom's old church (she had not been to it for a couple of years - just too far and too much effort. She would have loved the service I think. Simple, not too long, her great granddaughters singing together "It is Well With My Soul" and her granddaughter singing "the 23rd Psalm" which mom had requested to be sung by her at her funeral 14 years earlier. It all came to pass. Friends, family, people who knew of her and of the family, came to share in our grief and celebration of a life well lived and one that loved and served Jesus. "My Jesus' she had always said. She personalized her relationship with Him.
We went directly to the grave site which was marked beside her husband Anton, who had died at 76 years of age, in 1986. Here it is almost 29 years later and she is now laid to rest beside her husband and mother.
On our return to the church, we dig into a wonderful hot meal and boisterous talk about life and loving each other and doing life together in the future. All the positive things we want for the years ahead. As the day closes, we are back at the farm, again, with family, sharing, caring and loving each other.
Thank you Mom for bringing us all together, for setting such a wonderful example and giving us this great Christian heritage to follow. We love you. We will miss you...until we meet again.
