It was an ordinary day. Re-reading all the cards, emails, online remembrances from the funeral home and the "Shared Memories" cards from mom's funeral. Unbelievable. I knew Dad was well-liked and expected a large turn-out for his funeral, but this is unreal. Mom always was in the background and allowed her husband and children to be the center-of-attention throughout her life and therefore I just assumed that her funeral would be sparsely attended. Boy, was I wrong. Planned with 50 chairs set up in Moravian Manor's Steinman Hall and had to add another half times that many to seat all the people. I got over 30 Sympathy cards and still receiving them. She got about a dozen "Shared memories" cards at the funeral and a couple of online remembrances. My cousin Susan sent me an online remembrance where she writes:
- Her husband and my mom shared the same birthday.
- And, in A. Lois's wedding me and A. Dottie wore the same color dress. I always thought that was way cool.
- in the summer she and her sisters would visits our home on Queen St. all gussied up in our White clam diggers and we would play hide and seek on N. Queen Street and went home dirty! Boy was that FUN.
- One week, me and my older sista came to stay at your N. Queen St. house.....and she let us and Steve walk to center city and we shopped and I got a plastic rose that I used to spray with some kind of perfume on it because I thought it was really neat.
- And, of course, our bay vacations.....and A. Dottie in the water reading when a snake swam past her and she yelled for the men and you all went running to kill it.
- And, in our house here in Amishland, here and there, we have her paintings and I dust them and think of her.
- And, I have a scarf that she made and I just wore it the other day to a game and it kept me warm.
- And, I always loved their house on Janet Ave. So cozy and full of nice things to look at.
- She was a fun aunt and always very nice. She always said for us to BE CAREFUL driving home. She was a worrier, for sure, and that was one of her bestest qualities.
My three favorite Sympathy cards sent to Carol and I came from:
- The staff of Moravian Manor where over a dozen of her caregivers write small stories telling me how they remember mom.
- Judy Resch who was a neighbor of mom's on Janet Ave. where she writes about when her oldest child was a baby and mom went over to help her husband take care of the baby while she and a friend went to a movie. When she returned mom was in the wading pool with the baby. Now that's mom!
- The three guys who teach in the Tech Ed department at Manheim Township. Jim Ertzgard bought the card and all three signed it with a note. Jim wrote .... So sorry for your loss! I am praying for the two of you. I pray warm memories speed the grieving process. I showed this card to Carol and she couldn't believe three guys I taught shop with would send a card such as they did. She now knows how special the guys really are.
And the two favorite "Shared Memories":
- From Cindy, caregiver: One of the golden girls going to the cafe for a coke and being very protective of other residents and taking care of them.
- From Rita, housekeeper and friend: She was wonderful. I used to call her "Mother" because she was a caring and loving person. She'll be remembered as a golden girl to me.
So you see how mom was thought of by many of those who I don't even know. A very special lady to all, including me. Love You Mom!!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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