It has been a busy week. Sunday, the family made funeral arrangements for Dad. Monday was a time of preparation, with each doing their part. Tuesday afternoon and evening was visitation with many folks coming to pay respects.
Wednesday (yesterday), was the funeral and burial. Weather was cold and rainy, and because of that weather, we held the committal service at the funeral home. The rain abated just enough to allow the family to have a brief time of prayer graveside.
As we went back to our cars, the rain began to fall again. We went to a restaurant where a simple buffet luncheon had been prepared for the [large] family.
Sylvia and I were particularly pleased that Briana was in Michigan to celebrate her mother’s birthday. That meant that she was with us on that day. As is the family tradition, they took photos after the meal.
Chuck, Sylvia, Briana, Barbara and Bryant — courtesy Barbara Hutchinson
Sylvia is with her sisters and brother as they are organizing and wrapping up their father’s affairs. They’ll be working on that until Saturday, when the siblings will return to their respective homes.
Blog Woes Over
While responding to comments on my previous post, I took time to reinstall the latest WordPress update. That solved my problem with posting from this computer.
My condolences to you, Sylvia and your family. I’m sorry to hear about her father passing. 🙁
Thank you, Rosey. The family is doing well. Dad lived 98 years and led an exemplary life. We feel loss, however. In other words, sad for us, but not for him.
I can understand how you feel as I have experienced the same recently.
Thank you, Rainfield, for your kindness and understanding.
As you were blessed to have him in your life, may you be blessed to have the memories live on. The strength of family is visible in the picture. You have passed the blessings on to the succeeding generations.
That blessing was a two-street. Dad was kind and loving toward his children his entire life. The returned that love and kindness to him. They sacrificed themselves and their time to be with him in recent years so that he could live in dignity in his own house.
My prayer for my sons when they were with us was that they would grow into men of integrity. They have done that and added wisdom and love.
Wow. What a week you have had. I’m glad everyone came together for the celebration of Leon’s life and what a nice crowd you had! I’m sure the pain of losing Dad was eased a bit by having Briana there.
It will be hard, I’m sure, for Sylvia not to spend that time with her dad anymore. What a loss that is. But what a treasure she had in all that time being with him. She was very good to him–as the other family members who took the time to be with him and to allow him to stay in his own home until the very end. That is a true blessing.
I’m glad you have your computer fixed.
We were blessed by Dad’s life and long life. There were few tears from his family, because they were celebrating his wonderful life and the love that he lavished upon us and others. A most outstanding, humble and quiet man.
Sylvia, and the rest of us, will have our moments when the pain of loss will hurt. Still we have no doubts about where he is now.
Saying good-bye to a parent is difficult even when the family has been privileged to have them around for many years. Cherish the happy memories.
We do cherish and celebrate those years. My prayer is that the family will live according to the lessons he taught us.
You do clean up nice! Glad the time together could celebrate his home-going. It will be quite the change for Sylvia to not go there every month.
Thanks . . . I think. Only three grandchildren of eleven and they live in Virginia, Nebraska and Colorado. Many great grands were there too.
Sylvia spent one week in four with him, but would go every week for a half-day visit. She said she wouldn’t miss the drive, but would miss being with her father.