Orville's Funeral

Yesterday was our friend, Orville's, funeral! It wasn't quite as long as some of the previous one's as two of the tribute's were done by way of song which made it a lot shorter. I was playing the piano before the funeral service started for probably 15 minutes or so. The two funeral directors always walk up the center aisle when it's time for the service begin (after the line of people waiting for the final viewing have finished). They closed the casket, turned and walked out and then Dennis got up to start the service. He had only said a few words when he stopped and I saw one of our Church members get up and go up toward the casket. Then two or three more men got up and then one of Orville's daughter. Unfortunately for me I can't see, because we have a Grand Piano and the way it is situated on the platform my view of quite a bit of the Church is blocked. Well, I leaned over on the piano bench to see what the action was all about. Here the beautiful casket spray of flowers had slid off on to the floor and these people were trying to get it back on top and in place. Dennis quietly said, "It's over this way to far and is going to fall again!" The daughter finally got it on there so it wouldn't slide off. It was terrible! So, the service continued on. Let me mention that I've never, ever played a piano solo in my whole entire life at a funeral or any other service except for the congregational singing when there was no organist. The night before the funeral (Tuesday evening) Dennis told me in passing that the daughter wanted me to play "Be Still and Know That I Am God". I sort of forgot about it since it's a very simple song until a few hours before the service. So I went rather quickly to the Sanctuary to play over it. But as the service went on the more and more nervous I got until I was pretty sick in my stomach. Then my hands were very, very clammy and I kept wiping them on my dress as the time was rapidly approaching when I had to make my debut at a funeral, no less!! I was so nervous and praying and praying that God would help me to get through the song and not make a blunder. After all, we were at a funeral and I wanted it to be perfect!! When Orville's brother was finished with the only tribute that was read, it was my time. I didn't think I could walk to the piano bench. I'm thinking to myself ~ "Self, what if you go to take a step and you fall down because your knee's are shaking so much? Then what are you going to do??????????" But thankfully God helped me and I made it through. I did ask Dennis to never volunteer me again like that. Just make it a Congregational song instead. The service finally ended and Dennis wanted me to go along to the cemetery as the family wanted us to go to the hall for the meal following which I did. When we got to the cemetery, the funeral directors nor anyone else had bothered going ahead of time to take off the cement cover that fits over the vault which gets cemented in. When a group of guys went to take it off it cracked and broke in several pieces. It was horrible!! Finally, they removed it and got the casket over to the grave. As the pallbearers were carrying the casket to the grave they turned the casket just enough that the spray of flowers fell off again. Oh, my!! There was a lot of dried cement around the ledge where that lid goes, so what does the funeral director do while Dennis is trying to have the committal service, but get a big iron thingy and begin to chisel the dried cement from where it's not supposed to be!! It was unbelievable to say the least as all that loose cement was falling right down on the casket. Then these older ladies stood right in front of the family who were sitting down on the chairs and blocked their view of what was happening. Someone finally told them to move out of the way! Just let me say it this way ~ things are a whole lot different here than in the States when it comes to funerals and the burial!! Just a way of life here. Of course, Dennis has to stay at the cemetery until the grave is completely sealed with the cement and then sign papers. It doesn't matter how long this takes and believe me, yesterday in that hot, hot sun it took a long time to do all that. I forgot to finish my story about the lid of the vault. One of the funeral directors looked two graves over and pointed. He said to the family, "Would it be okay if we use that one there (referring to another top/lid for the vault)! It happened to be a brother~in~law or uncle's grave. I about fell over myself when he asked this poor family that!!

When we left the cemetery, we came home as Dennis was so hot and sweaty that he had to change clothes before we went to be with the family. We arrived back with them and most of the food was gone :o( Dennis told them he couldn't eat anyway with just doing the funeral, which is understandable. We stayed a little while, came back home to get ready and go over to Wednesday night service. We both were exhausted from another crazy, busy day. After Church, we came home and were relaxing. I wanted to go to bed earlier than when I got around to it! ha! It was almost 10:30 and the house phone rang. I thought who would be calling now at this time of the night?!?!?!?! You see, the people call you anytime almost. (The phone rang this morning before 6:30!!) It's pretty unbelievable at times, but they don't think a thing of calling whenever. Anyway, when I answered the late night call, I heard someone crying. I'm thinking ~ oh, no! Now what!! The lady at the other end of the phone was crying so hard that I could barely understand her. She asked to talk to Dennis. I was pretty sure I knew what had happened and I was right. Her brother has been in the hospital most of the time since we came in January because of cancer. Last week he had some very, very low days and they had to give him over a period of time 6 pints of blood. Yesterday when Dennis was in to visit with him, he was having a half decent day for his condition. We were told that while he had his dialysis that he ate a chicken dinner. Well, last evening, he passed away! We don't know when the funeral is yet, but Dennis will be doing it. Several of the people Dennis has made friends with in the hospital are relatives of people in our Church congregation, but have never made it out to Church since we're here because of their sickness. There are two or three more people in the hospital who are very low. Today another lady and I were talking about these who have passed away and those who are very sick. She said she doesn't remember a time like this!! So, we never know what a day will bring forth!!