Too Much Death

Can't say it any other way but today was a weird day. We've been going through a series or a plague of death in this neighborhood the past week or so. Our next-door neighbor when they lost her last son earlier in the week, the neighbor down the street drop dead in his yard returning home from work late last week with next-door neighbor, Dan mother died two days before the Fourth of July and my son-in-law lost his father about the same time. This is just too weird. Of all those who died this last week the to that most affect me in my immediate family is my son-in-law's father and my neighbors son. Though we were not, or at least I was not intimately related to the two I was very close with my neighbor, LaNae and of course my son-in-law Gabriel. As it happens both funerals are scheduled for the same day in fact just an hour between each. Actually there is only one funeral per se, LaNae has opted for our viewing and the graveside service. I believe the poor woman just Funeraled out. In the last two years she has lost her husband and her two sons – – I think LaNae just wanted to get the kid planted the whole thing behind her as quick as she could.

Because LaNae's sons viewing was from 10 to 12 and Jack's funeral was 11 o'clock we decided to do a breeze in at the viewing of LaNae's son spend a few minutes with LaNae and family then duck out and head over to the Chapel for Jack's funeral. We went directly over to the Chapel from the funeral home and got there just as they were about to bring casket into the Chapel. It was a little disorienting getting to the church that close to the service. Of course the casket was all gone in the relief Society room with the family getting ready to be marched out to the congregation. But we found seats in the back of the chapel and settled in.

I have to admit it was a pretty good service. The service was unlike any I'd seen done in a LDS chapel.. Very worldly service almost on the profane.. A lot of great stories about Jack – – who seem to be a rowdy guy in his childhood and young adulthood. He's a guy you like to have fun. It sure seems like what history was told have been quite sanitized and rebuffed a little for public consumption. But it was a good service, everyone played nice. A light rain was falling today actually cooling off the day and gave an interesting twist to the funeral. Jack had a qualified military funeral with uniforms and caps from an aging Vietnam vet/hippie or biker. Again like the service it all came off quite nice it looked real good.There is to be some sort of a luncheon back the Ward house/Chapel and we were invited to attend and I was kind looking forward to some good old funeral potatoes but we decided to break ranks head for the Longhorn steakhouse. Lunch was good the company better still, sad much death in my neighborhood it is really sort of scary.