Tuesday, February 23, 2010

It is hard to attend a funeral service and not sit there and think. Since I cannot hear, I think.
In one life I thought I was a preacher, during that time I only married two couples. One couple got divorced and the other couple is still married and happy. That is 50% success. Not too good. BUT…..

Funerals, I performed three funeral eulogies. So far all three remain buried. I guess that is a 100% success rate. LOL I guess I could be proud of that, had I thought of that I could put that on my resume, shucks. (Of course the 100% one only)


A friendship of over 50 years a lot of stories come up. My mind went to the number of trips we made together. Once Sonny and Colette, Sherry & I, hooked a pop-up trailer behind our car and headed across country. After visiting the home of Elvis (Colette was A Super fan of Elvis) we planned to overnight in West Memphis, ARK. That night one of the worst storms possible came up. (without being a tornado) Colette began to pray loudly when the little camper would start to go air borne. Sherry & Colette got in the car. Sonny and I folded the camper up. We and everything was soaked. We drove all night to Muscogee, OK. Where we tried to dry everything out. We sang what we knew of the song by Merle the Hag.



(It was seldom you saw Sonny in a tie. Here he is with his beautiful daughter Vickie at his side. I think it was Sonny & Colette's 25th anniversary.)

Once in California, US1 was closed by a mud slide. Our map lady, Sherry, found a road across the mountain, a little north of the Hearst Castle, without going back and around to the interstate. The little road had no guard rails and at times we were looking down a couple hundred feet of sheer cleft. The girls were scared out of their gourds and we could not turn around with the trailer. Boy was that fun! LOL


(One of the many trips Sonny and Colette took their family to the beach.)


(Sonny wore long side burns for years, here he is sharing a bucket of chicken with his younger brother Allen.)



(Sonny again, much younger!)
Colette, Sherry’s sister was a quiet refined little lady, sweet, proper and easily embarrassed. You may not remember when screw guns came out and were very popular amongst us boys. Building and repairing became much easier. Sonny loved his screw gun and used it every chance. We were talking once, and the subject came up, Colette blurted out, “Sonny is the screwingest guy in Paw Creek!”
We all just looked, and she turned red, “OH, you know what I mean!!!”
Thanks for coming this way,
Nite Shipslog
PS:
Actual questions and answers from kids:

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9
(Bless you child.)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
-- Ricky , age 10



8 comments:

Paula said...

What wonderful memories you and Sherry have! Thanks for sharing some of them with us.

Dar said...

Isn't it something, how funerals bring us close again through our memories...God Bless You and congrats on your 100%...LOL
I love little Ricky's answer to making a marriage work......kids do say the darnest things.
Bless Your Day and May Your Travels Be Safe

Fred Alton said...

Sherry, you know you were blessed to have a husband that loved your brother like Jack obviously did! I've seen some families who would have nothing to do with the in-laws at all. Then there are families like yours who understand what "family" means. May you be lifted up with the good memories of Sonny's life.

Jack, since I now have a hearing aid for each ear, I understand what you mean about "can't hear". I have found one useful thing for the devices though - when I was itinerating for the department, I loved to wear them to a noisy church where the music is a hair below "squeal" level. (We have several of those in our organization) I take out the batteries and it really helps keep the noise down! ☻

shirl72 said...

It was a beautiful service singing was wonderful. Good things were said about Sonny
and they were all true. Nice Tribute. I love the one when something would happen they would say don't call 911 call Sonny.

Shirl

Lucy said...

Now I am thinking how we do remember at funerals. This may not seem prober to admit to but Ron and I have shared some laughs over it. At my sons funeral Joe and I were at the front, Duane, Alan's father and his 3rd, wife were behind us and Duane's 2nd wife came up to me and was telling me how she would have helped with Alan's care had she lived closer and during this time Duane our x husband was glaring at us and the whole time this conversation was taking place his 2nd x wife was stepping on my foot. I was telling her that I knew she would have helped me and all that stuff and I wanted more than anything to just Yell GET OFF MY FOOT. In spite of everything Alan had a nice funeral but I will never forget that incident and Ron and I both to this day think Alan was watching and laughing at the position I was in.

betty said...

fun memories you shared about Sonny and Colette; I'm sure he will be missed (like Colette was/is); the cutest one was about the tornado (although I know it wasn't cute living it)

be safe you two

betty

Sheila Y said...

You are very blessed to have all the memories you share. It is a sad occasion to have to go home too, but I know your family are glad to have you home...by the way, how long ago was this kid survey...I want to make sure 'Ricky' wasn't my husband...ha. Take care, Sheila

Anonymous said...

In my life I've been to three funerals - guess that there might be more, one can only be impressed by this ode to friendship of yours.

Please have you two a nice Wednesday.