The Funeral Of A Mother

Memorial Service of _____

Connelly Funeral Home, Cassopolis, Michigan

Pastor Greg Buchner, Officiating

March 1, 2004 ~ 11 a.m.

Time of Visitation/Gathering

Greeting

Good afternoon…

We’ve come to this point in time to remember a young lady who was with us for what would have been 90 years today. Grandma _____ touched the lives of her family and friends as no one else could. And for that reason, she will be remembered long after our time here.

We’ve also come to mourn our loss. While the immediate family will probably notice the loss more physically, each one of us, recognized by our attendance here, will also mourn in our own way. We can do so will full assurance because it was Jesus who told us, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

And as I pastor, I want you to know that we may also come realizing that God is not

immune to our emotions.

As a Heavenly Father, God already knows what his children are feeling, he felt it too as his Son was on the cross.

As the All-knowing God, he already knows what we’re thinking, because the Bible says that his Spirit witnesses to ours, in short, he mourns our loss too.

And as the Ever-present God, he already knows what we’re experiencing, through the life, death, and resurrection, of his Son, Jesus Christ, God has experienced all that there is to experience. He’s been there.

In fact, in the Old Testament we find Scriptures that say, “The eternal God is our dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)” and “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18).” and “The Lord heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power, whose understanding is beyond all measure.”

In short, I believe that we are not alone this morning, but that God, himself, is here with us. And since he is, we can mourn, we can be honest with what we’re feeling, and we can remember _____ as she was, as we take this moment turning to God, allowing him to comfort us in her memory.

Opening Prayer

Will you join me in prayer?

Gracious God, make us aware of the shortness and uncertainty of our human lives, and let

your Spirit lead us in the right ways of living. So that when we have served you in our generation, we may gather with those who have gone on before us, confident in our faith, comforted by your hope, in favor with you, and in peace with all your creation.

Be with those gathered here. May my words be your words. And may your presence bring a sense of hope, a sense of healing, and a sense of comfort. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Time of Witnessing

_____ came into this world March 1, 1914 as a very special gift to a young coupled named _____. As a lifetime area resident, _____ grew as she attended school and at age twenty-two, she continued to be a very special gift when she married _____ on April 10, 1936.

For almost fifty-seven years, that relationship stayed the course of time. ___ and _____ had four children, who in turn had twelve children, who in turn had another thirty-six children. And, in many ways, the gift that had been received way back in 1914 multiplied through the lives of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Three of those family members have offered their memories…

***

Heather remembers that _____ could float on water for hours. Each of the grandchildren would try to out-do her, but to no avail. She remembers _____’s incredible knack for knitting, especially the slippers, towels, and blankets she would make for everyone – family, friends, and friends of friends. Even to the point of making bug swatters that said, “Bug Off” on them.

She also remembers that _____ like playing a game they called “hair salon.” Heather remembers playing for hours doing perms and crazy-do’s all the time, and especially on the weekend when she would spend the night with her.

***

Daughter, Joyce, remembers that she was a very caring person always taking care of some one else. She remembers growing up in a home where goulash was commonly on the stove and the house was always open not just to the kids, but also to the friends from school as well. In fact, I heard a story from the family about some lunch money saved because of _____’s hospitality.

Later, as the kids grew, _____ was still there to feed and entertain. Sundays were the day when the whole family, with their friends, were welcome around the dinner table.

And on those days, when Joyce’s family made to Buchanan to hill climb, they stopped by to see her often.