One Last Goodbye...

This last Saturday was the Geneva, IL memorial for Melinda, and today the interment of her cremains in Resurrection Cemetery. The former was very well attended by family, her wide assortment of friends and former co-workers. Today's event was just a couple close friends and immediate family for the brief ceremony.

The memorial was mostly a repeat of the Tucson event, though I included 2 images in the slide show I didn't have for the earlier version. Maj's remarks, as well as mine were mostly the same. The big difference is that nephew Rick, shown at right played "Amazing Grace" on bagpipes! He is now an active member of the Chicago Highlanders, and did a spectacular job. That is our niece Kathy (Rick's sister) along side of him.

After the memorial and reception in Malone's basement, Melinda once more got to come home and spend the weekend in the cottage we shared and loved. She again was on the mantle among the pictures of her family and loved ones...

Of course, my biggest fear was showing up at the interment across town this morning and realize I'd forgotten the urn on the mantle! But I jotted down the mental checklist and made sure she made the trip with me... Maj arrived a few minutes after me and at right indicates the niche of her mother, only a few feet away. Fortunately, when Melinda expressed her wishes to be hear her mother, one was available near enough to touch each with outstretched arms...


Before the formal ceremony with the priest started, we loaded up her niche with her urn and all the icons we decided should be interred with her. We were initially told it was a 9" cubical opening, but it turned out to be considerably larger, so there was lots of room. Included with her cremains were some turquoise jewelry, her "beads of courage" from her NICU co-workers in Tucson, a crescent moon for her love of the stars, and much more. At right Maj is placing the "three sisters" pin that they all happened to get for each other one Christmas!


A final caress at left and a silent prayer at right and the ceremony started. A few lines of ceremonial text and a sprinkling of holy water, a prayer and the final goodbye was over. Alice's niche is at Maj's shoulder to her left, so you can see they are only a few feet apart...







We stayed a few minutes to chat with our friends while the staff waited for our departure to seal off the niche. Our last view of the urn shows Maj's lip prints as she kissed it twice before the ceremony...

I'll get back to some "normal" blog programming soon now that the formal series of memorials is over. I'm still distracted by all that has happened the last few months, and life has certainly changed. I hope the blog will be a little lighter in tone than it has been the last month or so. I've gotten lots of feedback that folks are glad the blog will continue, and I'll get back to normal posting in a day or two... Thank you too for all your condolences on the Facebook and elsewhere - it has been gratifying to know she touched so many of our lives and will be remembered for a long time. See you on down the road!