Sweet Funeral

Emma and I met my sister and her
husband up in Tobaccoville yesterday
for the funeral of my mother's cousin
who was 94. Yes, there is a town , south
of Mt. Airy ( Mayberry) right near Hanging
Rock and north of Winston-Salem that
has that charming name! Gail and I
had been up to see the "Old Homestead"
after Mom died and to do some geneology
work! (even gravestone rubbings!) Evelyn
helped us identify Who was Who in old
photos. My sister whispered to me the first
time we went to the retirement home: "You
will remember her! She will remind you
of Mom." THAT was an understatement!
I walked away thinking I had meet a sister
of my mom's. Gail and I conclude to this
day that Mom was so busy with 8 children
that we didn't go up to Tobaccoville with her.
No memories , but the GRACE of God is
sufficient. We sat yesterday with all these distant
relatives who have the same BROWN
eyes as my mother and 7 out of 8 of her
children. (there's a blue eyed one from
her father's side!)

Amazing to hear that 5 generations were
present AND her oldest son sat with us.
He is 74~ imagine knowing your mother at
74!

We sang a hymn called "Ninety and Nine"
that Evelyn had chosen because she
remembered her grandfather singing it
to her. That would have been my great-
grandfather. Evelyn was a charter member
of this small town church since she was 21.
Such deep rootedness! I found out the origins
of the hymn today and it birthed from a collegue
to DL Moody while in Scotland . There's a
connection to Northfield, Mass. in the late
1800's . My older brothers went to Mt. Hermon
in Northfield for their high school! Imagine
that! I wish I had known that yesterday or even
when we visited Evelyn.