Katie in Chicago (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} pass_da_pierogi) wrote,@ 2008-10-12 21:43:00 |
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Uncle Herschel
I stopped writing a few weeks ago when my Uncle Herschel died.
Herschel was a teacher. You could tell he really loved teaching. When I was in Moldova, he kept up with my journal and wrote back to me about his classes. I miss him.
I went to Ashland, Ohio, for the funeral. The pastor at the Lutheran church where Herschel went with other members of my family is so wonderful. Herschel wanted the musicians to play songs they play on Friday nights -- upbeat, rejoicing songs.
"Lutherans don't really dance," the pastor said, "but they do get to clapping and wiggle a little. So if you want to wiggle, these are the songs to wiggle to."
No one felt like wiggling and we sang softly, but the pastor understood that, too. I liked that Herschel wanted happy songs played on his way out. He was also a mortician and so was there to help lots of different families through the funerals of loved ones. He must have seen all kinds of ways to say goodbye, and that's the one he chose.
I stopped writing a few weeks ago when my Uncle Herschel died.
Herschel was a teacher. You could tell he really loved teaching. When I was in Moldova, he kept up with my journal and wrote back to me about his classes. I miss him.
I went to Ashland, Ohio, for the funeral. The pastor at the Lutheran church where Herschel went with other members of my family is so wonderful. Herschel wanted the musicians to play songs they play on Friday nights -- upbeat, rejoicing songs.
"Lutherans don't really dance," the pastor said, "but they do get to clapping and wiggle a little. So if you want to wiggle, these are the songs to wiggle to."
No one felt like wiggling and we sang softly, but the pastor understood that, too. I liked that Herschel wanted happy songs played on his way out. He was also a mortician and so was there to help lots of different families through the funerals of loved ones. He must have seen all kinds of ways to say goodbye, and that's the one he chose.
