Day Post June 30, 2010 / Dad's funeral

Outside my window... This morning I heard our 4 baby robins wanting their breakfast.. Our little ones enjoy checking on the ronins progress when they arrive to visit. The nest is in a Kwanzan Cherry tree next to our driveway and thus they are leaving quite a mess. All the joy and excitement in this little nest is causing is worth a few droppings! Our clematis, peonies and lots of lilies are in full bloom..

I am thinking... I need to finish returning all the wedding linens we borrowed from friends for my sister’s wedding and figure out what do with the rest of Dad’s things. In just over 2 weeks we have moved all of Dads stuff from his apartment, most of my sister’s belonging to her new home, had the wedding, dads funeral and the blessed birth of Cardston. We will finish moving her later today. Lifes big things are births, weddings, moving, and deaths! We have had all 4.

I am thankful for... the sweet mercies of my Savior Jesus Christ! Before we left for our trip back east last month I prayed earnestly that dad could get better so could leave him and spend time with our son, his family and attend our granddaughter’s baptism in Virginia. I prayed he would be comfortable, happy and well taken care of while we were gone.

(Mr B and His dad on Valentines Day)

Not only was my prayer answered, but dad was also allowed to enjoy wonderful days with family and friends and linger until we could get also through the wedding before he returned home to his Savior, Jesus Christ and to his sweetheart.

From the learning rooms... I am trying to organize Dad’s pictures into an album

and writing lots of Thank You notes for many flowers and the many kindnesses offered in our behalf. Friends from our church family prepared 85 delicious box lunches for family members to eat on the way to the cemetery which was over three hours away. Being back in that pretty valley brought many pleasant memories back to Mr B of his youth.
The lunches were so lovingly and thoughtfully prepared from croissant sandwiches to the breath mints and wipes for our hands!

My lesson this week... is remembering it is not material THINGS that matter in this life, but building and maintaining relationships with family, friends and our Heavenly Father which is most important.
Family is everything right along with the special relationship one has with our Savior. Dad was a great example of both!


I want to share...  I want to share a story about dad’s life that illustrated the type of man he was. Dad wrote only one humble paragraph in his journal about this accident saying he had cut his hand in a saw. 
A member of the First Quorum of the Seventy visited with us at a viewing prior to dad’s funeral, Saturday morning. He shared many wonderful experiences he had with dad while they were building the Portland Temple.

He called dad, ‘a man of miracles’. Dad was very talented as a carpenter and was known for his absolute perfection in creating things of beauty out of wood.  He was hired and was in charge of all the gorgeous finishing woodwork found in the Portland Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints..

One day dad was having a difficult time pulling a large piece of wood through the saw and one of his crew grabbed the other end of the wood to pull it through, in doing so he also pulled dad’s hand into the large saw almost severing 4 of his fingers.

 Elder Zwick took dad to the hospital and the doctors worked laboriously to reattach dads fingers. He was told he was not to go back to work for at least 3 weeks to even supervise. Dad was back to work that same afternoon with a large bandage on his hand!


We were also told dad would take no compensation for the work he had done on the temple. He had always wanted to serve a mission in his youth for the church, but had been drafted into World II before he could go.


He felt that this service he was rendering was his long awaited mission. (It was just like dad not share this information with us!) The miracle was dad’s hand healed completely with full use of his hands and without any scars! The Lord truly blessed him  for his service.


His story was told during the dedication of the temple by Elder Ballard and others (Except they did not mention him refusing to be paid for the job and healing without scars.)
I also want to share... a part of an email Elder Zwick sent to our family.


“We send our love and warm personal greetings at this time of passing of truly one of the very finest men who walked the earth. You noble Father was a man of God with the purest of hearts. He was faithful to the very end and gave tirelessly to bless the lives of others. He was a “finisher” of the highest quality and his life was filled with unselfish service to others. He will be welcomed to his celestial home by a loving eternal companion and we can only imagine how much joy he must feel.


“May you and your entire family always know of our depth of gratitude that our paths crossed so many years ago on the Portland Temple project. I have thought so many times of his faith and integrity and his display of courage from the events there.
His life has been exemplary for so many and we know that his eternal objectives have also been satisfied. His life will be a constant source of light and strength to all of us as we strive to live in his neighborhood someday.” 

From the kitchen...I am still neglecting my precious Mr B as he is still suffering from the lack of many homemade meals. Thankfully he hasn’t had to eat Peanut Butter sandwiches again though! Every once in a while he even gets a gourmet, ‘Beth style’ frozen pizza like this one I baked last night.

I embellished it with a sprinkle of dried red pepper flakes, yummy veggies and low fat cheese. We were so hungry I did not get a picture after it was baked!!!

 Actually I did make a yummy homemade dinner on Sunday afternoon before sending 2 of our sons back to Colorado and Virginia.


I am wearing... Jean capris and a peach colored tee shirt...nothing exciting!


I would like to share a few pictures from the day of the funeral...

Most of Dad's posterity at the cemetery. Five grandchildren, their families along with our oldest's son's family were not able to be there.

My daughter caught a perfect shot of our 2 year olds outside a cousin's home in Idaho following the burial.
And then our precious 5 years olds!  Can't you just see the mischief fun they can get into? :)

They each bring us so much joy and did Grandpa too.

I/we are going to be with our family again this coming weekend  for the 4th of July weekend to celebrate our precious Eliza’s

 8th birthday and baptism. 19 of our family will be together for the weekend.


I am reading... Dad’s journal 


I am hoping... Life will calm down a bit and I can repay the generous offerings of love which has richly blessed our family.


I am hearing... the hum of my computer and soft music


Around the house...I am feeling the love from many beautiful florals and plants from so many friends.

SIMPLY GORGEOUS 

We were unable to transport the plants to the cemetery

One of my favorite things... Is being able to call my mom each day.

She is so priceless to me and I am so grateful to still have her.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  To prepare for a wonderful weekend celebrating our freedom of living in this great country. I am so grateful for each of our men and women and their dear families who have fought and are still fighting for our country. We pray for them daily that they will stay out of harm’s way.
We appreciated each of those who took part in Dad’s Military service at his grave site. The bugle played, a gun salute was fired and the precious flag was presented to Mr B. We all felt so honored.

Our sons are on this side of his casket.  First son #2, son #1 and then our #3 son on the end. His 10 grandsons were pallbearers.

 It was extremely tender for us.

 Dad’s last three words to me 4 days before he died after a delightful visit, was
"Celebrate, Celebrate, Celebrate!!!"
Enjoy a safe and Happy 4th of July, remember to CELEBRATE the joys of life!

Love, Beth