Take Photos At Funerals

A few days ago, we attended the funeral of Husband's 99-year-old great-aunt, at an ELCA Lutheran church in Waverly, Iowa. The sanctuary was framed on all sides by stunningly gorgeous stained-glass windows; I ventured back in there after the lunch to take photos. (By the way, for any LCMS readers out there: this ELCA funeral was very old-time, orthodox Lutheran. In the lunch line after the funeral, I found myself next to the pastor who had preached the very excellent funeral sermon. While scooping chicken casserole and potato salad onto our plates, we conversed briefly about the current state of Lutheranism, and he recommended a book to me, Principles of Lutheran Theology, by Carl Braaten, although he said it was a bit "academic".)

***
***

There was such a multitude of stained-glass windows in that church, I hardly know where to start, but will begin with this scene of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. This window is situated above the altar area:

***
***

It is flanked by these next two windows, depicting the two Lutheran Sacraments:

**
COMMUNION:

**
BAPTISM:

***
***
I didn't take my new camera to the funeral, so this shot of the altar with its beautiful Last Supper carving is not as clear as I would have liked:

***
***
Before the funeral, the casket was in the church narthex for viewing, alongside a table of family photos, many very old. I snapped pictures of the old photos. In case you don't realize it, that is a great way to acquire family history photos for yourself. In my post about Aunt Luella a few days ago, her photo shown there was cropped out of a snapshot of several photos sitting on the table. After cropping and enlarging, it turned out quite well, I think. (I did ask her daughter for permission first. She exclaimed, "Oh, yes......take pictures, and give me some later!") And, as I was snapping the photos, the funeral home guy came up to me and said, "Its wonderful that you're doing this........families usually forget to take photos at funerals. Be sure you take pictures at the committal service in the cemetery, too." I did, and later burned two CD's of the day's photos and sent them to Aunt Luella's daughter and son.

***
***

Should anyone be interested in reading the funeral sermon, email me at junebug1976@hotmail.com .

***
***

Great-Aunt's Funeral

Today we attended the funeral of Husband's 99-year-old great-aunt, Luella:

***
***

***
***

Luella was the last surviving sibling from a family of eight. Her grandparents had emigrated from Germany. Here's an excerpt from her obituary:

"........she graduated from the 8th grade (at a Lutheran parochial school) in 1923. Luella was always at the head of her class, had perfect attendance, and was urged to continue her education, but due to poverty and other circumstances was denied further schooling. Her mother taught her well in domestics, and she worked in the households of her older sisters and other farm families for several years. Luella then worked for the local North West Bell Telephone exchange. Luella met William, who was also a farm hand. After four and one half years of slaving for others they decided to combine their work ethics and were married in May of 1931. Luella and William worked as farm help for several more years until they began farming on their own rented farm. They farmed there for ten years without the aid of electricity, and in 1947 were given the opportunity to purchase their own farm (due to gracious help from a kind banker they never forgot). They worked through some struggling times but always pulled through. Luella loved working beside her husband, driving the tractor and baler, raising her laying hens that helped her become the "egg lady" to many area families, and enjoying her holly-hocks and garden."

***
***
Undoubtedly, Aunt Luella's story is similar to those of untold numbers of women down through time. Even at ninety-nine, she retained her sharp memory; plus her trademark sharp tongue and independent nature. She had remained living alone in her farm home until just a few weeks ago when she was diagnosed with leukemia. Before that, she had spent a total of two days in the hospital in her entire life.......in traction for a back injury.

***
***
***
AND........the church where the funeral was held has stunningly beautiful stained-glass windows!! Thus, I now have a new supply of church window photos to post on Sundays! Hooray!

***

As I sat there (Husband was in the front as a pallbearer), I decided that in my next life (which, of course, will not occur) I might like to be a funeral director. Not to do embalming or anything like that.......but, to work at funerals and with grieving families. I enjoy watching the funeral home guys do their thing.......they have funeral-directing down to an art.......always looking dignified in dark suits, but sporting wacky humor behind those solemn faces. At least, that's how the funeral home guys are around here. Most likely, a well-developed sense of humor is required to survive that line of work. Listening to countless funeral sermons might get tiresome, but spending time in the lovely churches would be pleasant, I think, AND, they get to eat delicious church lunches on a regular basis! That is one thing I've noticed when helping with funeral lunches at our church: the funeral home guys hang around the kitchen, very eager to grab a plate and heap it full after their cemetery duties are finished!

***
***