Final blessing

We had my father's funeral a little over a week ago now.  

Since then, we have celebrated Thanksgiving.   

 I realized that last year, both of my parents came to our home for Thanksgiving!

The funeral was at my parent's church. 

 There were lots of flowers!

These flowers were from my brother in Washington who could not come. 

Very Japanesey (is that a word?)

We began with a prelude of Japanese worship songs.  One of the songs was "We shall gather at the river",   a song we sang often at our little church in Aburatsu, Japan.  Claire could not help but dance to the music!

After we were all seated,   Adam and Jill sang "It is not death to die."   The words were written in 1832 by Malan and translated from French into English by Bethune in 1847 and sung at his funeral at his request.

It is not death to die,
To leave this weary road,
And midst the brotherhood on high
To be at home with God.

It is not death to close
The eye long dimmed by tears,
And wake, in glorious repose,
To spend eternal years.

It is not death to bear
The wrench that sets us free
From dungeon chain, to breath the air
Of boundless liberty.

It is not death to fling
Aside this sinful dust
And rise, on strong exulting wing
To live among the just.

Jesus, Thou Prince of Life,
Thy chosen cannot die:
Like Thee, they conquer in the strife
To reign with Thee on high.

After a welcome and hymn, my husband read from Ephesians 1, a passage that my father requested.   Adam gave a short message over that passage.

Our son, Josh and my daughter, Mindy, read the story of my dad while we played a slide show.  

(A blog post on that to come)

We had a video that Jill had made about a year ago.

The recessional was "The Lord Bless You and Keep You"  

I played this song for him several times while he lay in bed.

The church's reception committee had cookies and ice-cream for all.

Many dear friends came.
We had the tables decorated with Japanese things and with pictures of Mom and Dad's years.

Cousins

People shared stories.  One of my favorites was this:  One lady was talking with my Dad about the fact that he was losing his hearing and how hard that was.  "I'm not deaf!  I can still hear God!" he remarked.

Another funny - In Dad's story, he had told me that when he was young, he often tried to get out of doing dishes.  Yet, he and mom served on the reception committee here at this church and he usually did the dishes!  Dad had such a servant heart!

The car was jammed packed with plants to take home and enjoy!

So very grateful to everyone for their kind words and their sympathy!

Thank you also for meals provided!

Dad is HOME for the holidays!

"Where is Grandpa Pete?"

Saturday morning was a sunny morning, but very cold!

The windchill was in the teens.

We had my Dad's burial at the Pretty Prairie First Mennonite Church cemetery.  This was the church he pastored for 6 years.  Many of our family are buried there as this is the area both my husband's family is from and also my Dad's family.  We have purchased lots there too.

We kept the outside services short.

Adam gave a few words.

Aunt Betty, in the pink, is the last sibling left.  She was 10 years younger than Dad.

 The mortuary provided blankets.  So grateful!!

Claire asked "Where is Grandpa Pete?"  We explained it to her and her eyes began to tear up.  We encouraged her that one day we will see him again.

1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to take Him at His Word;
   Just to rest upon His promise,
   And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
   • Refrain:
     Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
     How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
     Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
     Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
2. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to trust His cleansing blood;
   And in simple faith to plunge me
   ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
3. Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just from sin and self to cease;
   Just from Jesus simply taking
   Life and rest, and joy and peace.
4. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
   Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
   And I know that Thou art with me,
   Wilt be with me to the end.

  

 

 

 

It was so good to get back inside the warm church where the ladies had arranged a luncheon for us. 

We enjoyed visiting with such dear friends of my parents!  Many of their friends have passed away or are not able to travel any longer.  

 We tease my sister-in-law, Linda, that she always closes her eyes!

Eli wearing his great-grandpa Pete's hat.

After visiting with the Pretty Prairie folk, it was back to Newton, where my parents have lived since 1991, to have the funeral.

Top Crust

My daddy is gone from this world.   

I remember the words of Dwight L. Moody.  In his final days he said  "Soon you will read in the newspaper that I am dead.  Don't believe it for a moment.  I will be more alive than ever before!"

We had the viewing the evening before the funeral.  I thought Jack, at Ruzens, did a great job on the flowers for the casket!  A little bit of subtropics for the area of Japan where my parents were missionaries.

I had Dad wear this tie clasp.  It was a gift to Dad when he lived in Japan.
The kanji, or Chinese character, is "kotobuki" or something like congratulations, happy, long life.  Sort of fitting.

I cried to see flowers from a couple of the churches Dad served at in Japan and also from some dear Japanese friends.  It was so touching for them to remember him!

There were lots of flowers or plants. 

 My young mom's Bible study group sent this bouquet.

Quite a few friends and family dropped by.  

Our children, Josh, Jill and Mindy were all there also to be with us.

Several friends cried with us as we talked about my Dad.

One dear couple who came were Jim and Shirley. 

Shirley told us a story about when they came to visit us in Japan.  My parents took them to a public bath house.  Their son was with my Dad and he was a little concerned that a curtain was all that divided the men's bath from the women's bath. 

                "Uncle Pete, what will we do if the curtain falls down?"  

                "We will just stay under the water!" he replied.

Jim and Shirley have plots at the same cemetery we do.  As do my parents and Al's parents.  His grandparents and my Voran grandparents.  Lots of friends and relatives.  

                 We got all excited to think that one day we will all rise together!!

1 Thess. 4:16 

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.

One lady shared with us that her grandmother attended the first church that my Dad pastored before going to Japan.  She said her grandmother was a little critical of Dad at first.  He would play baseball with the youth and didn't the pastor have better things to do than to play baseball with young people?  But after awhile, she decided he was all right.  Makes me so proud to hear that about my Dad!  Dad loved baseball and what a great thing to do!

One person made the remark to me "You are now the top crust."  ??  I wasn't sure what she meant until she said "You are no longer in the sandwich generation."  That's right!!  I have been a part of the sandwich generation for many years, taking care of my parents on one end and helping with my children/grandchildren on the other.  Goodness.  We are the old ones now.  Matriarch/patriarch.

Thank you to all who came to give hugs and give words of encouragement!

After the viewing was over, Al's sister, Julie and his cousin, Jim and his wife Joanne came over.  Such a good visit.  Too often it takes a funeral to bring some of us together. 

Dad has left us - but not forever!

On Tuesday we had a care plan meeting at the nursing home with the staff and hospice.  Dad was there in his wheelchair.  The staff there is so sweet!  They wanted Daddy's input on their care for him.  He said a few words but couldn't seem to complete thoughts.  At one point he said he felt bad.  I think what he was saying was that he felt bad for being a bother.  Mom and him often felt that way but we told them over and over that they were not a bother at all!  When you love people, you care for them!

I had some things to do after the meeting but came back in the afternoon.  The Rempels and I have had a standing date to visit with Dad every Tuesday afternoon.  

When we entered the room, we noticed that there was a sudden change in him.  He was in a lot of pain and crying out.  The nurse came to give him more medication.  

Richard held Dad's hand for the hour as we visited.  When it was time for them to leave, Dad gave them the blessing  "The Lord bless you and keep you".  It is a blessing he gives out often.  Some days he can only get out the word "blessing...".  

Then he said to them "I will miss you."  

It was as if Dad knew he wouldn't be seeing them regularly on Tuesdays any longer.

I stayed for 3 hours, waiting for him to get comfortable.

Over the next few days, Dad continued to decline.  Rempels came to stay with him so I could go home to shower.  He had other visitors who came to talk with him also.  Dad had some very cherished friends!

I didn't get pictures of everyone who came and some others were out of town.  

But we are so grateful for all who have shown such love to my parents over the years!!

My husband was always so gentle and sweet with Dad.

I played some songs for him. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

look full in His wonderful face

and the things of this earth

will grow strangely dim

in the light of His glory and grace.

He loved this song

I spent the last 2 nights with Dad.  I put the recliner right up next to his and held his hand all night long.  It really seemed to comfort him when he got anxious.

Our daughter, Jill, came to relieve me in the day so I could go home to shower.  

She took this photo of her holding his hands. 

On Saturday evening, my father took his last earthly breath.

He is more alive than ever now!

With Christ, which is far better!

He is laughing and rejoicing! 

 My 8 year old granddaughter is convinced he is doing flips!  

Out of that wheelchair for good!!

I wish I could peek in and see him as he was greeted by the Lord, and turned to see Mom, my brother, his siblings, parents and in-laws, fellow Japanese missionaries (12 have gone ahead of him), Japanese people that Dad led to the Lord, Peter the Apostle, and the list goes on and on and on!

On Facebook Jill wrote:

Tonight I said goodbye to my last remaining grandparent.  I feel both the loss of that layer of legacy and the blessing of that heritage.  It was a privilege to feel him squeeze my  hand as I sang hymns to him yesterday.

Sunday afternoon, Al and I went to the home to pack up his belongings.

I took the Japanese calendar off the wall.  He died one month shy of a year of when my mother passed away (Dec. 15, 2014)

Today is Tuesday. 

I got a reminder on my phone:  visit Dad

Visitors

A couple of weeks ago, following another stroke, my father was placed on hospice.

This week my aunt and uncle from Missouri came to visit him in the morning.

My dad had 4 sisters.  Helen, Millie and Mary have all passed away.

The little girl in this photo is Betty.  She is 10 years younger than Dad.

We had a good visit and talked about their growing up years.

During the war the German POWs came to work on the farm.  Since the family spoke German and ate German food, I am sure the POWs had it much better there than the American POWs did in Germany during that time.  Even though they would have been treated kindly at my Dad's home, one of the POWs hung himself in the barn one day.  Dad remembers having seen that.

Uncle Bill wanted to eat at Wendy's for lunch.  

Guess who was also there?

Sue and Missy were out biking!

In the afternoon, my niece from Pennsylvania and her family drove in to see Grandpa.  

We hadn't seen them for 5 years, at my brother's funeral.

Dad enjoyed seeing his precious family! 

I know Dad appreciates everyone who visits him!  Thank you to all who take the time to pop in on him!