Tim, Bill and Noemie get in one rehearsal before all the celebration starts.
The morning began early with a memorial Mass for Paul and Gladys delivered by a new priest from Virginia. It was nice to be back in Our Lady of the Woods with Tim and Bill providing music. Bill and Polly were the first couple to be married in this church; Cathy and I were the second.
Mary opened with a bible verse.
Then we moved to the semi-solemn tribute at the Dennison Lodge on the grounds of the Dubois Museum that Shannon, Tim, Cathy and I planned out on our deck weeks before. I did the color pamphlet with the schedule of events as an insert. Music was supplied by Tom, Bill, and Noemie – really quite good considering they had only one constantly-interrupted rehearsal.
People cried and laughed and visited well past our short ceremony.
Meredith read her poem “A Grandchild’s Concern” which brought on lots of tears.
Lots of old friends drove or flew in from all over the U.S.
Following on the heels of the tribute at Dennison, we moved about two blocks to the Headwaters. Despite phone calls and emails ‘o plenty, some of them in the last 24 hours, we had trouble with the Paya Deli. The food was 1/2 hour late and the caterer brought no plates or cups (they charged Mary $250 extra for these items for less than 50 people!!). Despite this blip, the food was good and a goodly portion of all the people who knew Glady and Paul turned out to celebrate them. Shannon (with, I suspect, a little help from Tim) turned out a beautiful slide show with hundreds of photos of the family scanned from albums housed from Seattle to Ft. Worth.
With just a little prodding, people got up and told stories about their relationships with Paul and Gladys. There were a few tears, but mostly lots of great laughs.
A couple of old truckers, Billy Koenig and Cullen Kelsoe
Gladys’ quilt with a square done by each child and grandchild.
People were having such a good time that it was hard to bring it to an end, but after a little clean up the main relative contingent reconvened at the Longhorn bonfire pit hosted by Chris and Doug. More stories, more laughter, more food and drink (hard to believe) and the world’s biggest marshmallows I’ve ever seen…like a small loaf of bread!!
Just before dark at the bonfire.
Tom even brought music to this evening gathering.