Tuesday Maureen drove me, my mom, Loretta and Pat to St Paul for the funeral. It was 15 below (C) with biting winds. When I got up, everyone was throwing on sweaters and mittens and toques like they were preparing for armageddan, so I went back down and put on stockings, thermals, knee-highs, Levis, 2 shirts, and 2 sweaters.
We were late coming into St Paul, so instead of stopping at a diner we stopped into A&W. Do you know they don’t put ice in their root beer because they don’t want to water it down? Weird.
The funeral was held at a Catholic church. I usually don’t look in the coffin, but I looked down and saw Auntie Mary Louise, and so many memories came flooding back, the waterworks started. Then I had to pass in front of the church and greet the family. I looked around and I felt like I was the only one in the church crying. I hugged Marie Louise’s daughter, but could only blubber at her.
If there’s anything I can say about the Catholic Church, they certainly hold nice funerals. It was very comforting, and considering there was a complete mass it didn’t seem that long. Afterwards, we went to the burial. It was REALLY cold at the ceremony. It was so cold that when the priest finished his prayer, everyone literally ran from the grave back to their cars.
There was a nice reception, and I knew I was somehow related to at least half of the people there. But we were racing the sunlight back to Edmonton since most of the road didn’t have streetlights so we couldn’t stay long. I have to hand it to Maureen, she is one heck of a good driver.