"A good name is better than precious ointment; . . .

. . . and the day of death than the day of one's birth."  Eccl. 7:1 (KJV)

                                           

Well, the funeral service for my BIL was very nice, and there was quite a crowd there.  He was one of 10 children, with 1 brother and 7 sisters and his mother surviving him.  Many of his nieces and nephews were there as well.  Everyone loved Uncle Jerry.

There was quite a crowd of people from the community who had known Mary and Jerry for decades who were there as well.  It was also good to see Thomas' brother and his family, and his sister and her husband, all of whom came in from Nashville.  We got to meet a new grand-nephew (2 months old) for the first time as well.  Mary's first husband, his brother, a sister, and a nephew were there as well.  I thought that was rather remarkable, since they weren't related to Jerry, but Thomas said that he wasn't surprised because they'd all known one another, Jerry included, even before Mary had married either time. 

"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all man; and the living will lay it to his heart."  Eccl. 7:2 (KJV)

It was obvious how well-thought-of Jerry was in the community, and Mary as well.  Nieces and nephews spoke of Jerry taking them fishing when they little, how he gave the nieces and nephews nicknames, how he would travel to Glasgow, Kentucky just to fish with his mother and father because they wanted to see him and that was their favorite recreation, how he was the one who taught Thomas how to drive and how when Thomas and his brothers were sent up here to live with Mary after their mother died (Thomas was only nine), that Jerry spent hours with them fishing and talking and keeping them occupied.  He may have lived only 62 short years, but they were good years and he built up a good name for himself.

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; . . . ."  Eccl. 7:8 (KJV)

But funerals for two Saturdays in a row is enough for me for a while.

Mary continues to do very well.  Their sister, Maxi, never left her side through Jerry's brief illness, surgery, coma, and then following his death.  Mary is staying with Maxi for as long as Maxi can get her to. 

Thank you again to all who left comments of sympathy and encouragement.