End of an era

We have just completed a most amazing week! We are all VERY EXHAUSTED, and will return to our homes craving much needed sleep. I personally hope to take a couple of Advil PMs and sleep for a day or two when I return to Houston. However, memories of this past week will remain forever in our minds.
Mom died one week ago yesterday. That night when we held her hand and sang her favorite songs as she went to sleep and then died seem like an eternity ago. We had four of our seven siblings there by her side to witness the passing of our dear mom. Bruce, who had spent a sleepless night with her Saturday night and knowing that she would pass when the oxygen was turned off, went home to get some much needed sleep. Sid was still in London, but flew to Utah with his two boys as quickly as he could make arrangements. Jann was still in the Dominican Republic on her mission, not planning to come back for the funeral. As we thought about all the decisions that would need to be made upon Mom's death, we couldn't bear to think that we would have to do it without our Janny. So we made arrangements for her to fly back to Utah for the second time in one month. She got approval from her area authorities and was here by Tuesday afternoon.
Now came the necessary details of closing an era for a wonderful woman. The estate would have to be divided up, the house made ready for sale, the funeral arrangements made and completed. Mom always said that she had seven children, because she needed everyone of them to take care of her. That included events prior to and following her death. We were all amazed, as we took care of final details, that this statement proved to be true. Bret was our organized executor and Bruce was our finance and insurance man, as well as doing Mom's timeline of her life. Curt was our legal advisor, Liz did our programs, Sid organized the distribution of Mom's "stuff", and Jann and I provided support in all the other details. The spouses were a tremendous support to us as they helped everything move along smoothly; cleaning, sorting, staging categories of "stuff" to be distributed, packing and giving needed encouragement. Last but not least, we had 24 of Mom's 28 grandchildren and several spouses show up for the event. Many of them, though not allowed to be part of the division of items, helped by cooking meals, staging categories, and wrapping or packing boxes as we, the siblings, made our choices of Mom's precious belongings.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with plans for the funeral, memorial service in Idaho and the graveside service in Mom's beloved Parker cemetery. Elise (our journalist granddaughter) wrote the initial obituary for our review. We worked with Mortuary Kurt Soffe, who did an incredible job tenderly and caringly handling details of the funerals. We also determined the plan of action that we would pursue as we cleared Mom's Consie (condo) of almost 59 years of marriage accumulation. We began collecting Mom's belongings and organizing them into 28 different categories. Once Jann arrived from the DR on Tuesday evening, we were able to begin the division. We took Wednesday and most of Thursday to clear out Mom's "stuff". It was an emotionally monumental task filled with memories and cooperation. We could not have done it without the help of the Winder family! Thanks SO much to them!
Thursday night was the viewing at the Jenkins-Soffe mortuary, with the funeral Friday morning at the Jordan River chapel. It was wonderful to see so many friends and loved ones as they came to say goodbye to our Mom. We were overwhelmed to feel the love that so many people had for her. We weren't surprised...just overwhelmed. The funeral was all we could have hoped for it to be. Mom, I'm sure, was thrilled that her children were able to pull it off. Each of us spoke, giving short thoughts covering different parts of Mom's contributions throughout her life...none of them were coordinated, but all were different and very personal. We all performed, as Mother would have wanted it, with the four brothers singing together, the three sisters singing together, and the grandchildren singing. One of the most tender moments for us was when we had all the grandchildren lead the closing song, taught well by mother over the years. As they led the last "Carry On, carry on" and tears were freely flowing all around, we siblings impulsively stood and sang with them. Oh, Mom would have been so proud!!
After the funeral and yummy luncheon, the grandchildren came over to Mom's Consie and went through all the left-over items, shopping for those little treasures to keep as their own before all the rest were hauled off to DI. Then we parted for the day...some heading off to Idaho to spend the night and others just going home and vegging.
Saturday at 11 AM, we convened in Parker, Idaho to do a memorial service for family and lifelong friends of Mom's. In this little town of 288 people, we closed the casket and shared some of Mom's most favorite poems that we had heard and been encouraged to memorize all our lives. It was a fitting end to Mom's tributes. We buried her beside her beloved Dick in the ice and the snowy cemetery near the top of the hill. After a yummy lunch provided at Aunt Alda's house by many family members, we headed back to Utah, each filled with memories and different ways to keep ourselves awake on the journey home.
Yesterday was another "Mother day", as life didn't slow down. We had yet another party to celebrate! We had about 50 family members convene at my house to bless our little grandson, Stephen Allen, who was born that miraculous day that we thought we had lost Mom on December 11. We had pictured her leaving for her heavenly home, passing little Stephen on his way to earth. However, she miraculously recovered in the long chain of events leading up to her heart valve surgery at St. Mark's. Mom was so thrilled, I'm sure, to see us all gathered together to bless this little one, allowing a gathering suitable of an announced engagement (Janey) and announced pregnancy (Hanni White).
Yes, the circle of life continues. We only hope that the legacy Mom has left us will Carry on, carry on, carry on in our lives and the lives of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We commit ourselves to live righteously each day to ensure us that great reunion in heaven when we can sing, "we're all together again". Thank you for your loving interest and concern in our family. You are the binding foundation of our lives. Carry on!!