Grandpa Harvey's funeral...

 

 Thank you SO very much to all of you who have been keeping my family and I in your prayers during this difficult time!!!  Your cards, messages, visits, phone calls, flowers.....and hugs.....have meant so much to us!

All of our prayers for peace in the family have been answered so much better than I had imagined possible, so thanks again for joining us in prayer!!!!!   God works wonders!

 Last night, my brothers and I came home for the evening chores, while my parents stayed down there one more night.  Uncle Russell (from MT) drove here, then rode along with my parents and Andrew down to Eureka on Wednesday for the family service.  They all (plus my Uncle Rick and cousin Ben) rented a trailer house together for 2 nights, which was REALLY nice, as it was quieter than a hotel and more convenient (with a kitchen and living room area), plus, they could all be together to talk.  Last night, they had a really good talk.  PTL! 

Today, at noon when my parents and uncles (Russell and Rick) arrived, we visited outside for a while and I was SO HAPPY when my uncles told me that they were at peace with each other at last and with their other brother in SD too!  WOW!!!  What an answer to prayer! 

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While looking through photo albums to find pictures to share of Grandpa at the funeral, I found these 2 of Grandpa and I.  :)

 Sleepy heads!

 

 

The church sanctuary before the funeral... 

 We picked out red, white and blue flowers to match the flag that was on Grandpa's coffin...

 An old family photo and my grandparents' wedding picture...  I have my grandma's wedding gown hanging in my closet, but can't fit in it right now and am not sure if I ever will be able to! 

(My grandma Erdie once told me that she was 116 lbs on her wedding day.)

 Some of the pictures...

 We were really happy and surprised to see Grandma Marly (my dad's mom), as she had said she didn't think she could make it, having Grandpa's dialysis to deal with that day.  They were able to change the dialysis appointment, and she came!!!  :) 

 Oh, this picture is of the side of the coffin.  We really liked the barn/farm scene...as Grandpa was a farmer all his life.

 This was in the church basement, before the service.  Some of the family (my family included) wanted to sing a song together during the funeral, so we practiced downstairs (a dear friend of my mom's played piano for us.)  The Pastor prayed for comfort and peace for everybody, then we lined up as families in age order of the siblings and headed upstairs.

 We 6 grandchildren (5 strong, tall guys and myself) were the casket-bearers.  We all rode out to the cemetery in an uncle's vehicle. 

Jacob:

 Andrew (cousin Dylan is in front of him)...

 It was raining hard at this time!  Thankfully, the funeral home had a tent set up out there for people to stand/sit under.  As Grandpa had been in the army, they played Taps at the cemetery and gave him a gun-salute.  I think everyone was crying during that time!  My uncle, Russell (the eldest, and also a a war Veteran) was presented with the flag that was on Grandpa's coffin.

 Mama...

 Great-Aunt Frances took this picture of my family and I...

 Cousin Ben...

 My mom and some of the family... (The 3rd from the left is uncle Rick, 6th from the left is uncle Russell, and next to him is Uncle Duard.  Way on the right is my aunt, Sharel.)

 Great-uncle David and my uncle, Rick...

 Eating...and visiting...

 My mom, Andrew, Grandma Marly, Jacob and me... 

(Short, tall, short, tall, short!)

 It was really nice to have some relatives come from my dad's side of the family too (that's my aunt Peggy in the grey shirt.  Her mom was along too, as was her daughter--my cousin, Darby).  Also, my mom's childhood friends, Anna and Glenda came from the Grand Forks area (they're sitting by Mom), and the man in the red shirt was a childhood friend of my mom's too.  My dad and uncle Russell are in the background...

 After everyone left the church, we stopped at the trailer house and changed clothes, then headed over to Uncle Duard and Aunt Sharel's for opening cards and visiting (and eating pizza). 

 We were all pretty exhausted by this time!

Around 6:00, my brothers and I said our farewells and headed for home for chores.

My dad and Andrew were able to clean grain this afternoon, as the sun came out and dried up a lot of the rain and mud!  :)


For those interested, here is a link to Grandpa's obituary: http://www.aberdeenfuneralhome.com/obituary/harvey-delzer .



Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 ~
"To every thing there is a season,
         and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

         a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

         a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

         a time to mourn, and a time to dance..."