Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye is never easy. And it wasn't this time. Daddy died July 9 and his service and funeral were on Monday, July 18, in Warsaw. Even though they had lived in Goshen most of their lives, the last ten years they spent their summers in Claypool at their summer home in Nita's woods. Mother was convinced very few people would come because it was so far. She planned the calling at 10 and the funeral service at noon. There was no processional to the cemetery, because it was so far away. But those who wished could meet out there south of Millersburg and pay their respects at the graveside. Because Daddy was a WWII Navy veteran, there was a flag ceremony, a 21-gun salute, and the flag was folded and presented to Mom.

Mother got quite a surprise when there was a steady stream of visitors, friends, and family, beginning at 9 and continuing until the time of the service. We wish to thank everyone who came. We were honored that you chose to spend some of your time with us on that day. It meant a lot.

We laughed a bit at Daddy's expression. He had a quirky mischievous smile that you can see in the photo in his obit. As he lay in rest, his expression was exactly that. . . the only difference being his eyes were closed. We were happy the mortician managed to capture that wonderful quirky smile we all knew so well.

It's been two weeks now and yesterday Terry and I took Mom and went to the cemetery. She had been wanting to go, so we went and I took some pictures. We are beginning to heal, although things will never be the same. I had my Dad until he was 91 years old. I don't know how people cope who lose their parents at a much younger age.

Mom seems to be doing okay. She has her faith and Nita lives up the lane, so she doesn't have to be alone. There is a steady stream of kids and grandkids of Nita's who try to keep her company as well and Terry and I visit often. My two nieces (my older sister's kids) and their kids have been down a couple times to see her.

We just spent four days there, camping in Warsaw and taking Mom out for an outing or two. She wants to go to Texas this year and clean out their place in Mission. She doesn't think she wants to go back then as she says their friends are mostly gone. We will see that she gets there and Terry and I will stay in our place right behind her as long as she wants to stay.

So things are changing and we are all trying to cope with the changes. It is certainly different, more so for Mom, but she has plenty of support from the family. She is much loved by all.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Sitka, Alaska

Today was adventure day in Sitka. We started around 9:30 by catching the bus right outside our door. It was quick and efficient and we enjoyed our bus driver who started up a conversation with us. He was very nice and helped us understand the bus system here in Sitka.

We shopped all around the town and ventured into several historic sites and buildings. We visited the Russian Cemetery which is all overgrown and shabby. It is still used for burials and it looks terrible. I hope they are just behind in their spring cleaning and plan to keep it in better condition. We also visited Princess Maksoutoff's grave. Her husband was the last Russian Governor of Alaska. There is still a great deal of Russian influence here and many Russian people stayed here after Alaska was purchased by the Americans. So their way of life, religious heritage, and culture continue to thrive here today along with the Tlingit natives as well.

We visitied St. Michael's Cathedral which is a Russian Orthodox church and very ornate and beautiful inside as most Russian Orthodox churches are. We also visited the Russian Bishop's House which is a large two-story home built for the Bishop and used and a residence, chapel, school, etc., during the time the Bishop resided there.

We did a lot of walking around the town. It was quite interesting and we even stopped and visited with some residents who were out working on their flower beds. We particularly enjoy this type of interaction with locals because they are very proud of their town and we were enjoying our visit here.

We ate lunch at Subway. I broke a rule about eating the same stuff I get back home, but with cruise ships in town, it seems most of the local restaurants push their "fried" foods and sandwiches which are quick and easy. Being gluten free, I don't eat fried stuff and no sandwiches. What I would really like would be some grilled fish, but nobody seemed to have that. So we went to Subway and then later we stopped at an old-fashioned soda fountain and had root beer floats and milkshakes. Very good.

It was a great day out and about and it wasn't too crowded with just one ship in town. Tomorrow we will take in the Raptor Rehabilitation Center and the bear fortress, a rehab facility also. So we will be taking MinnieMee with us as those places are out of town.

Till next time. . .

Dale

There's a mouse in the house. . .

Looks like a Disney cruise is in town. At least there are mouse ears on the smokestacks!

There is quite a bit to look at here in Skagway. This morning we left in MinnieMee and drove north of town to the cemetery. This is an old cemetery with graves dating from 1898 when the Gold Rush started. The notorious "Soapy Smith" is buried here along with the hero who killed him, Frank Reid. It is typical of very old cemeteries, with wooden headstones and graves marked out by rocks. It is very rough and I read later where many graves were flooded and washed away at one time. It continues to be maintained, however, even though no new burials have occurred for quite some time.

From the cemetery we hiked a short distance to the Reid falls, named for the man who "freed" Skagway from Soapy Smith. The falls are beautiful and hidden away in really dense woods.

Afterwards we drove along the Dyea road to the town's overlook. It allows a broad view of the town. We had wanted to go on to look at the start of the Chilcoot trail, but the road is dirt and not recommended for RV's. We weren't sure what it is like, so decided not to attempt it.

When we left there, we parked near the museum and walked the block or two. The city museum was small, but very informative and had a movie we watched about the various modes of transportation that Skagway has had. They currently continue to maintain traffic via roads, airplanes, trains, and boats.

We walked back to the motorhome and had lunch right there on the street, then checked out the public library, just a half block away. We can bring our personal computers in here and surf and conduct our business as needed. It's pretty convenient since otherwise we have to pay big bucks for an hour of internet.

We are about done for the day as we have a few errands to run. . . fuel, groceries, etc. Tomorrow we will ride the ferry to Haines for two nights before heading down the inside passage.

Till next time. . .

Dale