Ardis's funeral
Jan. 24th, 2010 11:00 pmThe funeral service was scheduled for 11am, at St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church in St. Paul.
( The format of a Lutheran funeral service is fairly standard... )
I got thoroughly choked up halfway through "Abide with Me," but managed to recover (and also to sing harmony; the song has a very simple alto/second soprano line, mostly just E, with occasional Ds and Fs by way of variety). I also sniffled through bits of "Beautiful Savior," Konrad M's eulogy, and bits of Rev. Berg-Moberg's homily. But I got through my own reading clearly, which is a small grace.
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Here are links to a couple obituaries:
an article from the Pioneer Press
an obituary from the Pioneer Press
I am now going to copy out the text from the back of the memorial order of service. (Names have been redacted or changed to nicknames to preserve minimal privacy.)
( Ardis Hovland was born on September 21, 1921, in Bemidji... )
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And that is that. The weather was horrible -- freezing rain on top of icy roads -- but attendance was decent. Before and after the service, people offered condolences to the family, and everyone said, as my dad pointed out, some variation on, "Ardis showed people how to live right" -- how to care for people without losing yourself, how to find good humor and faith in the face of trouble and trial, how to be a friend and create families-by-choice wherever you go.
I think that is the best legacy anyone can ever hope to leave.
( The format of a Lutheran funeral service is fairly standard... )
I got thoroughly choked up halfway through "Abide with Me," but managed to recover (and also to sing harmony; the song has a very simple alto/second soprano line, mostly just E, with occasional Ds and Fs by way of variety). I also sniffled through bits of "Beautiful Savior," Konrad M's eulogy, and bits of Rev. Berg-Moberg's homily. But I got through my own reading clearly, which is a small grace.
---------------
Here are links to a couple obituaries:
an article from the Pioneer Press
an obituary from the Pioneer Press
I am now going to copy out the text from the back of the memorial order of service. (Names have been redacted or changed to nicknames to preserve minimal privacy.)
( Ardis Hovland was born on September 21, 1921, in Bemidji... )
---------------
And that is that. The weather was horrible -- freezing rain on top of icy roads -- but attendance was decent. Before and after the service, people offered condolences to the family, and everyone said, as my dad pointed out, some variation on, "Ardis showed people how to live right" -- how to care for people without losing yourself, how to find good humor and faith in the face of trouble and trial, how to be a friend and create families-by-choice wherever you go.
I think that is the best legacy anyone can ever hope to leave.