Our mission today (Barbara, Nancee and me) was to take the roses from the Reunion to the gravesites of our fallen classmates. While I waited for Barbara, I tried out our new camera. Joe had spent some time studying the manual and instructing me, but I hadn't actually tried to take any pictures yet. Next to our RV is a pretty, blooming bush so I thought maybe I should capture the ambience of our campsite.
I also got some shots of the house.
And I'm keeping a close eye on the lilac bush!
Another day or so and I'll be enjoying the fragrance of LILACS!!!!!
Barbara arrived, and we exchanged our supplies from
the Reunion -- she had some of my stuff, and I had some of hers. We then drove down to St. Peters Lutheran Church to the gravesite of Brenda Rehwald Laue and Barbara placed a rose at her headstone.
From there, we went to town and picked up Nancee, then drove across the river into Illinois to the town of Russellville, where Nancee's brother Donnie (Donel) is buried. Nancee entertained us on this drive with escapades of her past. Yes, quiet, little Nancee caused some trouble in her younger years. At the ripe age of 4, Nancee set their smokehouse on fire. They lived in Russellville during her early years, along with lots of her aunts and uncles, and cousins of course. Nancee freely roamed the streets of Russellville and was well known around town -- she often visited her relatives and non-relatives without permission from her parents. Anyhow, the entire town showed up to help put out the fire and witness Nancee getting her spankin'. A year later, she tried the same trick on the chicken coop. Russellville is lucky to have survived Nancee. Also during this time she jumped (or fell) out of a tree swing right through the boards covering the septic tank and fell into that muck (for lack of a better word). She always blames Donnie for leading her astray, but it sounded to me like she found her own way to T R O U B L E. Her family moved to St. Thomas when she was 5 -- she didn't say at whose request that move was. She lived there until she was 13, at which time she moved to Decker Chapel and became one of us!
Anyhow, she directed us to the cemetery at the edge of Russellville where Donnie is buried, and we paid our respects here. Nancee had the honor of placing the rose on Donnie's grave.
This is a pretty, well-kept cemetery. I think Nancee said her Dad had
15 siblings, so this is practically their own private cemetery because
of all of their relatives who are buried here.
Our next stop was Vincennes, the gravesite of Stanley Pea.
Followed by a stop nearby at Diane Wagoner Boyd's grave. Barbara has included Diane in the list of graves she takes care of, and she knew right where both Stanley and Diane's graves were located.
However, we could not find Brian Berry's grave. Brian was killed in an airplane crash during his Freshman year at Decker High School, the year before Decker Chapel consolidated with Decker, so neither Barbara nor I never knew him. She had researched his location but in those days the gravesites were not numbered, only assigned to a section, and although the three of us walked the entire section more than once, we never did find his grave. But, Barbara will research this further, and we have no doubt that his rose will soon be laid at his headstone.
From there, we headed to lunch, at Dot's. Then, since Nancee had left her cell phone at the gym she owns, Barbara drove her by there and she took us on a tour of that facility.
This is Barbara getting ready for her Olympic tumbling demonstration.
This is Barbara after trying her Olympic tumbling demonstration (lawsuit pending).
And here we are, after the successful completion of our gymnastics routine! I'm sure sponsorship offers will be arriving any time now.
Finally we ended our day, dropped Nancee off at her house, then stopped by Barbara's to finish our Reunion details. Barbara drove me back out to the house for another evening of family and euchre. Fred had come out today, and Dixie and Cathy had made chili for the clan for dinner. Lucille took a little nap during the evening to celebrate her last day of being only 98.
Lori and Joy arrived about 8:30, so we had more visiting to do, and, of course, our nightly euchre games - that is a big part of all our memories of being at this house, so it's not too hard to get a table of players. But it is different without Lucille joining us anymore. Her eyesight is just too poor for her to see the cards, but all of our memories of card games at this house include her (and Dad) at the table).
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