My OH has a large and close family, so there was a great deal of sadness when his eldest sister passed away on 6 March. Her funeral was held yesterday . Both OH's sister and her husband are/were practising Anglicans and had started to attend a local church as soon as they moved down here last Autumn. They were a well-known couple in their previous community, and I was concerned about how the funeral would go and if BIL might have wished they were in their previous community.
I needn't have worried! The church service was exactly what my sister-in-law would have wished, with beautiful music (she loved music and taught piano) and an excellent attendance. There was a very proficient choir, and part of the service was in Welsh. Ironically, the only fluent Welsh-speaker in the family was my late sister-in-law, but it was a lovely thought. Twelve close family members accompanied the hearse to the comital at the nearby crematorium, and there was a wake at a local hotel.
Afterwards, OH's youngest brother and his wife, plus his widowed sister-in-law with her son and DIL came back to our house for tea, toasted crumpets and cake. We had chance to have a good chat and relax for a while, which was good for all of us.
I cooked trout fillets with small potatoes and lots of veggies, with strawberries, raspberries and ice cream for dinner, and we sat up quite late, still talking. OH's brother and SIL stayed overnight and left after breakfast this morning.
I suppose you reach an age when, as one relative said, you attend more funerals than parties but they serve a purpose, saying good bye to a loved one and bringing together family and friends.
I needn't have worried! The church service was exactly what my sister-in-law would have wished, with beautiful music (she loved music and taught piano) and an excellent attendance. There was a very proficient choir, and part of the service was in Welsh. Ironically, the only fluent Welsh-speaker in the family was my late sister-in-law, but it was a lovely thought. Twelve close family members accompanied the hearse to the comital at the nearby crematorium, and there was a wake at a local hotel.
Afterwards, OH's youngest brother and his wife, plus his widowed sister-in-law with her son and DIL came back to our house for tea, toasted crumpets and cake. We had chance to have a good chat and relax for a while, which was good for all of us.
I cooked trout fillets with small potatoes and lots of veggies, with strawberries, raspberries and ice cream for dinner, and we sat up quite late, still talking. OH's brother and SIL stayed overnight and left after breakfast this morning.
I suppose you reach an age when, as one relative said, you attend more funerals than parties but they serve a purpose, saying good bye to a loved one and bringing together family and friends.
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