My Grandpa, Gail Taylor died on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years. He was 90 years old. Because of his age and condition, and because of our understanding of life after death, his passing wasn't as sad as some others. We are happy in the hope that he is reunited with our grandmother, Jean Carpenter.
The timing of his death was interesting for our family. We live an 8 hour drive from his home in Blackfoot, Idaho, and I had thought that when he passed our whole family could drive down for the funeral. However, as it worked out, the funeral was Monday, April 5th which was right in the middle of our spring break and our previously planned trip to Arizona. We considered many options including cancelling our Arizona trip, but we finally decided that I would fly to Arizona with the family, then fly up to Salt Lake from Phoenix, and catch a ride with my brothers and sister and go up to Idaho to the funeral.
These plans worked perfectly. My brother, John, flew in from NYC about half an hour after me. He and I met up, while Joe and Haylee (and their baby Isabella) were picking up Sarah. They picked us up at the airport, and we drove to Blackfoot together. After checking in at the motel--the 6 of us in one room, we went to Grandpa's house where lots of our cousins were hanging out. Then, we went over to the viewing. All of our aunts and uncles and cousins were there (the only grandchild missing from the funeral was my brother Mike) and we had a great time catching up.
In fact, the whole thing involved the best quality time I've had with my siblings in years. Mom and Dad were there too, and we had a great time with them when they came over to our hotel room Sunday night for Pizza. Dad paid for the pizza and Joe helped order and they were willing to take the blame for breaking the Sabbath. However, we all ate the pizza, even Sarah, so I guess no one is guilt-free. We had plenty of laughs and friendly Prete teasing and silliness, mingled in with some serious discussions as well. John had the short straw and had to sleep on the floor at the hotel, since that was the only remotely appropriate sleeping arrangement we could come up with. On Monday morning before the funeral, I got to work out with Haylee and Sarah at the fitness center by the motel. That was fun too.
The funeral was a really neat experience, one I won't soon forget. First of all, there were probably over 100 family members there. We filled most of the chapel where the funeral was held. It was overwhelming just to be there with all of them and think of the posterity grandpa has. Most of the content of the funeral was grandpa's life, and I learned a lot about him. In particular, I was touched by accounts of when my grandma died (in an accident 23 years ago). I gained a sense of how devastating that was for grandpa, which made me so glad in turn that he is now reunited with my grandma. What was said at the funeral in combination with getting reacquainted with grandma Taylor's siblings reaffirmed to me that my grandma was as amazing a person as I remember her to be.
The most overwhelmingly emotional part of the whole experience was when all of the grandkids and great grandkids sang I am a Child of God and Families Can Be Together Forever. There are a lot of good singers in that group, but it was more the feeling of the truth of messages of those songs, and the affirmation that here I was standing there as part of an eternal family and a child of God. Later, discussing with my siblings, we all were "in and out"--meaning we'd sing for a few lines, then feel the power of it and be overcome for a while, then regain composure and sing. My cousin Brooke and her husband also sang an unbelieveably good rendition of O Divine Redeemer. I didn't know we had talent like that in the family!
Grandpa had a military burial. His casket was covered in the US flag and they played last post and gave him a rifle salute. That was moving too.
It was also neat to be at the cemetery where Grandma and Grandpa Taylor are now buried as are Grandpa's parents, his twin brother, Dale, who died as an infant, His brother Owen and his wife and uncle Ray's wife Jenny. Sometimes living here in Magrath, I feel like a bit of an orphan. Many people here are descended from local pioneer families and are related to most of the town. Some last names are very common. We, however, have no roots in this town. But, when I was in Blackfoot, Idaho, I realized that, though I never lived there, that is a place where I have roots, and many distant (and close) relatives and where our family has a lot of history.
Liz, John and Sarah after the funeral lunch with our cousin Rochelle and her baby Taylor.
Liz and John
The Pretes at the the grave site.
Haylee with Isabella, Joe and John at the gravesite
Uncle Ray holding the US Flag that had covered grandpa's casket.
Granpa and Grandma's tombstone.
Military salute
The Pretes at the viewing, Sunday night, April 4.
Sarah and Dad and I. The funeral home used to be the Blackfoot tabernacle. It was beautiful and huge.
Sarah and I in the car, driving to Blackfoot.
This is a low quality picture. It is of the Cook fields in Magrath where there are soccer fields and baseball diamonds.
This is the school soccer field or lake MHS.
Our own property, thankfully, is raised up and drains off very nicely. In addition, we have a sump pump on our lower deck that redirects water straight into the town storm drains. This is the view from our side yard of our neighbor's shed which is under water.
