Honoring a request

Bob's Auntie Mae and Auntie Helen (Part of the "Rich Sisters") (note this picture got distorted when I posted it, and can't seem to fix it, the real photo shows them to be very slim).

Mother in Law - Dolly (Bob's Mother)
Bob's Grandparents, Carmella and Frank (who I never had the opportunity to meet, but Bob tells me great stories about them).

We just came back from Calvary Cemetery. When Bob and I were first married, the first two years before we lived in Woodland, we would get in Bob’s uncle’s car, with Auntie Helen, and my Mother-in-law, and make a trip to what seemed like very far away (it was actually the other end of town, and remember Duluth is long). It was a beautiful drive up Woodland Avenue, to a cemetery named “Calvary”. At that time Woodland Avenue was completely lined with beautiful trees that were at that time probably 50 or more years old. One year when they widened the avenue, those trees came down. More were planted, and now after many years, we are finally starting to see some of that beauty once again. They brought along cemetery baskets that were planted with geraniums. We went to Bob’s Grandparents plots and Bob’s aunts. We also went to Bob’s brother and sister’s plots, which he never knew. They were born before him, and both passed away before they reached their 2nd birthdays, one from a heart condition and the other from pneumonia. My Mother in law, Dolly, always knew exactly where everyone was.

Now we live in that part of town, in Woodland, Calvary is within 5 minutes of our home. Dolly would come up to our house, and then together, we would go to Calvary, we had to visit all of the relatives graves, we followed Dolly's lead. In '79 we lost Auntie Rosie and Auntie Helen. In ’88 we lost Bob’s Uncle Tom, (Auntie Helen's husband). Pretty soon Dolly was the only sister left, and then the cousins, who most all were older than Bob, started passing away too. Dolly would always tell us that when she was gone, it would be our responsibility to take her place and do the same thing. We lost Dolly in 2003, so now we go to the cemetary each Memorial Day weekend, to honor her wish, but also I think we would do it, even if she hadn't requested it, because we would want to.

Sometimes I feel guilty that we don’t go there more often throughout the year, because we live so close. However, there is something that keeps running through my mind that my Mother always said. She was not one to go visit her Mother and Dad’s graves, except when I came home and wanted to go. The last time we went together, she told me that she does not go to their grave sites because she thinks of them in her hearts most everyday, and she didn’t feel she needed to go to their grave to remember them. She also said “they are not there; their spirit is in Heaven and in my heart, so why do I need to go to the grave site?” I pondered what she said, and had to agree with her.

I guess that’s why I don’t go up to Calvary throughout the year. But, to honor Dolly’s request, that we go there on Memorial Day to remember her family, Bob and I do go at least every Memorial Day weekend. We decorate and find all the graves from his family that are there and say a prayer by each one of them. We remember and honor them all.

Though I am not in PA this weekend, I am remembering my family members that I have lost. We also remember all those who fought for our country and honor them.

Let us all remember our departed loved ones, not just on this one weekend.