Zinnias

My third cousin died last week.  I've only ever known her as Auntie Violet though.  I asked my Mom why we called her "Auntie" when she was a cousin and it's because her Mother died when she was very young and she spent a lot of time with my Grandfather's family so she was like a sister to him.

She lived her entire life within 20 acres of where she was born.  Now she's buried there too.

My Great-great Grandfather donated the land for the cemetery in Ball Bluff, MN.  He and my Great-Grandfather and Grandfather and certainly some other men, helped to build the church and the altar.  The Carmel Lutheran Church. 

Isn't it beautiful?  Inside it's so tiny and there are short wood pews and each one has a plaque on it saying who donated the money for it.  My great-grandparents are on there as well as great aunts and uncles and other distant relatives.

We've had relatives married there and baptized there and many funerals.  The latest was Violet's funeral yesterday.  It was standing room only.  There were cars lined up all down the road. 

If I remember correctly, we are facing west in this photo and the cemetery is behind us and the church is in front of us, both on the right.

Since my Great -Great Grandpa donated the land for the cemetery, we are allowed to be buried there for free. I think there is a limit of people per family that are allowed otherwise that place might be over-loaded by now. My Grandma and Grandpa have two prime spots right inside the gate.  I doubt any of us will go clear to MN to be buried.

The last time I was there, the only time I can remember, was when my Grandma died.  She hadn't lived in Minnesota for many years as she and two of my aunts had moved to Florida.  When she died in January I thought we would have a nice trip to Florida.  She wanted to be buried next to my Grandpa though so we went to Northern Minnesota...in January.  The cemetery is near Grand Rapids, MN.  The Florida funeral home shipped her to Grand Rapids, MI.  She was almost late for her own funeral.  Fortunately it was winter so she stayed "chilled".

After the service, we drove 1/4 mile down to the cemetery and had a grave-side service and then went back to the church for dinner (noon-time meal, remember?).  Oh boy, if you haven't had a Lutheran Church funeral dinner, you are missing out.  Swedish meatballs, egg salad sandwiches, jello salad, kool-aid, bars,  all kinds of good food.

After we got back to the church I walked back to the cemetery to watch her casket go into the ground.  It actually goes into a concrete vault in the ground and is then covered.  I spoke with the grave-digger and found that he was one of only two grave-diggers in the state who still hand-dig every grave.  He had to set up a tent and run a propane heater inside to thaw the ground.  He would dig a foot or so and then repeat the process until he was deep enough.  He started a week prior to the funeral.  It was very interesting.  He asked how I knew this lady and I told him she was my Grandma and he felt terrible.  I told him not to.  I was just interested in the process.  She had already died.  I was over that.  I just wanted to see how things worked in the world of burying dead people.

Anyhoo, what does this post have to do with zinnias?  It's quite a stretch.  I saw Violet at my Grandma's funeral.  The previous time I saw her was in 1992 when my Mom and I had gone back to MN for Mom's 30 year High School reunion.  We visited everyone we were related to on that trip, including Violet.  She had a cute little farm house and a gorgeous flower and vegetable garden.  A flower garden with zinnias!  See?  See how I worked that z-word into this?  Whew!

A to Z Challenge complete!  Thank you for visiting.  Please come back for more of the riveting tales of Jen and her family.

j