My Dad's Funeral 3-30-2012

My Dad had been ill with Alzheimer's and finally succumbed to renal failure on Sunday night - March 25.  Most plans for his funeral were made a while ago, so my siblings and I made the trip to Bismarck, North Dakota for burial.  Roxy and I rode together.  I put a short obituary in the Omaha, Lincoln, Bismarck and Wilton (NDak) papers.  We had a visitation, and Roxy and I brought things to read - thinking that there was no one left in Bismarck who would be coming to a visitation.  We were wrong.  I have pictures of only those who made it to the funeral.  Kicking myself for not bringing my camera to the visitation.

 This is Shirley (a first cousin to Dad) and Dewey's lady friend.

 Here is Dad with the flag in the casket rather than the drape on top.

 Flowers were beautiful.

 More cousins.  Dad's father was the youngest of 17 children so there are a lot of Monroes running around.  His mother was one of 6 children - the Jiras side came, too.

 Gene Hilken - farmed adjacent to the Monroe farm.

 Michelle Monroe- Jeff's daughter

 Larry Young - cousin on the Jiras side

 Rollie Young - brother to Larry

 My brother Court

 My other brother, Jeff, with Michelle and the minister

 Shirley, Dewey, and friend Garnet.  Garnet is a peach and talked to me a lot!!  

 Cemetery

 Pallbearers

 Color Guard - He was given a 12 gun salute.

 My Grandparents' headstones.  My Dad was buried at their feet.

 All my siblings and me.  Roxy, Court, me, Jeff, and Sandy.

Jeff and Court told some old funny stories about Dad during the funeral.  The man could fix anything and was pretty serious most of the time - which results in major mocking.  He liked to point, literally, with his finger and was not above poking you if he didn't think he had your attention.  He loved, loved MMs and ice cream.  I had a bowl of ice cream when I got back to Omaha in his honor.  Okay, I had eaten hardly a thing all day - but I had it in his honor- that's the truth.