Just before Dad's funeral service was to begin, John and Sara Hershberger walked in.  Following close behind was their oldest child, one of my very first childhood friends, Ida Mae and her husband Andy. 

Our family ties go way back into the '60's when our family lived near Rushville, Ohio.  I think I was 6 years old when a group of Amish from Geauga Co. Ohio moved to Somerset.  I am not sure in what order they came.  I had thought that Hershbergers were the first family there but I just learned that Alfred Yoder's were the first and Sam Gingerich's the second. They were soon joined by others:  John A Miller's,  Wayne Miller's, Jake Miller's, Wallace Byler's, Raymond Coblentz's.  There may have been others but these are the first ones that I remember.

John and Sara and their 3 children settled onto a dairy farm right along US Rte. 22 a few miles east of Somerset.  Not long after we met, John rented some of the land where we lived so we enjoyed their company on occasion when he would come over to farm it.   Later in the summer of '67 our family moved to a place a mile or so behind (over a couple of hills) from the Hershbergers. 

Ida Mae, just being a little younger than my sister Pam was such a delightful little friend.  We just loved it when our families got together, whether at our place or theirs.  It was just plain fun!  They had a shed or summer Kitchen just a few steps from their back door where Ida Mae had her play house.  We enjoyed playing there.  Or going into the barn and watching John and Sara milk the cows.  John would call different cows by name.  I thought they all looked alike. 

Anyway, when we were little girls, we enjoyed the teasing of John H as he tickled us and called us Giggle Pusses.  I will always remember John and Sara's pleasant manner.  Seemed as if they always had a smile on their faces.  Times when they babysat for us when Dad and Mom would take a group of the Amish somewhere.

I thought that Ida Mae wouldn't be able to come to Dad's funeral as she and her husband were on a trip.  So I was really happy to see that they had made it back in time to come.  It has been probably 15 or more years since we had last seen each other.  Neither of us can remember when. 

After the meal, Pam, Ida and I had our own little reunion.  Of course, we didn't get properly caught up but enough  that Andy wondered if he'd ever get his wife back.    We had to recount the time when we accidentally drove our car into the creek.  Oh weren't we a very frightened trio?!!!   We were playing restaurant in the car....Pam up front taking orders from me and Ida Mae in the back seat.  Ida thought she'd rather be a waitress I think, because she flipped over the seat and in doing so her foot hit the gearshift.  The rest you can imagine, as the car, in neutral, began to drift back into the little creek.   What a commotion we must've caused but I do remember the intense relief when the car stopped rolling and we were safe outside on dry ground.  Then seeing John hook up his tricycle John Deere and pull it out.  I remember it popping a wheelie and being afraid it would tip on over.    I am sure it wasn't such a big deal and don't even remember the grown-ups getting up tight about it but you can be sure that there were 3 little girls who weren't into playing in cars from that time on.

We didn't discuss the time when we went to school together at Somerset Elementary and envying the "worldly" girls who did flips on the monkey bars.   This was when I was in 2nd grade and Ida Mae and Pam were in 1st.  (The school was large enough that there were 2 classrooms for each grade so Pam and Ida Mae weren't in the same classroom.)  Ida Mae's classroom was directly across the hall from mine on the north side of the building.  Our recesses and lunch hour were the same so we enjoyed playing together then.  I am not sure who came up with the idea of wearing tights to school so that we could do these flips but we made out ahead of time to do just that.  Big mistake.

The day arrived and we were so excited.  Unfortunately, we didn't choose the smaller set, but the ones high enough that we had to struggle to get up on.  I think this set was for the older scholars in the upper grades but that didn't deter us.   We had been spinning around showing our rumps to whoever and not feeling a bit guilty about it....after all, we had tights on.  Not sure what we did if our dresses enveloped our heads.  That was the least of our concerns.   But, another unfortunate thing happened.   Suddenly,  dear little Ida Mae, (she was so petite) slipped and went down, head first onto an ugly chunk of concrete that was holding the upright pipe into the ground.  Down she went, cutting her head on that jagged cement.  I am not sure if she was knocked out, I don't think she was but again there were 3 scared little girls.  At least 2 of us were scared.   Ida may not have been scared but she was bleeding and crying with pain.  The memory of her little white covering turning red with blood is still with me.  We went as fast as we can for help.  I got to stay out of class for awhile answering the principal's and other teachers' and perhaps the school nurse's questions.  I felt kind of important about that.   I remember John coming on his John Deere to take his little girl to Dr. Lord's up the street from the school. 

Looking back, it probably wasn't as serious as it seemed to us little girls.  If it had been, it seems the school would've taken her in their vehicles or even walked her up the street to the doctor's office.  But since they called John and waited for him to come and get her and take her himself.....And on a tractor at that, it must've been more superficial than we realized.   She did get some stitches and didn't come back to school for the rest of the day.  But it did scare us and never again did we play on the monkey bars with tights.    

Another thought I had was that I imagine the school took care of that jagged piece of concrete.  At least I hope they did.

Well, I probably ought to close my  "Reminiscing book" and end this post.  Just going to add a couple of pictures of my dear friends.  (I wish I had a better on of John and Sara but this is the best I could find in the random pictures from Dad's funeral.) 

Ida's parents:  John and Sara Hershberger

The 3 little girls, about 45 years later,  Kim, Ida Mae Miller and Pam Chupp

The day started out perfectly.  Since I am not a "morning" person, I was enjoying the luxury of spending a few extra minutes in our cozy bed, while trying to wake up.   I usually use this time in meditation and prayer as I acclimate myself to the idea of getting up.  Overhead, I could hear my dear hubby, walking around in the kitchen getting breakfast.  He had thoughtfully turned the heater on to warm our room before he left.  Then the door of our bedroom slowly creaked open, my little girl came in and crawled in with me for a good morning cuddle.

"I love you Mommy."  she said as she wrapped her little arms around me in a bear hug.  Ah, life is really sweet.

Then....."Mommy, how did I learn to love you?"  I smiled.  Interesting question.  "Well, it all began when you were still in my tummy, I think."  I went on to tell her how she must've felt protected and safe and then when she was born how she must've felt.  "Then Daddy took you and wrapped you in a nice warm towel,  got you dressed and tucked you into our bed right here."  

She loves to hear the story of her birth and how on that cold winter night her daddy took care of her and tucked her into our bed.   The story went on and as I told it,  she pipes up with, "I love my daddy, too." 

Love is the product of trust.  If Kaity didn't trust us, her love  for us would not have grown. 

Of course that set my mind to thinking into other channels:

I reflected about an incident that happened to me when I was about 9 years old.  My sister and I went with our parents and to our Aunt's house.   She and her husband had moved there earlier and this was the first time any of us had been to this particular house.  She was giving us a tour of her house, a split level, and we were down in the basement when her husband came home from work.  Well, this was one man that I didn't like.  I had never liked him and frankly I was scared of him.  Somehow, when everyone went back upstairs, I found myself separated from Auntie and my family with this man between us!  There was no way I could bring myself to walk past him to rejoin them.  I panicked and I tore out the opposite way.....the basement door stood open.  In my terror and zeal to flee  I didn't see the fence that was just outside the door until I slammed into it running at top speed.  This stopped me in my tracks but only for a moment until I gathered myself together and took off again around the side of the house to the safety of our car.  I am sure my aunt wondered what possessed me when she later was doctoring the huge goose egg on my forehead with an ice pack.

Recently, I told her I had never liked him  She wondered why.   I told her the truth....I never trusted him because he had taken liberties with where he touched us.  Her response was "Why didn't you tell on him?"  I really don't know why I hadn't thought of doing that but that was back in the '60's, and I was just a little girl.   Maybe it never occurred to me that I should've told but there definitely was a relationship between the lack of trust and the lack of love.  I remember when I heard that my Aunt had divorced him a few years after that head bopping, I was so relieved.

Isn't wonderful to be able to trust someone?  I love Vernon because I trust him.

I told someone once that I was so glad that I could trust my husband, that I was so thankful that I can totally trust him with my daughters, when he is away, when other women talk to him, etc.  Not that I think he is infallible or above temptation but he has proven trustworthy (and is serious about his relationship with Christ.) She indicated that she hadn't learn to trust her husband.  Another woman told me that she never left her little girl at home with her husband, because she didn't trust him.  That must have been terrible not to mention inconvenient.  How sad. 

Then I thought about loving Christ.  My love for Him is a result of my trust in Him.  The more that I learn to trust Him the more I love Him. 

We Love Him Because He First Loved Us. 

At Dad's viewing/visitation and funeral.  I was so happy to see some of my cousins and Uncle and Aunts.   I wish I could've got photos of all them.  As it was, I got one of my Dad's two sisters, Deloris (Dee Dee) and Bonnie. Bonnie and Dee

  Also one of my Mom's only sister Sue Powers.  I am her oldest namesake so she is extra special to me. 

My sisters, Pam and Gwen with Aunt Susie.

Of course Dee and Bonnie were extra special too.  Dee Dee never married so she was always part of my Grandma Glenn.  One didn't come without the other.  We always loved to see them come driving in.  Aunt Susie lived close to us until I was in 2nd grade and was over at our house a lot so she was our second mama.  Since Grandma and Dee only came 3 or 4 times a year and stayed a week or so at a time, their visits were more exciting.  Especially since Grandma always got out of the car with a bag of candy and asked "Who's been pretty?"  She knew not to ask who had been good.  That was impossible with 8 kids 10 years old and under. 

One of my siblings actually told someone when they were little that they liked Grandma better because she had lots of pillows.  They meant her lap was more comfortable to sit on due to her excess weight.    At one point, I thought I liked Grandma better too because Aunt Susie didn't mind making us obey using conventional methods as did my parents.   Now that I am older, I know that I loved them all and one isn't any more special than the others as they all are.

Anyway, Dad's oldest brother, Alvie couldn't come because he is bedfast.  I think he is 92 years old.  I had hoped that his daughter Ruby would be there.  I hadn't seen her for 14 years since Grandma passed away.  Ruby's brother, who is just a couple of years younger than my mom came.  He had to introduce himself or I wouldn't have known him

Dad's older brother, Harvey and his wife Helene came for the funeral but I didn't recognize them at first.  Isn't that awful?  Their daughter Michelle came after the funeral for the meal to visit with us.  (She has a job taking care of handicapped adults and couldn't get away earlier.)  I didn't recognize her at all.

Dad's only other living brother, Bonnie's twin, was out of state so we didn't see anything of his family either.

Of course, Charlotte was there.  I just love her.  Me and Charlotte

I found out later that Dad's cousin Carrie Hardesty came to the funeral.  I was really bummed out that I didn't know that.  I would have loved to have seen her.  I remember an interesting incident when I was in about the 4th grade.  I had been in the same class as Carrie's son Royce for 3 years and had no clue that he was my 2nd cousin.  One day we were outside playing.  Our house was situated very close to Davis Chapel Rd.  Our garden and swimming hole (the creek) was across the road and some of us were on the opposite side of the road.  Dad came out and called to one of us at the same time as a car came down the road and passed in front of our house.   A little later this same car came back down the road and stopped.  The lady driver had been taking her daughter Joyce to our neighbor's house for a birthday party.  She had thought Dad was calling to her when she passed so decided to stop and see what he wanted.   You can imagine everyone's surprise when Carrie realized that the man that she thought was calling to her was her long lost cousin Bennie Glenn and Dad's surprise at finding his long lost cousin Carrie!    And to think that their children had been going to school together all that time!  Our families stayed in touch after that but I personally haven't seen Carrie since Grandma died.

Well that's all for this post.  I want to post some pictures of the visitation, church and grave before long.

PS.  I cannot believe that I forgot Steve and Donna Heskett and their son Stevie.  And Bob Wolfe.  He is married to Steve's sister Doris.  Steve and Doris's mother was a sister to my Grandma Pearl.

The other day, I took Mom to visit Aunt Susie.  When we returned back home, she went into the house while I busied myself to cleaning out their car.  Soon she called for me to leave that and come see what was waiting for me in the house.  I went wondering what was the matter.

This is what greeted me:

There were 2 bouquets.  One was addressed to Mom and the other to me.  How sweet.   

Susana, our oldest child, had gone out to WI with the family after the funeral.  She and Adam had decided for her to come out for a few days which was a God-send.  Because of this, I could stay with Mom for a week.  I didn't worry about my children or Vernon since I know they were in good hands.  (PS....she is an excellent cook.  ).   Anyway, Adam had sent her a bouquet of roses on the anniversary of their courtship beginning 5 years ago. 

Suddenly I had to smile.   Memories of something came to the forefront of my mind.  Years ago, when Jeff Zimmerman was going with Jennie Miller, he sent a bouquet to Jennie, he also sent one to his future mother-in-law Rose.  Ted, (her husband) didn't want to be outdone went and bought Rose bouquet also!  We thought that was pretty funny. 

Thanks Adam, for giving Vernon a good idea.  I just love it. 

Last Saturday, I attended the wedding of Carrisa Brunk and Trent Weaver at Hocking Hills Mennonite Church near Logan, Ohio.

I was there by default because I was staying with my Mom for the week but I was delighted to go and see several of people whom I hadn't seen for a long time.

One particular gal was Mim Yoder (nee Miriam Good) from somewhere in GA.  I hadn't seen her for about 23 years.  Her Dad was our bishop there in Carbon Hill, so we've known each other all of my life and most of hers....she being 11 months older than I. 

Elaine Brunk lives in Logan.  She is my almost birthday twin;  (2 days younger; we shared the same hospital nursery when we were born).  Since Elaine's Dad, the late Norman Brunk (our deacon), the late Marion Good, my dad were the founding fathers of Carbon Hill Mennonite church.  We grew up together with my younger sister, Pam Chupp who is 13 months younger than Elaine and I.  (All of us were born in October, by the way.  )

Then in 1973, I believe, Gaylord (late) Bear's family joined us as minister with Marion and Norman.  Shana was 5 and 1/2 years younger than I but she matured into a very sweet young lady and was soon a vital part of our gang.  Of course we all went to school in the basement of the church and went to youth functions together when we got older.  (Not to mention the slumber parties Mim had at her house.  )

Anyway, Elaine, Mim and I decided last Sat. that we should have a picture taken together.  This drew some attention and someone asked if we were the 3 Stooges.  We laughed and told them that we were missing 2 of us.  It sure would've been nice if all 5 of us could've been there.  But....oh well.  Can't have it all.  This was better than nothing.

l-r: Elaine, Mim and I

So you can imagine my delight when Shana Horst called and told me that she wanted to come down the next day.  Pam was coming up from Va too that day.  Perhaps we COULD have a mini reunion after all! 

Pam and Shana showed up at the church within 5 minutes of each other.  Vernon and I were waiting there for them so a quick call to Mim and Elaine and very shortly all 5 of us were there reminiscing and laughing about memories of long ago.  Vernon and Denis (Shana' hubby) discreetly stood down the hall from us probably wondering what was so hilarious.

It didn't last as long as we wanted but Vernon and I needed to head for Wisconsin and Elaine needed to say Good-bye to her sisters who were getting ready to leave.

  It was sweet.  The first time we'd all been together for over 23 years!  Of course we had to document that. 

l-r: Mim, Pam, Shana, Elaine, and I

Long live the 5 friends.  (I haven't come up with a better title for us....but certainly not stooges.) 

When my Dad passed away a couple of weeks ago somehow my mind was drawn to my childhood.

Did you all argue about stuff like who has the best car or tractor?  Or whether your Mom's sewing machine was bigger or better than your friend's Mom's?  I know it was petty and pretty dumb, but hey, we HAD to talk about something.  And what little kid doesn't think that their parents were the smartest, prettiest, etc......

How many times on the way home from school did I hear the Glenn boys "discussing" with the Goods and Bears just who had the most powerful tractor?  In our case it was Allis Chalmers versus FarmAll, I believe.  Then it was whose Dad was richer or smarter.   I don't remember ever joining in these little spats but the memory is still very powerful.

I guess it was the last that made me smile.  My Dad was a very smart, self educated man.  He knew something about a LOT of things.  He wasn't boostful about it but he could keep up with the best of them.  If you had a question about anything, he usually had enough knowledge about it, that he could educate you or at least get you on the right track.   He grew up in the depression era, was in the military, he had been to Japan and Korea.  Been on ships (to and from Korea), could speak Korean and some Greek....enough that the Army asked him to be a translator at times.  He also learned some Spanish later in life when he and Mom took in exchange students from Central America.  He was a builder and contractor and talked of roof purlins (whatever that was), but could also intelligently tell you how they made plates for the offset printing presses when he was a printer.  He knew trees, their leaves and bark, different kinds of rocks.  He loved the sky at night.  Different constellations, etc.  I remember him showing us the space shuttle Sputnik as it orbited around the earth when I was just a little girl.  He would call us up and tell us when to look for meteor showers or a comet or an eclipse.  (He loved Science!) 

The list could go on and on.  He was amazing.  It makes me sad to think of all that knowlege going with him to the grave.  I am sure we barely scratched the surface of all that was contained in his head!

So, I am going to be bold and say what I've been dying to say for a long time:

"My Dad was smarter than your Dad!" 

God bless your day.

After we bought our "new" blue van,  I told Vernon if he got it licensed and road ready, I'd be delighted to accept that for my birthday gift.  As it turned out, he didn't quite make that deadline.  (He was in Mexico at the time.)  But 2 weeks later is good enough for me.  So here I am with my birthday present.  Now, it looks like it belongs and everything is alright now.    (I know I am a sentimental ninny but for some reason this feels just right.  )

Bennie Glenn 1933-2012

Posted: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 6:41 pm | Updated: 6:42 pm, Tue Oct 16, 2012. Logan Daily News

As most of you who read my random blogs know, we were working on finishing out our bedroom.  I had taken pictures some time ago and had actually thought that I had posted them.  I suddenly realized that I hadn't so here goes:

ft

The lavender was paler than I had hoped but we decided to leave well enough alone.    I wanted to use hearts so got my collection of heart shaped baskets and other odds and ends to put above the border.  The border, btw, is an Ebay bargain.  Some thought it looked little girlish but I choose to think of family-ish although I don't mind be a tiny bit "little girlish"  .  After I put up the baskets, I got the brainstorm of using all the excess teddy bears that seem to cluttering up the place.  I will cull them later as I decided I wasn't going to keep any that didn't really have the appeal I like.  I think they need to have some expression as if they were speaking to me.  My favorite is the last photo.  I am not sure what it is about him but he has that appeal.   I did actually buy another one, (as IF I really needed another one.) But that one was immediately claimed by Kaity and promptly named RoseMiller.  She has to take RoseMiller to church and to bed with her so I guess it was love at first sight. I guess I can spare that one.

I have added a few more hearts since these photos to fill in the gaps but basically its done.  And Vernon did put up the smaller ceiling fan directly above the bed.   We ♥ it beary much. 

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And although I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is  perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Follow after charity...... 1 Corinthians 14:1 a     (KJV)

I am to have devotions today at sewing circle so I was praying for direction of what to say.  These verses kept coming to mind so I feel that I am to share them.  I was reflecting on some of the struggles that I've face over the past couple of years and feel like this passage really fits.

To attain is like climbing up a staircase.  May God bless your day.