Funeral

After the purchase of our vehicle I had to high tail it to a funeral.
A friend of ours Mother passed away suddenly,  she was 97.
She was going strong until an aneurysm struck her heart on July 23rd.  She even had a pair of socks partially knit for her son in law... her daughter wished she had turned the heel!   If you are a knitter, and one who knits socks, you will understand why her daughter wanted the heel turned.  Heels can be intimidating... her daughter, Eveyln will finish the socks for her and give them to her husband.

The reason I am writing about this funeral is cause she wrote many poems.  One in particular that touched my heart.  I understand the family is going to put her writings in a book... I hope they do cause they are beautiful.

 I love hearing about peoples history and it was shared by her family...here is an overview of hers

I learned a little more about her (Kathleen's - Kate's) life... she was born in England in 1915 during WWI.  She was 2 months premature and they doctor didn't think she would live. He said "put her by the warming stove and hope for the best"  Obviously she lived and for 97 years!
She lost her mother at the age of 6 to pneumonia... at this time she started living with many a relative as her father worked and in those days many widowers never cared for their children.   Her father decided to follow his dream and he migrated to Canada to become a cowboy, leaving her in England.  In Canada, He lived with a family named Bailey in Alberta.   When Kate was 12 years old he called her to come to Canada.  She travelled from Liverpool to Quebec by boat and Quebec to Alberta by train - All by herself.  An elderly couple befriended her along the way and made sure she got on the right train in Quebec. 
After about a year or two Kate's father decided he didn't want to be a cowboy anymore and he was going back to England to be married. We were told Kate stomped her feet and refused to go back saying "Canada was a better place and she wasn't going to have a step mother".   So her dad went "home" and Kate now stayed on with the Widowed Bailey whom had remarried.  Mr. Bailey's new bride had been widowed and had a son around Kate's age...
Big guess :)
 Yep the son and Kate got married.    They had 2 children together; first, Evelyn and 5 years later, David.  Evelyn said that her mom was always sweet and never raised her voice... David on the other hand said that what Evelyn didn't get - he got.  LOL   He told a story of throwing snowballs at the cat, the cat was on the kitchen window sill... he missed the cat and broke the window.  He said that was the first time he heard his complete name and found out that wasn't good news when that happened! LOL

They shared her favorite song "Danny Boy" (her granddaughter played it on her flute accompanied by the piano) they also shared a few poems of Kate's, their precious Mother. 
I would like to share one with you.

MY PRAYER
Dear Lord, forgive me day by day,
If I should err, or the wrong word say.
Forgive me if I fail to see,
The many blessings you have given me.
Forgive me for prayers I have not said,
And the Bible verses I have not read.
Forgive me when I get upset,
For there are times when I forget.
Forgive me when I go astray,
A thoughtless word that I might say.
Please hear me Lord, for this I pray,
You will forgive me, day by day.

by Kathleen Nicholl   June 2, 1987