When my Mom passed on at the ripe old age of 96, my one surviving sister and I resolved that her funeral would not be a Packer style circus event the way my dearly departed other sister's services had been a year earlier.

In accordance with Mom's final wishes, which she had painstakingly written out, we went ahead with a funeral held in her home ward chapel.

Her brother whom she had designated to give the eulogy had died so I called on a TBM cousin to fill in. I pointed out to him that her 2 surviving children were Exmos who wanted a dignified service with no preaching from the funeral pulpit. He kindly complied and respected our wishes.

After my sister had delivered her final respects, it was my turn to speak. It was the first time I had stood before a Mormon microphone since the days of my youth.

I poured my heart out with my recollections of her and pointed out that she had taught us great values to live by, including the principle of free agency. I closed my remarks with a simple farewell Mom and of course, no 'amen'.

We were fortunate to have a substitute bishop stand in to preside, a certain Brother T, who also had a son the age of my own boy and who was still sowing his wild oats.

When the service concluded I was accosted by flattering cousins, including one who asked me for a copy of my remarks.

Another said I looked like the perfect stake president, dressed in my dark wool suit and all.

Yeah, right....with a full beard and shaved head to boot, I don't think so.

It took a lot of courage and I don't know how we did it.

But there was nary a mention in any of the remarks given of Horny Joe nor the plain and precious gospel dear Mom had followed to the end .

Sorry for your loss, Shummy. I am glad the funeral went the way it did. Have a peaceful day.
Aquarius

It was good you were able to eulogize at your mother's funeral, your way.

Same happened when mine died. My TBM brothers were present, and we sang a couple of Mormon hymns for opening and closing they'd chosen. But it wasn't held at a Mormon church, it was at the funeral home. Although she was bedecked in her temple clothes. She actually looked better deceased than the last time I saw her alive.

We were able to get up and say some words to express our recollections of our mom that had nothing to do about church, just simply memories of who she was and how she lived. It wasn't anything formal. Just our family presiding.

Sorry for your loss also. It's never easy losing a mom, no matter her age. Glad yours lived to be so old. I lost mine at the not so ripe old age of 67.

May she R.I.P. and may you find comfort and solace in the memories she left behind.

Well I should say that her passing was back in 2003 so I've had plenty of time to process my grief.

Thank you for you kind remarks notwithstanding.

I am however still grieving the loss of Max, my beloved golden retriever who died 2 years ago.

If there's a heaven I know Max will be curled up at my Mom's feet. He loved her and she him. Her pet name for him was Waggy Tail.

Isn't it wonderful how we tend to remember only the good times?

My mother died in January at age 95. I wrote a nice story about key events in her life and it gave me comfort. Hopefully, it helped you as well.