EULOGY AT THE FUNERAL OF AUNT FRANCIS

Isn’t God Good?

Today we come together to celebrate the life and the home going of Aunt Francis.

On Saturday morning at 1:30 AM, The Lord called to Aunt Francis and said welcome home my child. Job well done.

Some people would say, “Well I see you lost your Aunt Francis.”

I would reply “ No, Not at all.

You may lose your car keys or you may lose your billfold but we didn’t lose Aunt Frances.

You see….we all know exactly where Aunt Francis is.

Yes….God is Good.

When Marlene asked me if I would be willing to share some of my thoughts and memories about Aunt Francis at today’s service, I must admit that at first I was hesitant.

You see, I’m not a trained speaker and I’m a very emotional person.

I told Marlene I know I’ll get emotional. I know I will breakdown and cry.

So, if and when I breakdown…Don’t mistake my tears as tears of sadness….

OH NO…Don’t mistake my tears as tears of distress or despair.

The tears you see are tears of Joy…..You see…My heart overflows with joy at the memory of Aunt Francis.

Joy for the reunion that is happening in Heaven and joy for the life that has been lived on this earth over the last 100 years by a wonderful and loving lady..

If I close my physical eyes, my minds eyes open and take over what I see.

I feel a stillness.

I see a peaceful night with a sky full of more stars than we can comprehend.

I see a campfire …..and sitting on a log by that fire is Uncle C W and Uncle Brodus and Uncle Harold.

And on another log sits Uncle Ralph and Uncle Ray and Uncle Frank and my Dad Jack.

And Stuart is there poking the fire with a stick.

If you remember it was always hard to get Stuart to just sit down and be still and relax.

He had to be doing something. He hasn’t changed I guess.

And as the men sit there telling tales and sharing memories, Uncle Frank gets the attention of all the men as he points at all the women standing in a clearing in the moon light.

There’s my mom Wilma and Aunt Mary and Aunt Larue and Aunt Betty Kitchens and Aunt Betty Hogue and Mama Hogue and leading in their conversation and laughter is Aunt Frances……

And then Uncle Frank says “ I always told y’all them Hogue girls were tough ol’ birds. Gosh it’s good to have them all together again.”

OH what a reunion it must be.

But I not only like to think about what is happening now.

I also like to remember the past.

A few weeks ago, my wife Peggy and I went to visit a lady that is Peggy’s second cousin who lives in Paulding County.

As we were talking. This lady mentioned that she owned a Cemetery lot here at Mt. Harmony.

I had no idea she had ever lived in Mableton.

As we continued to talk, I found out that years ago Aunt Francis had been her Sunday School Teacher.

I had never really thought about Aunt Francis being a teacher, but now, as I remember some of my times spent with her, I can see that she was teaching us in everything she did.

Why didn’t I see this before?

I wrote a blog about Aunt Francis’ 100th birthday last September.

I mentioned how I can remember when visiting her I would be playing with some toy cars in the room next to the kitchen and with all the windows open how she would be singing hymns aloud for all to hear.

She was teaching me at my young age not to be ashamed of my faith. To make a joyful noise and to praise God.



As I received comments from her grand children and my cousins about this blog, it was amazing how they also remembered her always singing hymns.

And not just the chorus or first verse. She would always sing the whole song.

In her singing she was teaching us all to do the job right and if we were gone to do something, to make sure we finished our task.

I remember we were once going on a trip to Houston Texas and thought it would be nice of us to take Aunt Frances to Dallas to see Jimmy on our way and pick her up on our way home.

　

I was so smart back then it never crossed my mind to look at a map before leaving.

You see, Dallas isn’t on the way to Houston.

Going to Houston by way of Dallas is like going to Miami by way of Memphis Tenn.

It was a long trip but Aunt Francis was a great traveling buddy. She told stories and sang songs and kept us laughing the whole way.

She made the trip much shorter and the journey a pleasant one.

We owned a Motor home at the time and on the way Aunt Frances got locked in the bathroom going down the road at 70 MPH.

All she did was laugh at herself in what some would consider an embarrassing situation.

In her laughing she taught me that sometimes you need to laugh at yourself.

I can remember after we moved to Kirkwood, Aunt Frances driving all the way out there from Mableton and just the two of us going down on Decatur Street to the Pawn shops looking for antiques.

I was only 7 or 8 years old but on those excursions she was teaching me to appreciate the things of the past and to have respect for the beauty of well crafted things.

On one of these trips, I recall she bought me my first set of Golf Clubs.

She was teaching me the gift of giving and although I don’t think she knew it at the time she was also teaching me that I would never be able to hit a 1 iron straight.

She was teaching me that there are some things no one can do.

Yep…My Aunt Frances was a teacher and I think the most important lesson she taught me was about family.

She taught me that without family, you don’t have much.

I learned much of her teachings about family through her children and times I spent with them.

Some of these times they probably don’t even remember.

Like the time Marlene and Dianne were going Ice skating for the first time.

I still remember their excitement before and after going.

I can still hear the giggling of the two young girls.

Or the time when Stuart came home from basic training a he gave me his Marine baseball cap. It was bright red with a yellow “M”. I wore it everywhere with pride as a young boy.

And I fondly remember Nicky taking me squirrel hunting down on the Sumner’s property and him teaching me to keep the lake between me and the Sumner’s house so we would get caught.

I don’t think we were suppose to be there.

And Jimmy,,, I remember you coming and taking me to qualifying down at the Atlanta speedway.

I was about ten years old but Aunt Francis had taught you to spend time with your kid cousin and to nurture him as he grew up.

　

She taught through example that you love, that you support, that you share and you stay in touch with family.

It’s not important that you give material things to each other but that you give of yourself.

Yep…Today we celebrate the life of Aunt Francis.

She was born Sept 25, 1912 and went to be with the Lord on June 29, 2013.

But one of the big lesson she taught is that the birthday and the day you depart this world aren’t what matters.

It’s the time in between those days that matter.

Yep…. Aunt Francis is now reaping her rewards but may her teachings, her memories and her stories live on for many years.

They will live on through all of you and may God bless her memory.

And once again I say,,,,,,, Isn’t God good.