My Grandfather's Funeral

We have just arrived back after the funeral and I thought I would write about it while it was still fresh in my mind. Stephanie had arranged a viewing so we started out with that around 1030 this morning. I haven't really been to any funeral's, I mean my other Grandfather on my Dad's side died when I was about Em's age so I don't remember a lot of the details. Morgan and I rode together, the girls stayed with Gregory at his house until the actual funeral. The funeral home was beautiful, a nice old building in Old Town Alexandria. I knew I was going there to see my grandfather, to be sure he was gone, but I just didn't expect him to be right there in the middle of the room. I pretty much lost it then. He looked very nice in his casket, he wore his favorite Redskins satin jacket and had his Notre Dame hat by his side. I felt kind of bad crying so much because everyone else in the room was acting normal. But I couldn't help it, I have always been emotional and I don't plan on changing! We stayed about an hour, chatting with various relatives. Della, she was the daughter of one of his FIVE brothers, told us some great stories about him. I knew my grandfather stormed the beaches of Normandy but she was the first one to ever tell me that he arrived on the beaches at what they call "H-10." The H stands for the first attack and the 10 means 10 minutes after the first attack. Basically he was a badass. She said he had to get a jeep off the amphibious vehicle, hot wire it and get his Lieutenant on board and to safety, all while dodging about a million bullets. I always knew he was a solider but he never really wanted to talk about the war and I really didn't push him to talk.
We then got on the road and headed to Mt. Comfort Cemetery. We had a very nice ceremony. I was very surprised at one point to look over and see Emma crying. Morgan and I wrote a little poem and read it together at the end of the ceremony. I will post it below.
Thanks to all those who came to the funeral. Thank you also to my friends and family for all your comforting words today and throughout this past week. I have really needed it!

(Morgan had the first line, I had the next and so on...)

I remember you in your Redskins Superbowl sweatshirt, Notre Dame hat, khakis and gym socks

I remember all the birthday cakes you made for me…whatever I wanted that year’s cake to look like, you made it happen

I remember spending the night and waking up to pancakes in the morning and then we would share the Sunday paper

I remember all the parties at the hall.

I remember the kool-aid. Lots of kool-aid! I got to pick the flavor but there was always fruit punch and lemonade

I remember those giant underpants hanging on your basement wall…what were those for anyway?

I remember your recliner in the basement, I tried to sit in it but when you came downstairs I always gave it back

I remember your vegetable soup. You made chicken noodle too, but man that vegetable one was good!

I remember your huge camcorder that you filmed everything with

I remember the late night visits where mom would just want to stop by your house and then talked for so long that I fell asleep on the kitchen floor

I remember you taking off your shirt in the summer and seeing your birthmarks but thinking they were jelly and that you really needed a shower!

I remember how if I was ever hungry at 4pm then I could stop at your house because dinner would just be hitting the table

I remember that that dinner usually consisted of sweet tea, green beans and chicken salad

I remember you giving John a hard time about kicking that darn soccer ball over your fence

I remember you always looking up Southern in the paper just to see my name in print

I remember cutting the grass

No, I remember cutting the grass

I remember having the first grandpa to get on the internet

I remember you always laughing at something. I’m proud to say you were our grandfather. We will always remember you.



This is my grandfather's casket, all his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren that were present laid a yellow and red rose on top.


Mom and Aunt Dudy. She is my grandmother's sister.


Eating after the funeral. The girls entertained everyone and perked us all up.


Uncle Chester, Aunt Ginger, Cousin Terry.



Morgan and Greg. Although we were pretty upset at the funeral, it was much easier to laugh and smile at the family gathering.



We all tried to wear Redskin colors to the funeral. I thought this was a good idea and my grandfather would have appreciated it.



After the funeral but before the gathering we stopped by my dad's parent's graves on the other side of the cemetery.



Myrtle and Gilbert Fissell.