Eighteen Years

Eighteen years ago today, my Father died. I would say he lived a good life, but he died a hard death. The photo above was taken on Iwo Jima during WWII. Daddy is 4th from the left in the bottom row. He served in the Navy as an Electrician's Mate Third Class (an aircraft machianic) in CASU 52, attached to the 5th Marine Divison.

Other, better known men were also on Iwo Jima in WWII, including the Photographer Joe Rosenthal, who took the famous Mount Suribachi flag raising photograph. Joe Rosenthal died yesterday in an assisted living facility in San Francisco. I know nothing more of his death.

My father died in a hospital bed in his own living room. At the moment of his death, three of his children were holding hands at this bedside, jumping up and down, crying and saying, "Thank God! He did it. He's gone. He's gone." It was as if a great weight of gloom had lifted, the clouds had parted and the sun was finally shining down on us again.

Sometimes I wonder if the main purpose in life is not to get to the other side of it. On August 21, 1988, Daddy made it to the other side of life.

Dirt Road Funerals

If you read Patsy’s blog http://pattypenny.blogspot.com/ , you know that yesterday she accidentally went to a funeral. Ya see, she was driving by the funeral home, saw a funeral was in progress, and thinking it was Virgil Morris’ funeral, she decided to stop and sign the guest book. Well, the surprise was on Patsy cause it was not Virgil Morris’ funeral. Someone asked on her blog if she signed the guest book anyway. Here in dirt road county, everybody usually knows everybody, so I thought it was likely the funeral Patsy dropped in on was for someone we all know.

I went over to Nelson Funeral Service website and had a look. It said

Laveta Conner
5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Friday, August 18, 2006 Nelson's Green Forest Chapel
10:00 A.M. Satuday, August 19, 2006 Nelson's Green Forest Chapel


LAVETA CONNER, a resident of Green Forest, Arkansas was born July 30, 1924 in the Farewell community of Carroll County a daughter of Charles Garland and Dora Laveda (Youngblood) Trantham. She departed this life Tuesday, August 15, 2006 in her home at the age of 82.


She was preceded in death by one son, Ron Disheroon, her parents, Garland and Dora Trantham; five brothers, Clinton, Bill, Ray, Onus and infant brother Wayne, four sisters, Alice, Marie, Myrtle, Irene.

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Laveta Conner was one of Patsy’s long time friends. I think they worked together at Ocoma in Berryville in the 60’s and maybe even carpooled to work. Laveta was also our sister-in-law’s Aunt, as Richard’s wife is a daughter of Clinton Trantham. So, if you want to go to a funeral here, just go. We are all related by blood or marriage, if not through our ancestors then through our descendants. If, in the multitude of attendees, Laveta’s children saw Patsy, they recognized a life long friend of the family.