HideHunter
05-31-2016, 04:25 PM
In keeping with the subject of the day: (not really) ;) thought I was going to be involved in an "incident" today.. Friend of mine passed away (she was 85 and had a good life). I've known her for 50+ years - She actually worked for me for about 10 and I know all her kids. I was asked to be a pall bearer. Told them I would be honored and glad to do it. Got to the funeral and as they started staging the casket bearers, I started sweating a little. I'm 65 and in reasonably good shape .. (for a short, fat man). But, as they came - they got older, and more beat up. Next four through the door looked a little worse for wear. Finally, last one through the door was a grandson-in-law who's probably 45 and at least looks like he could pick up a bale of hay.
Got the casket loaded without incident, but it's a little country cemetery and most burials result in at least a hundred yard carry. I know the funeral director pretty well and I mentioned I hoped we had enough horsepower. I wasn't the only one concerned. He said, "Gene, that's an oak casket - weighs 400+ empty. I'm not sure you do." Oh, dandy.. Luckily, when we got ready to unload there was no one but the director, his helper and us. I said, "Boys - we got a load here. Anyone want one side or the other?" One guy with a bad shoulder, another with a bad hand. I put the grandson-i-l on the right front - I took the left rear.. The farther we walked the heavier my end got.. and pretty soon, I mean, it's getting heavy. :hopelessness: I'm betting Alan's end was heavy too. I'm also betting, had we been carrying pretty much anything else in the world - someone would have said.. "let's set it down".. That would have been embarrassing. ;) But - we made it and Pat got the last laugh.. She'd have thought working our butts like that was hilarious. ;) and.. bad enough to lose a friend, but she was one of my "pie connections".. Still made her own crusts.. with lard. ;) Godspeed Pat. :thumbsup
Got the casket loaded without incident, but it's a little country cemetery and most burials result in at least a hundred yard carry. I know the funeral director pretty well and I mentioned I hoped we had enough horsepower. I wasn't the only one concerned. He said, "Gene, that's an oak casket - weighs 400+ empty. I'm not sure you do." Oh, dandy.. Luckily, when we got ready to unload there was no one but the director, his helper and us. I said, "Boys - we got a load here. Anyone want one side or the other?" One guy with a bad shoulder, another with a bad hand. I put the grandson-i-l on the right front - I took the left rear.. The farther we walked the heavier my end got.. and pretty soon, I mean, it's getting heavy. :hopelessness: I'm betting Alan's end was heavy too. I'm also betting, had we been carrying pretty much anything else in the world - someone would have said.. "let's set it down".. That would have been embarrassing. ;) But - we made it and Pat got the last laugh.. She'd have thought working our butts like that was hilarious. ;) and.. bad enough to lose a friend, but she was one of my "pie connections".. Still made her own crusts.. with lard. ;) Godspeed Pat. :thumbsup