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Aunt Linda Day

6/15/2021

2 Comments

 
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It was Aunt Linda day.   We spent the entire day celebrating her life and her reunion with her husband and her son Ray.    And it was a beautiful day.  Beautiful physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The TV series The Highlander, speaks of the time of the gathering and proclaims, “There can be only one.”    Today was also a time of gathering but it was very much opposite of The Highlander.   Instead of one, there were many.  Many.  Many.    Linda brought us together once again, strengthening old connections and forging new ones.

The funeral service was a perfect combination of respect, tribute, and twist---exactly like Aunt Linda.   She respected things meriting respect, things like human rights, hard work, and our country; she paid tribute to family, the Jazz, and Christ, and, with an almost-but-not-really wicked grin, she generally added her Aunt Linda twist, something unexpected, unique, insightful, powerful, and fun. 

And such was the funeral.   Sara shared Monte’s words and her thoughts.   She delivered a beautiful tribute to her mother as an educator and gave specific messages to each grandchild.   JL also gave a beautiful tribute to her mother as a mother, greatest cheerleader, mentor, coach, and best friend.   A group of friends sang “My Turn on Earth” and ToMmY played a melody of hymns on the violin.  Beautiful.  Respecting both tradition and Aunt Linda.

Then the twist.   Aunt Linda had the last word.   In a video recorded by Sara, Aunt Linda answered the question “What advice would you give your family?”   Aunt Linda told life is journey; there will be good things and bad things.   When the good things come, don’t get all high and mighty.  When the bad things happen, don’t get depressed; you will get through it.  Support each other.   Work hard.  Monte, Sara, and JL are hard workers and the grandchildren should be hard workers too.  Give a little more than a day’s work for a day’s wages.   She ended singing “Don’t worry.  Be happy” and smiling.   Grinning, in fact.

Maybe she was grinning because she knew what was coming next…. 

After the closing prayer, ToMmY played the fiddle.   She fiddled as we stood, as Aunt Linda’s body was carried out, and as we filed from the room.   Fiddle music.   Foot-stomping, hand-clapping, heart-pumping fiddle music.   The Aunt Linda twist.    So perfect.  SO PERFECT!   

We drove to the Huntsville cemetery where three Ben Lomond Bagpipers played before Kurt Gibson dedicated the grave.  Respect.  Tribute.  Twist.   Perfect.

Love flowed, connections forged and strengthened.  Gathering.   It happened at the funeral, at the  graveside service, and again at the family dinner, a “catered” by Javier’s, Linda’s favorite restaurant.  I put “catered” in quotes because the family tried to cater it.   Javier’s insisted on donating it.   The love flows…. And will continue to flow for generations.
  
Thank you Aunt Linda. 
​  
Thank you.



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2 Comments
Annette Cumins
6/22/2021 02:04:41 am

Hi Teresa, I loved your tribute to Aunt Linda!

The photos are stunning!
I especially love the one where Sara is hugging her son.

I don't know if you know this but Linda use to babysit me and my sister in Alaska when I was 4 or 5.

My parents were good friends with Don and Linda and my dad was stationed at the same Army base as Don.

I would play with JL as we are close to the same age.

In Utah I would again meet up with JL as a kid playing soccer with AYSO.
JL's team was unbeatable.

In High school I remember many articles written up in the newspapers about JL and her mad skills leading the Scots to many wins around the region.

Later, JL played for Weber State and I had a connection and I would cheer for Weber State's woman's soccer team and JL. She was a teammate of one of my best friends.

Then one day Sara showed up in the same young adult ward as I attended. Sara became one of my husband and my best friends. We both worked with Sara. Often it would be the three of us, me, James ( my husband) and Sara up late at night pulling shenanigans.

We have a big heartfelt love for all the Stoffer Ladies and their family!

Your words for Linda were a perfect description. I felt like I was there with you at Aunt Linda day with the details you wrote.

Reply
jl
7/25/2021 09:00:12 am

Thank you so much for sharing this day in your beautiful words. What an amazing woman she and you are. Love ya.

Reply



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    Teresa Hislop
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