Another March, Another Funeral

Good evening, Nation.

So this weekend was, without a doubt, a more somber affair as our entire extended family reunited in Clare to lay to rest Cindy's dad, Grandpa Jones, who had passed away in his sleep a couple weeks ago.  On his birthday, no less.  While he had been in a senior care facility for some time, his passing was still hard on his family.

The memorial and funeral services were both taking place on Saturday, but most of our family was going to be heading into Clare on Friday:  my siblings and I, and our respective families, coming in Friday afternoon and staying at Dad and Cindy's, and the entire Grant side of the family staying at the Doherty Hotel.

Kris had to work and wouldn't be able to get into town until later that evening, but I ended up taking a bereavement day off of work in order to pick up the girls from school before lunch and leaving from there.  Bryan had flown in on a red-eye flight from Vegas, and my brother, Chris, was already at Dad and Cindy's when we finally rolled in.

Definitely a depressing reason to get everyone together again, much like last year (almost to the day, in fact), when we came together for Granny Hough's memorial service and funeral.  Besides the occasional Christmas or Eight Point Lake Cornhole Tournament, it seems the only time our family gets together anymore is to honor the passing of a grandparent.

Anyway, here's a quick look at this weekend. . .

Getting some lunch upon arrival (I'm a shitty parent, I don't feed my kids.)

This machine still works (the other one, as you'll remember, fell out of service last summer.)

(This wasn't quite a match for the ages - it was really, really hard to watch.)

Hanging around the bar.

Bryan was scheduled to give a speech at the funeral service, and was still in the process of writing it as we all hung out at Dad's.

Having some beers with Uncle Bryan

Once again, our family purchased The Greatest Pizza on Earth for dinner.  If they had Buccilli's in Midland, I'd weigh 400 lbs.  No doubt about it.

Needless to say, we fell upon this like a horde of Mongols. . .

Some gratuitous food porn shots for you. . .

After dinner, we all caravanned over to the Doherty Hotel in order to meet up with the many Grant families and take full advantage of the hotel's swimming pool. . . 

Some antique manacles on display in the hotel's hallway, bringing to mind the town's shadier past when it was ruled by the mob.  Good times.

The Doherty Hotel Pool (featuring a few dozen cousins.)

No longer afraid of the water (thank God.)

Brians and Beers

Can I just say how happy I am that we don't have to come to a pool packed with life vests anymore?

The next morning, everyone at Dad's got to juggle showers and getting kids ready for the day before heading in to town to the Clare Methodist Church, where the Memorial Service was starting at 11am. . .

Grandpa Jones, formerly of the U.S. Navy

Cindy and her sisters (I'm assuming) had set out several pictures and mementos from Grandpa Jones' life around the reception area of the church, which quickly filled with well-wishers, friends, and family.

Sibling Set A

Sibling Set B

You always have to go Oldest-to-Youngest with these pictures, people:  to not do so would be an act against God.

Not many of us in attendance knew this about Grandpa Jones, but apparently he was on hand for the frickin' Atomic Bomb Testing at Bikini Atoll back in '46, which is insane.

Cindy, her mom, sisters, and some other lady (not sure who.)  I have no idea what's happening in this picture, but it's a good shot of the Jones family matriarchs.

- Brian