The waiting has ended. Today I am in Cleveland. Carl's funeral was on Friday 22 July 2022. The Vesper Wake was on Thursday afternoon from 3 PM to 8PM at St. Monica's in Garfield Hts. He died on Friday morning July 15. My previous blog expressed my shock and sadness. When I think that last summer we had spent a few days at the cottage and returned in the fall for another couple of days, the time went too fast for me to absorb all that has taken place. Fortunately, I was able to visit him the week before he died. He seemed more fragile than the last time I had seen him. However, it was a good visit.
When I arrived that Wednesday evening, he had just finished dinner. I wheeled him to his room and we started talking as usual. A few minutes later Bob Burge (a retired priest) who had taken him to various meetings, arrived. We had known about about each other from Carl but had never met. The three of us had a lively conversation. I returned to Gettysburg on Thursday late morning. I visited with Carl that morning. We attended a funeral mass for a nun. After 47 years of friendship, we communed together for the first time. We respected our respective traditions. When he came to Gettysburg, he would attend St. James Lutheran Church with me on Saturday evenings and I would attend St. Francis Roman Catholic Church with him on Sunday mornings. On Thursday our brotherly routine changed when I shared the Peace and communed with Carl. To me, that was the capstone of our friendship. I left after the liturgy. We embrace in the lobby and as I went through the front doors, we waved at each other and I knew that would be the last time we would see each other on this side of life.
When I returned to Gettysburg, I immediately googled Bob's address and wrote to him. I shared with him my telephone number and address. I wanted him to call me when he learned of Carl's death. I had only met his nephew Jim one time about twenty plus years ago. I met a grand-niece only last summer at the cottage at Lake Cardinal. They would not have my telephone number to contact me. Bob did call to tell me about Carl's death; on the same day Carl's great-niece sent me a message on Facebook about Carl's death. The next day, I had a call from Carl's nephew informing me about the death as well. He asked me to give the grace at the repast luncheon which I did. For me, it was such an honor to be asked.
I miss Carl but I know he is at peace with our God.
