The Gift of Aunt Helen

Good Morning, Readers!  This is the day the Lord has made, let me rejoice and be glad in it!  Here I am in Glenwood, MN having breakfast with two of my favorite people, niece Toni, and sister-in-law, Nancy!  Please join us...  It won't be long and we will all be outside working at clean-up ... Toni and Roger at chainsaws, Nancy and I at pick up and dump!  We are family!!

Yesterday was probably one of the most emotionally touching days of my life.  I attended the Celebration of Life Service for my Aunt Helen Schluter at the Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery.  The cemetery land had been donated by my great grandfather, Knute Torguson and as I walked through the grounds, there before me was my heritage ... settlers that founded this little city.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you. ~~John 14:1-2

Helen's ceremony was short but oh so touching.  Her children spoke giving warm thoughts of their mother ... we cried and laughed and felt her presence.  Thirteen cousins were in attendance plus spouses and some of their children.  Some I hadn't seen for 40+ years.  It was so wonderful to reconnect, to hug, and to hopefully make each other more a part of each other's lives.  Cousin Gary ... Nancy T and I want to come see you and drive your cars around the Minneapolis lakes!!

2/1904 Wedding-Carl & Maggie Pederson

As cousins, we are all so different yet we are of the same blood ... the blood of Carl and Margaret Pederson.  One thing Nancy T shared was then when Aunt Helen was passing, she said, "Oh, I see my sisters!"  There is a Heaven! Don't you know those ladies are having quite a party!  The five daughters  of Carl and Margaret all lived on into their 90's ... several got quite close to 100.  They were lively women ... hard workers ... God fearing ... family oriented.  Except for Alida who remained unmarried, all married some pretty awesome guys.  Ah yes ... family!




The oldest cousin, Bob S and Dorothy (Me!)



After the service, we all drove to Peter's Sunset Beach Resort for a fabulous lunch ... chicken salad, fruit, nut bread and yes (!) strawberry shortcake.  Whenever we went to Aunt Helen's home, we got served STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!!  How fitting we should have it to celebrate her life.  Grandmother Maggie taught all her children and grandchildren the Norwegian table prayer.  We all said the prayer before eating ... more family memories!

Let us gather for food and drink
to celebrate the life of our dear Aunt Helen!

13 Cousins ... We were only missing 4
Amazing!

Because Aunt Helen was just a couple years older than my father, they were quite close.  She would call my father in times of trial and he would be there for her.  Family ... for better or worse.  My father's family was very close-knit.  As cousins, we remembered Christmas's at Grandmother and Alida's home ... we remembered the hand-made gifts given to us and how special we felt.  Togetherness was important ... no grandeur just old fashioned love!  The family was not rich in monetary terms but we were rich in togetherness.  I miss that.  I miss having my family gather at my home to celebrate the holidays and birthdays.  It's good to remember ... a precious gift!!





Jim M and Nancy T

 My cousins, Nancy and Jim, were very instrumental in my life for many different reasons and my interaction with them helped make me who I am today.  For a period of time, Helen was a single mother and they were at my mother and father's home quite often.  They both shared with me the love they had for my parents.  I was a little sad because Nancy shared a part of my mother that I never was able to.  I had a choice though ... I chose to be grateful that Nancy had that close relationship with my mother and that Jim had that special relationship with my father.



Clinton W...deep in thought...wonder what he
was thinking?!

Guess who was at the celebration service?  Clinton Wheeler ... the son of my grandmother's sister Clara.  Clinton gave me my first haircut as a baby!!  He remembered that too!  Another gift of a special someone in my life!!  It is Clinton's family who donated the Knut Torguson log home to the historical society.  Thank you Clint!!



Cousin Phil R ... Same age as me!






I was the last to leave the gathering ... it was so tough to say good-bye to those that I wondered if I would ever see again.  Camera in hand, I took many photos and know that I will be gazing at them many times in the days, months, and years to come!





Carla, Paula, Chris

The night before the Celebration Service, Roger, Nancy P and I were invited to Waters Edge in Starbuck, MN for supper.  Hey folks...Walleye to die for!!  I had the opportunity to visit and get to know Nancy T's three children ... Paula, Chris, and Carla.  Oh goodness, we had so much fun.  They are such a blessing to their mom, Nancy T, and I absolutely loved their spirit.  Carla is a singer and I was hoping that Torgy's (by the lake) would have live music so she could have strutted her stuff...  Maybe I will venture to Wisconsin to continue our relationship that was seeded!



Cousin Karolyn L ... What a gal!!

 I wish I had room to post all the photos I took yesterday ... I must admit, my family is one good lookin' bunch!  We came together with a common purpose ... to honor my Aunt Helen.  Yet, I think there was another urgency ... a time for us to reconnect and reminisce about our growing up years.  There was no pretense ... just a common love for one another.  If I heard "Do you remember when..." once, I heard it a hundred times.  I never got tired of listening to the stories ... we weren't a goodie two shoes family ... we all had our ups and downs ... shadows of darkness ... and showers of light!  We were REAL with one another!  Yea!!!




Cousin Gary R, Sis in Law Nancy P,
Brother Roger P, Niece Toni

I left the gathering feeling full of love and a sense of knowing exactly where I came from and where I needed to go in life.  To live life to the fullest means seizing the moment ... treading on waters whether they be still or wavy.  I am excited about life and each moment that unfolds.  Oh, I can plan but, really, I just never know where that next smile is going to come from.  God has a plan for me and I know that He has my best interests at heart.  With each trial and pruning, I have come forth a better person.  There's no time for grudges, feeling sorry for myself ... there's a whole beautiful world out there all for the taking!!

Before heading for the farm, I had to stop at the Heritage Society and take a photo of my grandmother's wedding dress.  How beautiful it was ... a perfect dress for the matriarch of a pretty awesome family!!  Her dress is the one on the left in the photo.  Isn't it amazing that I have so much heritage here ripe for the picking!!  I've prayed so often that I would know where I came from ... the Internet is wonderful BUT being here and actually touching and seeing is worth a million bucks!!

This trip has been so good for me ... it has opened a whole new world of friendships and knowledge.  Yes, you can go home ... no, things aren't the same ... yes, history and the legacies we leave to remain for generations to come.  I am fortunate ... I come from a long lineage of Christian trail blazers!!

Remembering Aunt Helen ...



Happy Days ...
 Aunt Helen & Uncle Erv





Aunt Helen, Brother Roger, Me!










Family is important ... we must tell our children and grandchildren what we stand for ...  I declare this LEAVE A LEGACY DAY!!  Through my blogs my family knows me ... the REAL me.  They will know where I've been, how I've grown and how very much I love them!!  Life is not giving in or giving up ... it's about dusting off our knees when we fall and getting up ... again and again!  It's about spending time with the Lord and having a solid foundation ... it's about giving more than you take and looking up rather than down ... it's about standing tall and speaking truth ... it's about allowing each person the freedom to live their own life even when we know they're going in the wrong direction (that's a tough one!) ... it's about being REAL and allowing the world to see us as imperfect and struggling when we would just as soon hide.  Stand in the light my readers ... stand in the light...


   

My brother's family:  Erik K, Toni K, Roger P, Nancy P, Trisha P, Justin P
who have welcomed me "home" and given me lots of hospitality & love!

I end my blog saying so long to My Aunt Helen ... dust to dust ... Yet, I know we will meet again in Heaven.  Rest in peace!!