Lizzie Schrock's Funeral

Today was the funeral of 94-year-old Lizzie "Elizabeth" Schrock.  She was the widow of Henry, and the mother of Wesley, who was the principal during some of the later years of my teaching.  Wesley's wife, Jean Ann is my first cousin.  

Lizzie was my dad's cousin and was born just a bit over one month before he was.  Both were born in 1927 in Kansas. 

A curious thing happened with the name of the person whose body we buried today.  Usually "Lizzie" is an abbreviation/nickname for Elizabeth.  In her case, however, Lizzie is the name on her birth certificate.  This apparently was not to her liking, so when she moved from Kansas to Minnesota in mid-life, she became known there as Elizabeth.  After retirement, when she and Henry moved back to Kansas, it was back to being called Lizzie.  Wesley told me this.  

Lizzie and Henry met in Gulfport, Mississippi where both of them had gone to work for Mennonite Central Committee after World War II.  Although I believe that Henry stayed connected with his parental family to some extent, most of us didn't know his relatives.  This was probably partly because he was number 13 in a family of 13 children, with the family having lived in Wisconsin, far away from Kansas.  Henry survived all of his siblings.  

Henry told a story about the time when he was young and listened to a conversation between his father and another man after church. Henry figured out at some point that the other man must be his own brother.  I suppose he heard him say "Dad." This much-older brother was married and gone from home before Henry was born, so it's probably understandable that he hadn't quite perceived their relationship earlier. 

The first song we sang today was "In Thy Holy Place We Bow."  I remember this song as a favorite of Henry's from before they moved to Minnesota in the early 1970s.  He had a resonant tenor singing voice, and I'm guessing he was the one who introduced the song to our congregation.  He had sung with a choir at Bethel College, as I recall, and had more refined music tastes than many of his contemporaries.  He loved Handel's Messiah, for example, and had sung it in his youth.  

Lizzie loved gardening and quilting.  When arthritis kept her from gardening, she had more time for quilting.  At least in later years, she liked putting puzzles together. 

Lizzie was blessed with a clear mind into old age.  Although I'm sure that the realities of aging and declining health were not always easy to accept, she continued to live with gentle grace and poise till the end.

Henry and Lizzie had a vinegar-honey tonic drinking habit. Every day they dissolved a bit of both in water and drank it.  Maybe this contributed to both of them living into their mid-nineties.  Both of them were unfailingly frugal, and simple, homemade remedies fit right in with the way they lived life.

Lizzie's passing leaves Ella Nisly the oldest lady in our church.  My aunt, Emma Troyer, is next oldest.  

I often really miss the many church sisters who have died in the past five years.  Most of them were in the generation ahead of me, but they were my friends nonetheless.  

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Today for the second time in my life I checked in at Planet Fitness, a gym in Hutchinson.  I assume this might seem as hilariously incongruent to you as it does to me.  Let me explain.  

First, it's free to people on Medicare (or perhaps through our supplement plan), through the Silver Sneakers program.  Second, Hiromi scoped out the place ahead of me.  He wanted access to the exercise machines that would help him with his balance problems.  Without my asking him to do so, he identified several lower-back-strengthening machines that I could use while wearing a skirt.  They faced the wall.  He came home with this information and suggested that we go there together soon.  We did so last week.  

Third, in huge letters, signs on one wall said "Judgement-free Zone."  On the opposite wall, the sign said "No Criticism."  That was wonderfully encouraging.  Fourth, it's such a huge place that it really is possible to quietly do your own thing without many others close by.  Fifth, I do rely heavily on Hiromi to lead the way in fitness activities, and I'm game to spend this time with him, even though it's far outside my comfort zone.  Sixth, no one looked at me cross-eyed.  Everyone I encountered was courteous.

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We've had two days of gorgeous weather in Kansas.  Within the span of one week, we went from a low of nearly zero to a high of nearly 80 degrees. It's nearly calm as well.  Perfection.  

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Our cat, whom the granddaughters named Miss Meow, died last week, presumably of old age.  I always thought she was a perfect cat, although we can't claim credit for having chosen her wisely.  She chose us, appearing one day 8?  years ago, soon after we moved here, and she never left.  She was tame from the start.  That is, she was perfect in not being overly clingy, but friendly.  She didn't kill songbirds, but was death on rodents and even wild rabbits.  She lived outdoors, but never caused problems when she succeeded in slipping indoors occasionally.  She had impeccable grooming habits.  She held her own against an impetuous puppy who was always trying to tempt her into running so he could give chase.  A few spitting, hissing sessions, accompanied by some well-aimed swats did the trick.  

Fortunately we still have Hairy or Little Bear, as I sometimes call him.  He's a young, long-haired gray cat that was born at Shane's place.  We got him last summer when we realized that we might lose Miss Meow before long and we hoped she could pass on her wise ways to him.  I think it worked.  Hairy is a good cat too.  Somehow he almost always finds me when I'm watching the sunset and he wants to watch it with me while curled up in my lap.  

A stray cat seems to have taken up residence in one of the outbuildings on this place.  We've caught glimpses of him occasionally, and he was caught in the live trap recently.  Hiromi let him go after we agreed that it's worth a donation of cat food if he helps keep mice and rats out of the garden.