9/18/08

Uncle Louis - Memory Eternal


Uncle Louis is the one on the left, as a youngster

As my sister said, it seemed like he would live forever. Yesterday we lost our great uncle, Louis, 86 years young, one of my dear Grandma Helen’s brothers. It still seems a bit unbelievable to me, as deaths so often do at first. Louis was a lifelong bachelor, full of stories and tall tales, big dreams and clever inventions. We spent a lot of time with him, since he came down often from North Dakota to spend a few months every year with our grandma. Much of our time was spent around the kitchen table playing cards, snacking on donuts and drinking percolator coffee while Grandma and Louis (and their brother Frank) beat us most of the time. My earliest memories of Louis are from my pre-school days, when we would visit him, his brother Steve, and their father, our Great Grandpa John, at their bachelor pad in rural NoDak. Louis liked to sing and play the guitar and reminisce about old girlfriends from his soldier days in WW II. More thoughts and emotions are filling my mind right now than I can express here. Louis, you will be greatly missed, along with Grandma Helen and Uncle Frank. I pray you are all reunited now, laughing with each other and telling jokes again.

12 comments:

thekreativelife said...

Such a wonderful old photograph! Good memories.

So sorry about your loss . . . I'll be keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers.

Gina said...

Death has a way of jogging memories like nothing I know. I lost my mom a few years ago and it is amazing that each new day will bring a memory about something I had forgotten. Thank you for sharing your memories. I pray that our God will comfort you through this time.

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Sending hugs for you.
Memory Eternal to your Uncle Louis

walter and me said...

I'm so sorry. That's a beautiful photograph..and your heart is full of happy memories to sustain you.
Sending hugs.
D x

Shawna said...

It's wonderful that you have so many great memories and great photos to go with. Sometimes it feels like so much history and good times die with our grandrelatives, but I have to remind myself that we just have to reach out to others to find that all their memories have homes throughout our lives now.

ELK said...

grief ~ and joyful memories ~ entwined

DebD said...

so sorry about your family's loss. Memory Eternal.

Mimi said...

I'm so sorry. May his Memory be Eternal.

Shalet said...

That is a great old photo. Hold your memories close.

heather smith jones said...

You have many beautiful memories of your uncle, treasures.
I'm sure they are reunited, what a peaceful thought. :)

Teri, Doug and Jackson said...

Thanks for the heartfelt post about uncle Louis - what a neat picture...not sure if I've ever seen it. I've been thinking lately about how he loved to hear me sing "Bobby McGee" - I sing it in the car and remember how he would smile and tell me he liked my version better than "the real thing..." He definitely will be missed but cherished forever in our hearts and memories.

Meadowlark Days said...

Thank you so much for your comments, everyone. It means a lot to me.