Mom's ashes were placed in a crypt at Tahoma National Cemetery on October 7, where she rejoined her husband of sixty-three years. Their deaths arrived nearly fifteen years apart, and I know mom would say her final day did not come a moment too soon.
Mom didn't like the idea of living to be 100 years old. She got her wish, barely, passing away five hours before the century clock hit midnight. I always joked with friends (though not entirely a joke) that in her latter years mom looked to be 170 years old... but if you closed your eyes and listened, you would swear you were talking with a thirty-five year old.
That's mom's voice at age 89. The flow of the clips seem a tad jagged, but there is a reason and will address that seemingly glaring audio-editing glitch below.
Mom planned and arranged her funeral, making it abundantly clear to family that her service was to be small and quick. No dallying around. My sister, Jan, placed mom's ashes in the crypt with dad's while a few close family members and friends served as witness.
To celebrate mom's life and death, per her wish we had lunch together. Well, before going further I should disclose that more than a few times mom told Barb that she wanted the family to cheer her death. No kidding. Mom's desire became a double-secret, whispered pact between the two of them (I once overheard them talking). Mom's wish was a surprise to those attending lunch. But Barb, who considered mom to be her mother as mom thought of Barb as her daughter, dutifully created that cheer and rang it out for all.
In 2008, 2010, and 2018, Barb and I visited mom with intent to record aspects of her life. Fearing my presence would have an effect on what mom said (plus, I selfishly wanted to be surprised), I set up the recording gear and left Barb and mom alone to talk. The recordings were stored - for what became a decade. The first time I heard them was two weeks after she died. To say the least, it was quite a moving experience.
After recovering from laughing, pondering and feeling sad, decided to edit her stories and advice into three versions. The short version (above) was played during the lunch so family and friends could hear mom's voice once again, plus it gave them a faint idea of what they were about to receive. The shortest version is intentionally sparse so the context of the clips heard didn't give away mom's plot. Every family in attendance received their copy of June, mom, Au-Mama, or Cookie's full recording, which includes stories of family history and more. That version is intended solely for close family and friends, running 65 minutes long. If you fit the description, shoot me an email and I'll figure out a way to get a copy to you.
The version below is what I decided to call the June Essentials. It has mom's views and advice about faith, marriage, relationships, legacies, and also includes her "parting words". The playbill below the recording lists the subjects covered and their location within the recording.
By the way, look near the bottom of the playbill to see the "cover photo" selected for the recording. It portrays the essence of mom and dad's personalities. Ya think?
I hope you enjoy hearing my mom's voice, and her stories.