We Sing for Unsung Saints - In Paradisum

My dear Mother passed away on 11/16/2013.

The funeral service was held on 11/23/2013 at Price Funeral Home here in Troy. Mom was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Lansing on 11/27/2013.

I don't think it's truly "hit" me yet that my Mom is no longer here. Maybe the fact that my Dad passed away prior to this has made the grieving process easier.

Mom wasn't famous or wealthy and she was a working Mom who focused all of her attention and love on her two sons. Mom also welcomed into her heart two daughters-in-law and 4 grandchildren.

I've posted two photos below of Mom. The top photo shows Mom at her Michigan Bell Telephone work station in Lansing just prior to her retirement. She worked for Bell Telephone (AT&T) for 45 years! The second photo needs little explanation.

Mom at her Directory Assistance Station

Mom and her 4 Grandchildren

I've also posted below the sermon delivered by our Pastor, Allen D. Lunneberg at Mom's funeral.

Marguerite Alice Lambert
November 13, 1922 – November 16, 2013
Text: Luke 23:43
Date: November 23, 2013

Peace be to you and grace from Him who freed us from our sins.

To the world around us it strikes some as odd for a pastor to officiate at someone’s funeral whom he never knew. But that oddness is only because of the way many think that a funeral is only all about the person who has died. They use the word ‘eulogy’ which simply means ‘good words’ spoken about the departed, memories of his or her life of which, of course, I have none but you have many. And it is a good thing to console one another especially sharing memories of the good times as you hinted at in your mother’s obituary.

Yet there is a wonderful hymn which “remembers” all those Christians whom none of us ever knew:

Richard Lambert Obituary

Richard D. Lambert of Haslett, Michigan, age 89, born January 8, 1920 to George and Esther (Goddard) Lambert at Bristol, Connecticut. He was summoned home on January 6, 2010. Richard was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley; his parents; his sister, Phyllis; his brother, Donald; and his uncle, Henry Lambert. He is survived by sons, David (Mary Ellyn) Lambert of Troy and Richard (Michele) Lambert of East Lansing; step-sons, Marlan (Barbara) Latimer of Haslett and Timothy (Annette) Latimer of Clio. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren and his best friend, Robert Traub. Richard graduated from Charlestown (Massachusetts) High School in 1937 and served in the United States Army during World War II. Richard retired from Michigan State University in 1986. A funeral service will be conducted by Rev. Curt Dalaba at the Greater Lansing First Assembly of God, 2717 West Road, East Lansing, Michigan 48823 on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Richard will be laid to rest at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Waterloo, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Richard's honor to either the Greater Lansing First Assembly of God or the Ingham County Humane Society located at 7095 West Grand River Avenue, Lansing, Michigan 48906. Arrangements by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.

You can leave online condolences by clicking on either of the links below.

Mitchell Funeral Homes website

Lansing State Journal

BSA National Jamboree 1969

Nostalgia strikes. In composing my blog posting last week on the Apollo 11 mission, I was curious to see if there was any historical information on the 1969 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree in Idaho that I attended.

I can still remember a lot about the trip to Idaho and the actual Jamboree. Our troop (representing the Chief Okemos Council) took a train from Lansing, MI to Chicago. We then boarded a special train in Chicago that was just for Scouts who were on their way to the Jamboree in Idaho. The actual Jamboree was a lot of fun at the very scenic Farragut State Park in northern Idaho. What made it extra special was that Neil Armstrong was the first human being to set foot on the Moon during the Jamboree. Due to the limits of technology in 1969, we were not able to watch the Moon landing live at the Jamboree. We saw it 24 hours later by tape.

Unfortunately there's very little information on the Internet about the 1969 Jamboree.

I did find a link to photos of the 1969 Jamboree at... http://usscouts.org/usscouts/history/jambo1969pictures.asp