Apollo 50th

Today the United States and probably most of the World’s population is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo landing on the Moon. As I mentioned 10 years ago on this blog, I know exactly where I was on July 20, 1969. Last week, I went on a search for my Boy Scout Jamboree photo taken during that week in 1969. I found it and here it is below. I’m in the front row.

Yesterday (July 19, 2019), Mary Ellyn and I visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the Apollo 11 anniversary events. Below are a couple of photos from our visit.

Mary Ellyn Remembers Her Mom

My mother-in-law, Marilyn Winsand, passed away on November 1, 2018. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

Link to Marilyn's Obituary

Marilyn's Memorial Service was held on December 1, 2018 at Troy's Lutheran Church of the Master. My wife Mary Ellyn delivered one of the eulogies for her Mom at the service. Here's Mary Ellyn's eulogy...

I’m Mary Ellyn. It’s hard to choose a single story about my mom because there are so many things! Last spring, I couldn’t figure out what kind of birthday gift to give my mom. So, the last present I gave her was a letter I wrote telling her how she impacted my life. I took her out to lunch at Bonefish Grill and read it to her. That letter is where I found what I wanted to share.

Mom was crafty and that impacted our family greatly. Every summer we had mystery crafts up north on our family vacations. Yes – we all vacationed together for a week for many years. Everyone participated in the mystery craft! The mystery craft happened early in the week and involved a major unveiling as no one had any idea what we would be doing. Mom and Dad had their big supply box with paints, glue, brushes, etc and additional boxes with the crafts. They always made a sample before we arrived up north. Mystery crafts included flower pot lighthouses, lamps, clocks, baskets, thermometers, corner tables, candles, candle holders, baskets, paintings, lip gloss, birdhouses, martinis glasses, coffee mugs, cork trivets, kites, word signs and probably other crafts I’ve forgotten!

One mystery craft in particular stands out for me – the baskets! They were so hard to make. We moaned and groaned as we made them. The first and hopefully last time we made baskets was in 2011. The baskets turned out pretty good. But then in 2015 – the mystery craft was another basket and we almost mutinied the project. Those baskets turned up pretty cool too.

Each summer we used the same large table covering for the mystery crafts. Mom named it in 2015 --- the Jammbellmack which are the first initials of each grandchild. Mom said “Jammbellmack” means ‘one of a kind family painted table cloth’ and then added “It was created during Family week at Paradise Lake, when the clan gathered for good food, good wine, rendezvouses around the fire pit, and camaraderie.” For Christmas 2015 Mom cut the Jammbellmack into 8x10 pieces and framed them for each of us.

We Five were incredibly blessed by our mom as children and as adults. Over the years Mom wrote many books for us. One book in particular is titled “Reflections and Impressions” which she wrote in 1994 and then she wrote a second edition “More Reflections and Impressions” in 1999. I want to read the final paragraph from the 1999 edition. These words of comfort are from the pen of our mom to all of our family. I quote from Mom “My gratification….As I look at my hatchling, my progeny, my brood I feel overwhelmed with tremendous pride. You are all more than I had ever hoped for or expected to be blessed with. You are the convictions, the hopes and the waves of the future. We are all tied together through blood and love, we know to enjoy a glass of choice wine, cruise on a luxury liner, bounce around in a blow-up raft, cook on a Coleman, dine in style, play a game of euchre, eat brown rice, look for Petoskey stones on the shores of Lake Michigan, and have lots of conversation anytime, anywhere.

Everything is not perfect, but close. My fullness and blessings are overflowing and my complaints insignificant and trivial. You are like works of art in progress – with each stroke of life you get better and the small imperfections self correct or are unimportant in our transitory existence. I treasure every moment we share, even the wild and crazy ones.”

Mom died on November 1st -- All Saints Day! My devotion that day included a reading from Luke 23 which is when Jesus is on the cross between the two thieves: “Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Just as Mom treasured every moment with each one of us I treasure the moment when I stood with Bill, Amy, Bobby, Nancy and Dad as Mom took her last breath and entered paradise at 7:09pm. She has given us a lifetime of memories and love that can’t be measured! I look forward to the day when I too will be in paradise with Jesus and I will see Mom again!

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: