First, if you do not have a sense of humor even at a funeral then you need to not read this post. I am not trying to be irreverent or anything but something happened to me today (Monday) that I just have to tell you about. I was asked by a family in the church if I would conduct a funeral for their uncle, a man who died suddenly even though he had been suffering from a heart condition for 11 years. He refused to go to any doctor (he had a fear of them. Go see them and you die. Go to a hospital and you die.) Anyway, I met with some family on Sunday afternoon and got a pretty good picture of him since I did not know him. He was a jokester…big time. He loved to laugh and tease and play jokes on people. I wish I had met Dennis. I think he and I would have gotten along really well. Anyway, the funeral service went well. The family was well-pleased. We made our way to the cemetery and we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. After my committal service, the VFW folded the flag, did the gun salute and then played Taps. Well, almost. Like many today they have a recording. I thought it sounded like a recording but after about the second or third “stanza” it suddenly went dead. Just sort of died like it coughed and sputtered and and ran down like a battery. Up until that point the wife and family were having a tough time with their emotions (polite way of saying they were crying really hard) when all of a sudden this TAPS recording quits. Then one of the family busts out a hoot and they all begin laughing like all get-out. Soon the crowd has joined them. ‘Course they make comments like: “Well, just like dad (or Dennis). He wasn’t about to let us go away from here moping.” Forget for one moment the theological implications of all of this and just allow yourself to be me. Honestly, I could not keep myself from laughing. It was absolutely one of the wildest moments at a funeral I have ever had and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I was still chuckling with the family as we were leaving. To make it even more ironic for me: I looked over and there was a VFW man with a horn in his hand. The recording was in the horn. When it quit I thought it was just a recording that went bad. This guy was actually acting like he was playing the horn! To make me laugh even more? When it quit he was heard to say, “Its dead. It’s done.” I am still here chuckling 4 hours later as I write this.
They say Murphy’s Law is alive and well. I saw it today. So, tell me if you have had any strange funeral experiences that put things into perspective for you. AND BE CAREFUL OF THOSE TAPS RECORDINGS!
I am still trying to figure out if it costs more to have a guy come that can actually play TAPS or if the family was duped.
Think about the implications this has. Our lives are becoming like Hollywood sets… looks like the real thing but take a walk around and you will see that there is no substance.
This was an entertaining anecdote, especially considering the gentleman's personality. I hope the family is comforted during this time.
That's hilarious! I wasn't at all of the graveside service for a friend of ours who was being buried.. heard about it later and for some time.. Apparently they were talking about how ill she had been and about the friends in her life who had helped her in her last months especially. Someone mentioned my dad and I by name. A family member of hers who did not know us asked about where we were so she could thank us. A very dear friend of ours said, "Well, you're standing on him. It was Camey's decision to put him here. That's how we're all here now. I'm not sure where she is. She's always helping someone who's lost figure out how to get home."
Bill…for seven years I served as a pastor in the Washington, DC, area. I had the privilege of officiating at funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery and Quantico National Cemetery, among others.
I’ll never forget a service at Quantico. Those wet behind the ears young Marines were at their first funeral service. They had finished doing their 21 gun salute and they stacked their guns in the special way only they do it. However, as they marched over toward the casket, to fold the flag, the guns fell. Only me and the funeral director could see it…and both of us kept our presence about us.
Well, they folded the flag, but they did it wrong! You could still see the red strips! The Sgt. in charge was smooth. He took the flag, presented it to the widow, made his little speech. After the service was over, he came up to the widow again and said, “Ma’am…in recognition of the fine service of your husband, we would like the honor of unfolding your flag and inserting the shell casings from from salute!”
You would have thought he died at the Battle of the Bulge! She was thrilled and honored…
The Sgt. was just making sure the flag was folded the correct way!
Needless to say, I got to see some young Marines chewed up after the service was over!
How many more you want to hear?
That’s a pretty good tribute to your friend’s uncle. It sounds like the family was ok with that happening at his funeral because he was so good natured.
I don’t know if this is funny or not, but, I attended a funeral for a customer/friend of ours a couple of weeks ago and when we drove to the cemetery for the internment, they had neglected to dig the hole. Small oversight.
Steve: I know you all had to be wanting to bust a gut. Or then again maybe you felt sorry for those poor Marines. The Sgt. sure showed some class as well. That was awesome. Thanks for sharing this story and if you ever want to share more, I would love to hear them.
Tony: the family howled over it and was still laughing as they left. I personally think it will be one thing they will laugh about in the future as well. Funny thing is I think i hears it later working well. I thought the old guy had just run out of breath. My wife said he made it look like he was playing it.
Camey; Glad you enjoyed that. So am I understanding that your father was buried at that spot? But more:what a tribute to your heart for a friend to say that about you.
Oh Bill, that's funny. selahV
Yes. She was standing on where his body is buried. Had I not decided to bury him close by instead of the two plus hours away like he had talked about… Marietta would have not been able to come the day we buried him which led to her picking the spot her body was being laid to rest. Oh! Marietta was the last home visit that I mentioned in "The Deal of a Lifetime." Yes, it was very tender… but I realized why it didn't ring as funny also to those of you not in the know… I knew I would have to rescue certain friends if I buried him where he had talked about.. They get lost easily and I'm called like their personal GPS. "Can you get me home Camey?" The very dear friend I quoted is one of them. Tender and funny all at the same time. And I am strange to some like that..
selahV: interesting things happen along the way that definitely bring laughter to the soul. And you gotta laugh!
Well Camey one out of two ain't bad I reckon. I was right about your dad and wrong idea about the "helping lost people find their way home." But at the same time I also know your heart beats that way.