The Cycle of Life
The last couple of blog entries I've made have dealt with the loss of a generation, when my great aunt died, and being single and alone, essentially the loss of having a partner. In the second blog entry, being single and alone had a greater impact on my life when suddenly I had to reveal that my father had passed away. In a way, he had become a partner for me. Someone to talk to about things going on in my life, because he cared. He often gave me a lot of advice I didn't listen to. Mainly because he didn't understand my life and a lot of his advice didn't apply. It's funny that in the last few days, I keep hearing him telling me things that he would repeat over and over while he was alive. "What is that dial set on on the stove. Don't turn it up past 2"...... "Pari Ann, when you go job hunting, don't wear sexy clothes!" LOL, I was picking out clothes for the showing and then the funeral and I kept hearing that in my head. So I made sure I wore something I KNEW he would approve of. But then my kids didn't. "Mama, you look like an old woman in that!!" I couldn't win. The space of generations is a lot wider than I thought it was.
I'm going to miss my dad, a lot. I keep thinking of things I want to ask him about but he's not here anymore. We have spent a lot of time at that funeral home over the years starting when I was 6 years old and Pappy George passed away. (My grandfathers father.) Other family members have passed on over the years, including 2 of my sons. My second son, we actually had flown from Hermitage Tennessee just so he could have his funeral there, and be buried in the same cemetery as my Eden family. Granny's funeral was there as well. And always my dad was there. I could go to him and talk to him about what I was feeling, or ask who the visitors were. Today (Monday, the day of the funeral), I looked around and even though my dad was in the room with me, I couldn't ask him anything. I was at a loss on some of the people who came to see him one last time. I never realized how much I depended on him for the smallest of things when it came to our family. At the cemetery, my brother tried to get my attention, but I was talking to my ex-husband about whether or not he was going to join us at the house for dinner. By the time I got to my brother, it was too late for what he wanted me for. Apparently some family was at the funeral, and they were saying that they wanted to see me. They said, "I really want to see Pari Ann, but it's been so many years, I wouldn't know who she is." I guess I'm wondering why they didn't just ask which one of us was me, and I wish I knew who they were. They had left by the time I was told they were looking for me. I know that the next time I run into them, it will be another funeral. Maybe even my own. Because if there is one thing I've learned, death can be sudden and unexpected. And it comes to all of us, whether our family is ready for it or not.
I want to share two things with everyone here, a copy of the obiturary, and the Eulogy that my stepsister recited at the funeral. The eulogy was great, it captured the basics of how we saw my dad through our own child eyes. It brought laughter out of the guests at the funeral service and it's exactly what my dad would have wanted. As you read it, try to create an image for each short story, and the more outrageous you imagine it, the closest you will come to how it was. Laughter was big in our house growing up and it was still there all the way up until the last time we spent with him. That would have been Sunday, August 3rd, when my children and I had a cookout for him at his house. We spent about 8 hours with him, and it was a great fun day. I know he appreciated the company, and he had us in stitches most of the time. I'm glad he got to see my children, his grandkids, and their children, his great grandkids, one last time before he was taken from us so suddenly.
| Wilson C. Eden | ||
 April 15, 1943 - Aug. 7, 2008FRANKTON — Wilson C. Eden, 65, Frankton, died unexpectedly Aug. 7, 2008, at his residence. He was born April 15, 1943, in Hartsville, Trousdale County, Tenn., the son of Claudie N. Eden and Bessie (Stafford) Eden, and resided in the Frankton area all of his lifetime. Wilson was an alumnus of the Frankton High School graduating class of 1961. He served with the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1966 and was honorably discharged as a Private First Class. He retired from Guide Lamp, formerly of Anderson, in 1999 after 30 years of employment. He was a member of Alexandria Eagles 1771. Wilson was a lover of the outdoors and his farm. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting and vintage cars. He received peace and serenity in the simple act of watching his cows in their pasture. Survivors include four daughters, Pari Ann Bell of Anderson, Lora (Jon) Cain and Leisa Eden, all of Alexandria, and Kelinda (Stewart) Andrews of Lavergne, Tenn.; four sons, Terry Eden of Anderson, David Eden of Melbourne, Fla., Robert Parks of Fort Wayne, and Christopher (Angelic) Eden of Alexandria; sister, Hazel (Perry) Jarvis of Elwood; brother, Gary (Laurie) Eden of Elwood; 22 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father in 1986, and his mother in 2003. Services will take place at 10 a.m. Monday at Noffze Funeral Home, 501 N. Harrison St., Alexandria, with the Rev. Herb Richardson officiating. Burial will be in Park View Cemetery in Alexandria. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5782 will furnish military honors at the graveside. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association through the funeral home. |
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We are going to use a few words to describe our Dad.
1 DAD IS ALWAYS RIGHT (99.9% of the time he really was). If you didn’t know something you could ask Dad.
2 Dad could build and repair ANYTHING (sometimes that involved cussing).
3 DAD COULD FIX YOU! I remember when we were remodeling the house and I was barefoot (after being told to wear shoes) and I ran a screw in my foot and the first person I screamed for was Dad. That was the only person I would trust to operate on me in the front yard. (I was 25.)
4 Dad loved the holidays. I will never forget how excited he always got when it was Christmas morning. Mom and Dad would go to sleep about 2am, and we would get them up about 6am, and he never once complained.
5 Dad being particular about his cooking, and YOUR cooking if it was for him. But very thankful for what you did for him.
6 Dad being fun and spontaneous. We could be out gathering firewood all day and he’d say get ready we are going out to eat, or going to the fair/camping/on vacation.
7 Dad being watchful. He would watch the weather and if it started getting bad, we’d load up the truck and head to granny’s and camp out in the basement.
8 Dad was tough and manly. He didn’t like to show weakness but in his heart he’s a softy. He loves many and loves them deeply.
9 Dad being funny. Even when he was in the hospital for his heart, flirting with the nurses. He’s quick with something funny to say. I would take a movie to Dad to watch, just so I could hear him laugh.
We came up with some fitting stories to share.
When I came home from Massachusetts, the recliner was pushed clear up against the wall. I asked why, and Mom said to go pull it out. The chair had caught on fire while dad was welding. It had broken and he thought he could weld it back together to fix it.
Nathan told of when Cody tried on Grandaddy’s dentures.
Once when Jon had seen Dad’s dog, Romeo after being groomed, Jon asked Dad why his dog had ribbons in his hair. Dad said ‘he’s a queer dog’.
Dad came over for supper and Blake had taken a shower. The towel he came out in had a hole in it and his butt cheek was showing, and Dad just laughed.
I remember the time Dad gave mouth to mouth to a piglet, and it lived, but of course that was after he had already given it to David.
We all remember him throwing his dirty socks at us, which we swear could have walked to the washer themselves, and the boys always chasing each other with them.
Kelinda put a cigarette load in Dad’s cigarette and it exploded in front of company. It caught him off guard, and embarrassed him.
When we went camping at Miami Campground, and Dad found out we were going up to this old graveyard. Dad had some people who work there go up in sheets and chain saws to scare us. We didn’t find out for years that it was Dad that put them up to it, we just thought there were some scary people there.
Dad had a fishing pole in the living room and someone took the hook Kelinda who was in the bedroom. Dad reeled her into the living room and when she asked him what he wanted, he told her to change the channel on the tv. While the remote control was laying right there next to him. Old habits were hard to break.
On the 4th of July one year, Dad had a big box of fireworks in his lap and was smoking. The hot ashes dropped into the box and caught the whole box on fire.
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Always remember these times,
Always remember these times, they are truly to cherish. Thanks for sharing, it sounds like more families these days could take a lesson in family unity from these.
Reminds me a lot of my
Reminds me a lot of my daddy..I sure do miss him.
Like stars across the sky … . E per avvincere ….. Tu dovrai vincere ...
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