A small town funeral service provides food for the soul
A few weeks ago, I sat in a pew in the balcony of a Lutheran church in Scandia, Kansas, to celebrate the life of the father of one of my close friends.
Looking around the interior of the church, observing its walls and ceiling, I was reminded of my own small town church. The similarities were many. Built more than a century ago, the sanctuary featured white walls and rich, dark wood pews and window trim. A half dozen or so large stained glass windows lined the walls. I marveled at the foresight, craftsmanship and dedication the church’s founders had to build a church in this small town.
The small town of Scandinavia was founded in 1868 by the Scandinavian Agricultural Society of Chicago, along the bank of the Republican River in north central Kansas. The community was renamed Scandia in 1876.
I suppose the church was built around that time, and since has hosted countless marriages, funerals, baptisms and showers. Did the early townspeople ever believe it would thrive all these years later? I wondered how the building had changed through the years. Air conditioning and ceiling fans had been added. The minister spoke into a microphone, his voice booming throughout the sanctuary. Music for the service had been pre-recorded, and piped through a modern sound system.
At the end of the service, a parishioner stepped into the bell tower and pulled the rope several times to ring the bell. It was a fitting end to a very nice service for a good man who had worked in concert with the land for all of his 80 years of life, and dedicated that life to his community and his family.
Outside, family members and friends spoke quietly with each other, lending words of encouragement and support.
For the duration of the celebration of this gentleman’s life, I was at peace… at peace for my friend and his family members, all of whom were surrounded by friends and loved ones.
There could have been a nagging feeling that I should have been in the field. Soybean and corn planting were in full steam, and clouds of dust dotted the horizon outside of Scandia with farmers in the field. Not for one second, however, did I regret taking the time to attend this funeral. I suppose I attended as much for my own soul as I did to support my good friend.
Lasting impression
When I was a child, I overheard a neighboring farmer say something to my father that made me think. He said that if his family member were to perish while the family was harvesting wheat, they wouldn’t hold the funeral until after harvest was complete.
While I don’t remember the context of the conversation, which occurred during a roadside stop between two farmer friends, I remember the impression it left on me: initially, one of admiration for the dedicated producer, but later in life, one of sadness for that farmer.
Take time, friends. Time for family, and for friends. There is but once chance to pay your respects.
Bill Spiegel can be reached at 785-587-7796 or [email protected].
