It’s always difficult to attend a funeral, visitation or Celebration of Life of a loved one, but, it just sometimes has to be done.
You hate to hear of people’s losses, especially as we get older ourselves.
I attended my first Celebration of Life on Sunday after our first-cousin, Jerry Riffell, passed away 10 days before.
The American Legion in Ansonia was where the Celebration was held and a lot of family and friends were there to take part in the event.
It was so nice to see everyone. I was glad to see the relatives on the Riffell side of the family who attended. My mother, the late Beatrice Moody, was a Riffell and was Jerry’s aunt. He was the oldest son of her brother, the late Russell Riffell.
In addition to my brother, Ron, and sisters, Bev and Brenda and myself and Jamie, other cousins in attendance included Jerry’s brother, Rick Riffell; his sister, Sharon Maloy; cousins Evelyn (Riffell) Sebring and brother Dennis Riffell; and another cousin, Annette (Riffell) Miller of Miami County.
Talking to each of them brought back so many good memories.
We haven’t seen Rick and Sharon in ages, and boy, was it good to get to do that Sunday. There is nothing better than catching up on each other’s lives, even if a funeral is involved.
Jerry is sure going to be missed by not only our family, but his immediate family and many, many friends.
I remember when he had rheumatic fever as a child and had to miss so much school in Greenville. I don’t know if that caused a lot of his health issues, but he fought a hard battle most of his life, it seems.
Rest in peace, Jerry. You will be missed.
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On a lighter note, my father, the late Lee Jr. Moody, would have wanted me to once again let readers know that three of his four children were all born on the same day a year apart. He was so proud of that.
In fact, that day is coming up real soon. Saturday, to be exact. Yes, Ron, myself and Bev were born on May 6 in three consecutive years, but I’m not divulging the information on the latter.
I thought I read in Grit Magazine one time that the odds of that happening are three million to one. Dad…and mom…made history. In our eyes, you’d say.
Then, Brenda who came along in 1957 in Nov. 4 on our Grandma’s Shook’s birthday, got married to her husband, Dan Norton, on May 6, 1978.
So, May 6 was a significant day for Dad. No wonder he was so proud of his achievement.
He was also foreman up at New Idea on May 6, and when he was raising and trading horses, one of the colts was born on May 6. His favorite teacher in school at Greenville was Dwight Salzman, now deceased, and, guess what? He was born on May 6. I remember the Salzman relays were held in Greenville just about every year on or around his birthday.
I know some of you readers have seen and heard this before, but I’m sure my father is loving the fact that I’m continuing sharing this news despite him being gone.
He was one special fellow and he married one special lady…in my eyes.
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Nevin “Nub” Hiestand, David Abney, Alexa H. Walker, Lois Braund and Warren Johnson.
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Please pray for these people: Albert Duncan, Tommy Farmer, Margaret Hoening, Manual Macias, Lester Beisner, Kermit Foureman, Chuck “C.W.” Cruze, Mark Lovejoy, Pat McCarthy, Connie Buemi Hodson, John Riegle, Michelle Grottle Wright, Cheryl Slonaker Gilmore, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Marie Schlechty, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, Bev Brumbaugh, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Abby Heck, Linda Lore, Ralph Byrd, Beverly McCabe Baker, Doug Winger, Rusty Maloy, Debbie Mayse, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Jeanie Francis, Noah Back, Mary Moran, Harvey Hinshaw, Bruce Kaiser, Angie Brown, Nikole Baldridge, Amanda Mote, Tom Moody, Gary Francis, Anthony and Theresa Grillot, Lee Everhart, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Tracy Pratt, Kinley Bernard, D’Arleen Waymire, Tish Hodson Shepherd, Zach Urbancic.
Also, Sharon Gamster, John Rimmer, Joan Keen, Carol Hemmerich, Sharon Hummel, Dave Hinshaw, Larry P. Fitzwater, Jim Thomas, Neal Gray, Michael Mowery, Kenny Edwards, Judie Hathaway, Della Burch, Ned and Brenda Wallace, Rick Marker, Randy Garrison, Steve Waymire, Warren Menchhofer, Gary Knick, Karen Hecht, Jannie Barrow, Kathy Gragorace, Danny Foster, Noella Combs, Clay Sheffer, Becky Everhart, Marie Rieman, Becky Oliver, Jayden Martin, Stefani Priest, Steve Neff, James Enicks, Joann Freeman, Cathy Collins Peters, Donna Bixler, Vanna Hannam, Linda Subler, Roger McEowen, Sally Burnett Ganger, Gloria Hodge, Jeff Baltes, Judy Hoffman and daughter Shelly, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all of those who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
May 2 to Ruth Peters, Shawn McGuire, Marge Norse, Linda Smith, Carol Weaver, and Cody Spencer.
May 3 to Karen Waymire Link, Carole Schafer and Larry Duncan.
May 4 to Ashley Moody Gilpin, Brittany Reed, Shelly Haber, Carleen Beisner, Krista Goodwin Waymire,
May 5 to Cindy Pike, Kelly Moody, Anita Best, Tom Beane, Pat williams, Tami Moody Thobe, Jeff Slyder, Gene Maher, Ron Bailey, Carolyn Ganger,
May 6 to Steve Clevenger, Denny Parsons, Robin Spencer, Boo Herron, Deb Rohwer, Sherry Heck Klingshirn, Leah Hiestand, Phillip Rismiller, Marie Rhoades Carity, Gary McCans, Kristy Louk, Sharre Grubbs, and my brother Ron Moody, sister Bev Brumbaugh and myself.
May 7 to Cameron Thwaits, Debbie Grillot, Connie Stollar, Diane Hill, Holly Best, Annette billenstein, Heather Curtis, John Strosnider,
May 8 to Kevin Sanders, Matt Cooley, Eli Hathway, Macy Kress, Tammy Cline, Hayley Maher, Billie Hale Platfoot,Jean Unger and Annette Denman.
I guess I inadvertently omitted April 28 birthdays last week in my column. So, here they are: John Chrisman, Tasha Mikesell and Darin Whittington.
Happy anniversary to Roger and Lesley Fourman on May 2; Dan and Brenda Norton and Rick and Mary Elliott, all on May 6; and Jo and Chuck Langenkamp on May 8.
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Think about it: “A best friend is someone you can do something with, or nothing at all, and still have a good time.”–Author Unknown
