An amazing memorial service

Today was the much-awaited memorial service for Tony and Margaret Dale Barrand, who died last January/February. It was held under a very large tent on the grounds of the Guilford Community Church, and the reception following was held under another tent next to that one. Ellen was very much involved in the preparation of food for the reception. It was a lot of work for her! I would say that everything happened beautifully, though there was behind the scenes scrambling in the food department. The service itself, planned by the children and Pastor Eliza, was perfect. It was long - two hours long - but that was expected. It was full of music, remembrsnces, readings, testimonies, crying and laughing. Both Tony and Margaret Dale were amply remembered. They used several recordings of Tony and Margaret Dale themselves, singing. Others sang live, of course. The Guilford Church Choir, augmented by friends, sang four anthems. Keith Murphey and Becky Tracy, who lived across the street from Tony and Margaret Dale for twenty years, played and sang. Andy Davis played and sang, Three little grandchildren sang a song their grandmother had taught them. It was just wonderful and very moving. There was an excellent sound system, the day was warm but not too hot, and the reception ended up having more food and drink than was needed, but that is better than not enough. Robin Davis, who was Ellen's co-chairman, so to speak, got very ill the day before and was not able to do anything Friday or come today. She had to go to the ER twice! But others stepped up to take her place, and it went off smoothly as far as the public was concerned. Ellen had some anxious moments, stayed up later baking last night than she intended, and is pretty exhausted today, but she is happy with the result. I ran one errand to buy some frozen lemonade at the last minute this morning. Mostly, I just took care of myself and tried to keep upright! I had a stool which I sat on the entire service - three hours, including rehearsal. That was hard on my back! But it worked. Unfortunately, I got few pictures. I particuarly regret not getting a picture of the full tables at the reception. I was juggling my food and it would have been awkward using an iPhone to take photos too. Oh well. My overall feeling is that it was a kind of miracle that so many people worked together so well to make possible such a perfect event! We are part of an amazing community! Here are some pictures I did get:

Ellen lugging drink dispensers from Robin's house yesterday

Gathering equipment and cookies at the church last evening

The huge tent used for the service today

The pulpit and flowers under the tent today - as people were gathering

Looking back under the tent from where I was sitting on my stool before the service started***************************** Here are a couple of screen shots from the video:

The pulpit set-up.

Andy Davis singing a song, A Man for All the Seasons, that he had written for Tony