Cousins ~ Memories ~ Funerals

 Memories ~

Cousins on my fathers side and my siblings. I’m guessing this was my sister Vera’s birthday since she’s holding a cake. These are my Uncle Alex’s kids and my Aunt Anna’s kids.  Back row: cousins Mike B, Bill L, Nancy B, my sister Kathy, cousins June L. and Jim L. Front row my brother Fred, cousin Vera B, me-Ellen, my sister Vera. My cousin Jim B. is missing from this photo and his sister Katrina wasn’t born yet. And of course my 4 younger siblings weren’t born yet either. The cousins highlighted in blue are deceased, all at a young age and tragically. My Aunt Anna and my father are the only 2 surviving siblings in their family.

This is in the front yard of 4635 Oak Street in Pico Rivera, California sometime in the early 50’s.

I was at a funeral on Friday (no one from the photo above). There have been 2 funerals this week from the Russian community I grew up around and there is one more funeral next week from this same community. We were raised going to all events. Even as young children we’d attend every funeral, wedding, baby shower, etc. Whenever anyone dies we always wonder who #2 and #3 will be. It’s an interesting thing that occurs and it happens more than not. So it was no surprise that at the second funeral we found out someone else had died and some of us will see each other again next week. I’m not trying to be morbid, it’s just part of our experience. Many in this community are not attending the same churches anymore and these occassions bring old friends together who have not seen each other for long stretches of time. My brother, who is a pastor, is called to officiate for many of these funerals. When he officiates we are always blessed with a clear message of Hope in the Gospel and Truth from God’s word.

I wish you could hear these two speaking Farsi a mile a minute!

 

My mom and her good friend who we call Aunt Zena from Iran. As young girls in Iran they secretly had their photo taken together with lipstick on. Boy did my mom get in trouble for that with her parents. I need to dig up that great photo!

Natalie (friend from Russian Baptist Church) and my mom.

Natalie, my mom, my Aunt Anna, and my dad.

Friends from the Molokan Church and Baptist church with my parents.

Many of our community have reached their “twilight years”. We’ve experienced many milestone events with these dear people and now we will see them at their final “gig”. We grieve and yet we rejoice that they’ve finally reached their blessed rest.