Elsie

Today my godson/nephew, David, lost his grandmother, Elsie, to do "rejoicing and rosemaling with the angels."  Even though his parents divorced, I still considered his mother, Peggy, to be another "sister."  And her mother was a "second" mother to our family.   We got to know the Berg family quite well when they had a summer home across the street from our home on Pickerel (now Little Mirror) Lake.  With three boisterous boys (Bill, Randy & John) and a daughter (Peggy) that was the youngest of the family, plus their cousins Bev and Bevin (shared the summer home) we all got into a lot of fun and sometimes trouble.  Elsie remained calm and rarely did I hear her yell at the kids.  Maybe she thought, "What's the use? Tomorrow they will turn around and do the same thing!"  

Elsie and Palmer bought "The Red House" as their summer home.  The fun continued, even though now we had to drive to their place.  Then that home became their retirement home and they became members of our family's church.  Since I was living in other states for much of the past years, and my brother and Peggy were divorced,  my visits home sometimes coincided with a church service and I would see Elsie there.

Last Christmas, I went home for a week and spent it with my mother.  Mom and Elsie were both widows now.  Mom and I happened to make a delivery (of something church-related) to Elsie and she welcomed us with coffee and cake with ice cream.  We all had a nice visit!  Spontaneous visits are sometimes the best.
She talked about moving to Peggy's after the holidays.  I could sense her resignation of that new step in her life's journey.  She, as always, was not one to complain.

I grieve today, because we will miss Elsie who was another of God's precious beings that have gone to eternal life!  God be with her family!