1. Rodney finished building the roof over our patio area. Now we'll see if we can get things moving on getting the patio itself finished.
2. Byrdman swung by at around 4:15 and then we buzzed over to the Trail Motel and picked up Don Knott and the three of us attended Eddie Joe Miller's funeral mass at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Kellogg.
Eddie Joe grew up in a Roman Catholic family. He requested that his funeral be a full mass. Father Jerome Montez officiated with just the right blend of solemnity and good humor. The Mass was, as far as prayers and liturgy, by the book, but other elements reflected Eddie Joe's unique wishes for what he wanted to transpire during the service. For example, the processional was not accompanied by the singing of a church hymn nor by solemn organ music. Rather, the priest, deacon, and Knights of Columbus Honor Guard processed in, bearing Eddie Joe's remains, to "In My Life" by the Beatles. Later, the Mass celebrated communion and while the participants were eating of the bread and drinking of the wine of life, they were accompanied by Fleetwood Mac performing "Landslide". When the service ended, we left the sanctuary while Marty Robbins sang, "A White Sports Coat".
Members of Eddie Joe's family contributed significantly to the service. His nephew Simon read from the Book of Wisdom and led us in a responsorial Psalm. Eddie Joe's sister Teresa read from Paul's second letter to Timothy. (Digression: the passage Teresa read had also been recited in testimony at the 1/6 hearings on Thursday -- I wondered if others in the congregation made that connection.) Eddie Joe's brother, Pete, and his daughter, Monica, both eulogized Eddie Joe with heartfelt tributes. I learned more than I had ever previously known from Monica about what a devoted father Eddie Joe was. She did so through tears and by also telling funny stories. (Sidebar: Don't buy cheap plastic wrap!)
Earlier, Father Montez delivered a homily focused on the joy and happiness Eddie Joe brought to so many people's lives, with particular focus on the togetherness and good times patrons of his bar, Eddie Joe's, experienced.
To conclude, the funeral balanced the formal and the informal. Father Montez set the tone for moving back and forth between being casual and official right from the start. The funeral offered each of us the room to mourn, pray, laugh, reminisce, contemplate, and feel unity with all those gathered.
3. After the service ended (it was a nearly ninety minute ceremony), scores of people packed into the Inland Lounge.
Spirits ran high as friends of Eddie Joe's used to seeing each other as well as visitors from out of town shook hands, called out each other's names (Jake! Donny! Mayo! Byrdman! Billy Boy!) and told each other it was great to see one another. About an hour or so into the reception, family and friends of Eddie Joe presented a slide show that spanned all seventy-one years of Eddie Joe's life -- pictures of Eddie Joe with family, with his daughter, on golf outings, working and relaxing at Lake Coeur D'Alene, posing with softball teammates, enjoying patrons at his bar, and much more.
Those gathered contributed to a generously supplied potluck dinner where we all could choose from plates of wraps, fried chicken, various casseroles, a variety of bean, pasta, and other salads, baked beans, chips, dips and salsa, scalloped potatoes, vegetable plates, cookies and other sweets, and much more.
I paid my own form of tribute to Eddie Joe by drinking a couple of bottles of Miller Lite. I enjoyed seeing so many people enjoying each other, marveled at how many people knew and loved Eddie Joe, and left the party, with Debbie, after about 90 minutes or so.
My hometown lost one of its most beloved and fun-loving citizens, a life long resident, whose passing inspired grief and laughter, great sadness and unforgettable stories.
To me, it was a High Holy Day in Kellogg, Idaho.
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