CHAPTER 4 - CREATING A NEW LIFE IN A NEW YEAR
April Fool's Day
April 1
After much soul searching, we found our new Catholic Church at St Richard of Chichester in Racine, five blocks from our home. I think Dad might have been watching.
St. Richards was also the place where the girls received their First Communions.
Three generations of family women - my Mom, me and Faye at her First Communion.
Manifesting Paradise ~ Book Photos
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Mom held Dad's funeral luncheon at the Manitowoc Eagle's Club. We have some great memories of this place - perch fish fry on Friday nights, playing hide-and-seek in the drapes, and putting on mini-plays in the back room.
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It was also the place where I had my first wine spritzer. Early drinking was acceptable back then, if done with your parents. The day of the funeral, my sisters and I took the opportunity to reminisce about all that and play with the drapes once more.
Sister Cecelia played organ and sang at my dad's funeral. She sat with my family at the funeral luncheon and when we started talking about our lives, it was clear I was no longer attending Mass. It was soon after, that I started the internal dialog on attending church again.
After Father Jack left us for a parish closer to his parents in Milwaukee, I was worried we would not get a priest as wonderful. But we struck gold twice. Father Ron was a great speaker, kind to all, and a role model to all who came in contact with him.
Here Father Ron wears the lei that Jade gave him when we returned on one of our trips back to Racine from the Big Island. We made a point of performing the Hula Our Father for him and he wore the lei all during the Mass.
Sister Cecelia had been an important part of my growing up years, teaching proper singing technique to my class for six years at St. Boniface School. Then when the guitar Mass came along in the 1960's, a smaller group of us sang and played guitar with her for that.
Above - Sister Cecelia in the old habit directing my grade school class in a Christmas concert.
Left - Sister Cecelia in the new habit singing with Nancy, Jeff, Gary, me, and Vicki (kneeling), my best friend.
My Dad was an April Fool Trickster. His death certificate says April 2, but I'm sure it was on April Fools Day. We even had a freak ice storm the week of his funeral - him getting St. Peter to send it, were all sure.
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Father Jack did much to help me find my way. This is Father Jack at Jade and Faye's baptism. My sisters were sponsors.
My Dad's jokes often extended to his choice of clothes. He couldn't really have been serious about this outfit, could he?
He also had a big fake jewel he'd wear in his belly button. And my kids think I'm an embarrassment to them!
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Put pix of Sister Cecelia with my Mom on the day of Dad's funeral HERE.
Put pix of us with the drapes here. Can you lighten it up? Make more contrast?
Through a series of events at his funeral, I re-thought my stand on the church, and after 35 years away, I finally returned.
Pix of ice storm
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