This is the hymn they had for Aunt Joan’s funeral mass today, I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say (1846).
There were only six of us. One of my cousins and his wife came all the way down from Connecticut. And one of Aunt Joan’s long-time co-workers stopped in at the viewing. But if you live to be over 90, as Joan did, most of the people you’ve known and loved have already died.
I would like to tell you a little story about her, as a memorial.
She and her twin sister, Aunt Florence: little girls who shared a bedroom, rainy day, what to do? Well, they had one of those old-fashioned beds with an iron frame and bars at the foot. These bars looked like the bars on a jail cell! So the girls decided to play Robin Hood. One of them would be Maid Marian, in the Sheriff of Nottingham’s prison, and the other would be Robin Hood, and rescue her.
So Maid Marian gripped the bars and poked her head through, to cry, “Help! Help!” That was fine, as far as it went. But she couldn’t pull her head back in! And Grandpa had to come upstairs with all his tools and take the bed apart…
The twins are back together now.
From the stories you’ve told, your aunts lived full lives with lots of adventures and memories. She is in the safest place possible, at this point.
What a perfect hymn for Aunt Joan! And the thought of twin sisters in heaven and back together again is about as heartwarming as anything I can think of.
My cousin had Aunt Florence’s ashes buried with Joan.
Perfect! When my dad passed, I had his ashes buried with my baby sister.
Great funeral hymn – sure to bring emotions to the surface. So glad all went well for the family – and thanks for the cute Aunt Joan story. Maybe you could write a fantasy based on Joan and her twins journeys.
What a beautiful hymn for the funeral