Last night, Tara and I attended the wake of her late great-aunt Edna Eberlin. Edna was a fantastic lady and has a large and loving family, so I expected quite a few people to show up and honor her memory. The turnout was more than expected; it was amazing. It seemed as if the entire population of southern Calhoun (and then some) was in attendance.
As we pulled up to the Brussels gymnasium fifteen minutes before the memorial, there was already a line out the door. Having arrived early (but after the prayer service), we thought perhaps they were waiting to let everyone in. We did not think that the gym could already be full--we were wrong. When we made it into the building nearly twenty minutes later, we were part of a line that snaked back and forth across the width of the basketball court many times over. Hundreds of people were already in attendance to remember Edna and offer their condolences to her family. Flowers covered all available seating on the home side of the gymnasium (yes, you read that correctly), save one lone spot which had been appropriately reserved for the "#1 Raiders Fan," Edna. Being an avid and talented quilter, Edna had crafted scores of quilts for friends and family, many of which were on display on the "away" side of the gym. The programs included many of the loving and well-written Facebook statuses of Edna's family, and the hundreds of pictures set up were a great tribute to her memory.
Altogether, it was an amazing service. After the names from the guest book were tallied, it was estimated that over one-thousand people had attended. One who did not know Edna might be inclined to ask how there could be such an overwhelming show of support for an ordinary lady, but the answer is simple: Edna was no ordinary lady. Her life and legacy, to so many people, exemplify the word extraordinary.
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