Tribute to Lenora

I don't have any pictures of her. I've been through all my photos. oh well.

I attended the funeral of a sweet 96 year old woman from our church this morning. Lenora. Single woman all her life. The only people besides her small congregation were a few nephews and nieces with their children and about 5 little old women that used to work with her. Kind of sad. It was a beautiful service and made me grab for a non-existent kleenex every once in a while. I just kept wiping my eyes with my hands. I arrived JUST as the service was starting, so I couldn't sit with my kids as they were blocked in by other folks from my church and Robb was playing the computer (our organ is computerized), so I sat alone.

Lenora is with Jesus now and doesn't have to worry about a thing back on the old earth. She had lived for the last 5 years or so in a nursing home.

She made the BEST kringla I ever had. It melted in your mouth and I so looked forward to any potluck or church get together because I knew she would bring some. Kringla is a type of Norwegian bread cookie. Very soft and not very sweet, but if you warmed it up and spread a little butter on it, it was heaven! I found out later that her secret was to leave the buttermilk sit on the counter at room temperature for one week before making it... I haven't had the guts to try making it that way yet. I do have her recipe which I'll post someday, but I don't know if I'll every try it that way ever.

Every spring, Lenora grew purple pansies from seed and would plant them around the home of another friend from church who is wheelchair bound. That task was taken on by another friend when Lenora broke her hip and ended up in the nursing home.

She attended Bethany Lutheran College in the 30s in Mankato, MN and was very active in the reunions and proud of her association with the college. She used to work nights at a factory nearby and sell Avon when she could. She had a sweet little house in town, one of the bedrooms was a plant nursery. She had the most incredible antique furniture.

I have heard stories about Lenora that just crack me up. She used to play the piano for church. This was before they got their organ. My friend Mike and his brother were in their teens and would keep one eye on Lenora while they sat through the sermon. Lenora wouldn't go sit in the pews during the sermon but would stay on the piano bench and sometimes start nodding off. One time that Mike remembers, she started swaying her head down, back up, a little lower, back up, even lower until once her forehead hit the piano keys with a clang right in the middle of the sermon! Her head jerked up and she stayed wide awake during the rest of the service. Probably a little embarrassed.

Anyway, goodbye to a dear sweet woman. You will be missed. But we'll see you again in Heaven.

Love Val