Heaven's Gate Bridge forty-seven

Heaven’s Gate Forty-seven

The whole area was soon beginning it’s process to return to normal. Six other people died in that storm on that day. Two were old neighbors who were readied for burial by their older children. The other four were from the ages of two years to thirty two. They were so young but still victims of the winds, lightning or rain of the storm. Their relatives lived in the other side of the county and came as soon as called. The whole community wept and then decided to have a single ceremony for the six together.

Seventy-six years old Reverend Marcus Farnsworth knew each victim. The younger ones, he had personally baptized. His heart was heavy as he prepared a sermon for what he knew would be an emotional day. The relatives knew that he would be a comfort to their thoughts and spirits. They had lived as one and now be eulogized as one.

The church was a small wooden building that was surrounded by lovely trees. It had lost some of one side of the roof by the winds of the storm. Most of the outside area was cluttered by limbs and some older fallen trees. The trail to the church had to be cleared by some men who used powerful horses to pull the biggest trees to the side the day before. Slowly the wagons with the coffins came to the church as the morning sun began to climb in the sky. Those who were not injured, walked beside or behind their respective departed relative. The men pulled the coffins out of the wagons and into the church. It had been inspected and determined that no other part would come down. Five coffins were carried to the front.

Inside the packed church, there were some small sobs being heard. But when the Reverend came in from the outside the whole church became silent. Reverend Farnsworth’s slow steps were the only sounds heard on the floor. The air was cool even though there were many people attending. As he reached the altar area and turned around, a ray of sunlight came through the hole. A couple of doves flew overhead and sat on the edge of the roof and then flew away. There was a sigh from a member in the congregation.

“ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believeth in me shall not die.” he began. “Today we are bidding farewell to six persons who lost their lives in the storm that we had a couple of days ago. I can truly say that I will miss each and everyone. They were family, friends and very good people. Above all they followed God’s will, ‘to love Him.’ They also treated others as they would want others to treat them. Sometimes better. “

The sermon was very solemn. Tears began to flow as each deceased person’s name was mentioned and praised. The hardest tears was from Edward Hopper whose wife and two year old daughter died. The child was placed in her baptismal dress in his wife’s arms in one coffin. He had been in the area for ten years, which made him like a newcomer but his friends still tried to comfort him as much as they would the others.

The service ended with the sounds of sobs and noses being blown. People walked arm in arm out to the wagons that waited for the final trip to each family’s respective cemetery. Edward Hopper was offered a place with Edith and Irene’s family since he was a distant relative on their father’s side. He accepted their offer and walked out with the group. Penny came out with her mother and looked around at the people and land. It seemed like the tales she had heard of her mother’s former home and now would never forget it.

When the families reached their destination, they had a person who was a deacon of the church, help read more verses. The family members said a few private words and then as a group they sang a hymn. The day was beginning to become a little more warm. As each person stood still, the sounds of nature began to emerge and float through the air. At the cemetery for Edith’s mother the group looked to Irene who had done most of the work of taking care of her mother. Each person went up to her and gave her a hug and whispered something in her ear.

When it was Edith’s turn she felt a little weak at her knees. The soil was still a little muddy and she trudged to her sister and whispered, “ Mother is now with father and the Lord. But she had a wonderful daughter, who was an angel to take care of her here. I’m sorry I didn’t know what you went through. “

Irene stood silently as she accepted Edith’s words. She looked at the grave being filled with dirt and closed her eyes tightly. “Thank you.” she barely whispered. She turned and saw her husband nodding. “Thank you.” he added. Then they both clasped hands and stepped back. More dirt covered the coffin. As each shovel-full of dirt was added all of the sounds of this day was added to their memories.

The family went into Irene’s house where neighbors had brought dishes of food for the family. Edward tried to ask to return to his home but Wallace said that he did belong with them. He also offered to go with some of the other family members to Edward’s house to continue fixing things and whatever Edward needed. Edward accepted on the condition that later he would help them with their work in the fields.

Edith and Penny stayed until the end of the week. She talked a lot about what needed to be done with all of her family. Penny was put to work with her cousins and learned some cooking and sewing that made her feel more of a family member. She was impressed with how strong her boy cousins were. They could run fast. They could lift heavy things. They also do work outdoors that she had never seen before. The only thing that she knew the boys in her neighborhood could do better was read, write and spell. The boys she would see again in about four to five days, were different to say the least but friends that she had grown up with. Penny asked to go berry picking with her cousins and her mother finally decided to let her go. The eldest cousin, Bobby Lee said that he would make sure that no bears, bobcats or snakes would bother her.
As the group of seven cousins left with something to carry the berries back in, Edith made sure that Penny would listen to her cousins and not wander off. Little did she know that berries was not the only thing that the children would find.