A Funeral To Die For

I suppose before I begin with his funeral I should introduce you to Burnell. 

I first met Burnell and his mother Blanche while working in Customer Service at Quality Market.  Delta folklore has it that Burnell's father was in a bar when he announced that the next woman to walk through the door would become his wife.  Blanche was the next woman to walk through the door.  She was quite a bit younger than her spouse.  He was deceased by the time I became acquainted with the Ferry's.  Blanche and Burnell were both small in stature.  Blanche was very petite and she always wore a coat! They were limited in their financial resources as well as in their intellectual capabilities. Thus cleanliness was not of the utmost importance.  However they were not limited with their smiles and happy nature.  Whenever I think of them I always picture them happy and smiling.  Burnell hauled garbage to the dump for people (including the store).  Blanche was always in the truck with Burnell.  You never saw one without the other until Blanche passed away and then Burnell found him a dog that traveled with him.  Another Delta folklore has it that one day Burnell turned the corner too fast and Blanche fell out.  He hit the brakes, backed up, picked her up, put her back in the truck and away they went.

When Burnell passed away I invited Scotts Aunt June to attend the service with me.  It was a very small service held at the local mortuary.  The service was not so much about Burnell as it was about a community coming together to help the less fortunate.  Burnell would haul  garbage to the dump for Quality Market and in return he and Blanche were allowed to shop for all their needs.  Burnell would charge gas at the local Co-Op.  He was proud of the fact that he only charged gas, never any goodies.  He did not quite comprehend the need to pay for the gas and the Co-Op never sent him a bill. Burnell owned an old truck.  He thought it needed a new engine and most likely it did!  Delta Auto ordered a new engine and Burnell would come in monthly to make a small payment.  A ghost payment also arrived monthly and within the year the new engine was paid off. 

I left the service feeling uplifted about the anonymous kindness of others.  I was  grateful I attended, grateful to have known Blanche and Burnell and grateful for the community I live in.  Yes, it was a funeral service to die for so to speak!