We gave my Granny, Flo Johnson, a proper send-off last night.  Her funeral service was held in Ramsey, Indiana at the Swarens Funeral Home under the caring, watchful eye of one Norman Swarens and crew.  God Bless them.  They are like family to us.

We celebrated Granny’s life last night.  Rev. Jeff Reed did a great job sharing words of truth, compassion, hope, and comfort.  My Dad sang “Sentimental Journey” to open the celebration and closed it as we all joined in to sing “Amazing Grace”.  I got up and had a few speaks myself.

If you are not familiar with the lyrics of the song “Sentimental Journey”, words include reference to 7 o’clock…which was the time of of Granny’s service and there is mention of a train ride in the song.  As we sang that very song a train came rumbling through Ramsey as if right on cue…horn blowing and the whole works.  Understand the funeral home sits less than 100 yards south of a set of East-West rail tracks.  The whole scene was most wonderful.

Folks showed up last night that we had not seen in a while.  It was good to see them all.

The day before the funeral, I thought it was best if I called one of Dad’s old football players from Brownstown…Barry Hall.  On less than 24 hours notice, Barry and his wife Tammy were there.  Thank you, Barry Hall.

My friend brother Tim “Roll Tide” Petty was there with his folks James and Janet Petty from Decatur, Alabama.  They were visiting for Thanksgiving.  They are wonderful folks.  Tim’s wife Michelle was there and so were her folks, Mike and Alice Combs.

I can’t sit here and mention all that were in attendance.  I would bound to leave someone out.  Know we appreciate your love and care and concern.

The joy that exists from a group with faith in a loving God and the redemption offered by his son Jesus is palpable in times like these.  We have been held up by and with prayer and faith and love that none of us can truly comprehend.  We can, however, say “Thank You.”

I told a few stories about my Granny last night.  I also told everyone thanks for sharing my Granny.  I then rattled off the list of places and peoples that had also shared time with my Granny:

Germany, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Italy, France, Bermuda, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and most of the United State including Hawaii and Alaska.

Let me also give special thanks to my friend Dan Goins.  Danners loved Granny.  She loved Danners.  Dan didn’t show up to the funeral home with a customary pot of flowers.  Dan showed up with a football.  He called it the game ball for Granny.  On one panel of the football Dan had written in two-tone marker two words…two words that Granny was famous for when it came to her watching a football game.  When her team was on defense and a guy for the other team was running with the ball she yelled two words:

“GET HIM!”

One day she was explaining how it doesn’t always work out.  Said she:  “Sometime they get him…and sometimes they don’t get him…and sometimes he runs out of bounds.”

And like what happened with Granny Saturday, sometimes the clock just runs out.  And the rest of us are left to carry on.  Thanks to her, we can do so with so much more clarity than we could have without having her around so long.  We have indeed been blessed.

I Love You Granny.  And I miss you so much.

Speaking the rights.

Danny Johnson