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Monday, December 26, 2005

Cousin Larry & Me

I went to the funeral home this afternoon for the visitation for my cousin, Larry, who died last week. I call him “Larry” although his actual name was Frederick Lawrence Miller. Since his dad was also named Fred, he went by “Larry” until after his father’s death. Then he became “Fred.” Of course, he’ll always be Larry to me.

Larry was less than a month older than me. We grew up together, as the photograph below, taken at out grandfather’s—Terrible Nick Temple’s—house one Easter when Larry and I were 3 or 4 years old, indicates. (Larry is on the left—I am on the right).

I suppose that Larry and I were as close as brothers until we went off to college—Larry to Morehead University in Eastern Kentucky and I to the University of Kentucky in Lexington. After that we went our separate ways.

In the last few years we only encountered one another maybe at Christmas and at family funerals. The last time we really talked was at the funeral of Larry’s mother, which I officiated, a few years ago. I remember sitting with Larry, my sister Debbie, and our cousin Glenda. Someone remarked, “We really have to stop getting together only at funerals.”

We all agreed and Larry—I think—said that, since his mother’s death, only my mother remained of the last generation. Then we would be attending the funerals of each other. Then he said, "I wonder which of us will go first?”

Larry’s question has now been answered.

8 comments:

  1. We face our own mortality when kin or friends die that are about our age.

    Did I mention to you that I lived and worked in Lexington from the end of November 1962 until May 1963? ec

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  2. You are so right, mreddie. A line from one of the funeral prayers in the United Church of Christ Book of Worship reads: “We gather here as God’s people, conscious of others who have died
    and of the frailty of our own existence on earth.”

    I arrived at UK in August of 1964. How did you like Lexington?

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  3. I'm 67 now, my mom is 93 and she's the last of that generation.

    I hear you.

    My first visit here I think. I spotted you on Susie's blog (first visit there as well).

    I'm still reading backward through your posts.

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  4. Glad you told me who was who in that picture: you and Larry almost look like twins.

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  5. sorry, again, about your loss. makes us look at life in a new way.

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  6. Granny: Hi, granny! I’m glad you followed the link here from Susie’s blog. I hope you come back.

    I think it is difficult to be the last of a generation. My mother is almost the last: she has one bother still living.

    myotherfellow: Thank you, RezBiz, for dropping by and leaving a comment. I am sorry that you, too, lost a cousin—especially a young cousin.

    azsonofagun: Hey, Rex, I don’t think we looked that much alike! Or, maybe at 3 or 4 years old, we did.

    jay are: Thank you again. I think that line of John Donne’s really says it like it is (if we are willing to hear it):

    any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."

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  7. WELL I HADEN LOOKED AT THIS PIC NICK I MUST SAY YOU BOTH LOOK VERY CUTE AND BY THE WAY WHO'S WHO?

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  8. chica40208: That is Larry on the leftand I am on the right. I think!

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