A Few Thoughts

By Ed Baranosky

  (Wednesday, Nov.15, 2022)

         Family and friends were sitting in pews in St. Jude’s church in Monroe. A flag draped coffin was in the center aisle in front of the altar. The priest had just concluded the funeral mass for Ed Baranosky. He addressed the people saying “Ed’s daughter would like to say a few words about her father.”

        Susan went to the lectern and adjusted the microphone. Daubing her eyes with a tissue she took a few moments to compose herself. In the angry voice of her mother’s Scottish heritage she said “If my dad wasn’t such a stubborn old man he wouldn’t be in that damn box waiting for his ass to be burned to a crisp. A few gasps mingled with a bit of laughter filtered through the assembled mourners.

        She turned to the priest and said “sorry for the language Father. The priest nodded and smiled. Susan went on. “He should have been at home today making scrambled eggs, home fries and bacon. He called Wednesday his ‘egg day.’”

        In September his children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses and great-grand children celebrated dad’s 94th birthday.

         His eyes teared up on Veteran’s day last Saturday when his great-granddaughters told him “thank you for your service Papa.”

         I checked on him Monday morning on my way to work. He told me he was going to make a fire in the fireplace because of the cold snap that came in overnight.

         I said “Dad the chimney hasn’t been cleaned. Please wait until it’s cleaned.”

          I left for work.

         At noon I got a call from my sister Sandy. When she went to check on Dad she found him by the wood pile. Apparently he was chopping wood with an old axe and when Dad lifted the axe over his head the axe came off the handle and struck him in the head.

         He was our Dad and we loved him dearly. He was one of a kind they don’t make any  more. We will miss him.

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