What a wonderful Funeral us Americans can put on

lollycross · Post by **lollycross** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:12 pm

Hi all,
It was sure a day of wonderful funeral events. It equalled Princess
Di's I think....and she didn't have Gorbochoff.
I'm proud that everyone could love this man so much, just not us
Illinois-born people.
Lolly

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:34 pm

Yeah, I think that I can deal with the attention that a past president receives at this time.

I hope all the federal people enjoyed their special day off on us though. :roll: That is a bit too much for me to bite off.

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:37 pm

I didnn't see the funeral in DC this AM, as I had to work, but I thought the service in California was absolutely wonderful. I watched it on CSPAN so I didn't have to listen to any commentators and thoroughly enjoyed the band and choir performing for about an hour or so before the service. Especially "Precious Lord, Take My Hand", which was the first thing all this week which moved me to tears.

I so feel for Nancy. The poor woman has to be absolutely exhausted.

Beth

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:42 pm

NorCalMusician wrote:Yeah, I think that I can deal with the attention that a past president receives at this time.

I hope all the federal people enjoyed their special day off on us though. :roll: That is a bit too much for me to bite off.

Lemme tell ya, Steven. It was sooooo nice to wake up later than 5:00a.m. this morning. Sleeping in was so nice. Mmmm. And then the big breakfast I had ... oh my ... bacon, eggs, pancakes ... Watching the day unfold ... oh yeah, it was nice ... I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Little John

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:50 pm

I listened to the morning proceedings and watched the evening events. There was one melody during the morning, not one that I know by name, that I want to look up and either learn or adapt. In the evening, when the kids spoke, it felt so very personal. My own eulogy for my grandmother is fresh in my mind and I could easily identify with each and every story. When Nancy began to tear up towards the end of the formal proceedings, so did I.

One cliche is to measure a person's life by the number of people that pay their respects at the funeral. The spontaneous and overwhelming showing by the American people for the public viewings and lining the roads show how many lives were touched.
+ Bill

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:57 pm

BillChin wrote:When Nancy began to tear up towards the end of the formal proceedings, so did I.

I hear you, Bill. I held it together pretty well until they gave Nancy the folded flag. When she laid her head on the casket and cried, I lost it. ... cried my eyes out.

Best,

LJ

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:03 pm

A friend of mine stood in line six and a half hours to walk past the casket. He started in line at 1 AM at the Air and Space Museum.

spittin_in_the_wind · Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:08 pm

My daughter's first grade class apparently got to watch the whole national funeral service, from what I can gather. It is wonderful to me that they took the time to mark this piece of history with children who are only just old enough to understand some of it. I had to work so missed the whole thing, but got to hear about it from my daughter. It's fascinating to share something like this with a child who wasn't even born when he was president, but who is developing a sense of history and proportion.

Poor Nancy. It's hard enough to go through the funeral of a spouse, but for it to go on for a whole week and with such pomp and circumstance must be more than a person can reasonably be expected to bear. May peace be with her.

Robin

jkrazy52 · Post by **jkrazy52** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:11 pm

littlejohngael wrote:
BillChin wrote:When Nancy began to tear up towards the end of the formal proceedings, so did I.
I hear you, Bill. I held it together pretty well until they gave Nancy the folded flag. When she laid her head on the casket and cried, I lost it. ... cried my eyes out.

Best,

LJ

I had to leave the room before I did the same. My heart goes out to Mrs. Reagan -- how horrible to be on display to the world in the midst of heart-breaking sorrow; and how admirably she carried it off. God Bless her & their family.

~Judy

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:00 pm

I thought the funeral was wonderfully well-done. I lost it during Margaret Thatcher's recorded speech, and again when Former Pres. Bush's voice caught as he was recalling an anecdote. And I was so happy they used Rite I...it just seems so much more fitting and dignified for such an occasion.

I didn't see the burial service, because I had thought that was supposed to be a private service for just family and close friends. I didn't realize they were going to televise it.

Redwolf

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:23 pm

Redwolf wrote:And I was so happy they used Rite I...it just seems so much more fitting and dignified for such an occasion.

Yes. Truly the next best thing to the 1928 BCP.

The Sporting Pitchfork · Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:49 am

It was, in all honesty, an extremely dignified, wonderfully executed tribute to Mr. Reagan. Far, far nicer than the sort of funerals people get in places like Nicaragua...or El Salvador.

claudine · Post by **claudine** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:54 am

I haven't seen Mr Reagan's funeral in detail, but the most impressive funeral I have ever seen was the one of Queen Mum. All these uniforms, horses, carriages and fantastic music. When it's about pomp & circumstance, you can't beat a monarchy.

chas · Post by **chas** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:19 am

NorCalMusician wrote:Yeah, I think that I can deal with the attention that a past president receives at this time.

I hope all the federal people enjoyed their special day off on us though. :roll: That is a bit too much for me to bite off.

I'm with LittleJohn. It was great, and I really needed it. BTW, we got a day off for Nixon's funeral, too.

Onager · Post by **Onager** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:08 am

The Sporting Pitchfork wrote:It was, in all honesty, an extremely dignified, wonderfully executed tribute to Mr. Reagan. Far, far nicer than the sort of funerals people get in places like Nicaragua...or El Salvador.

Afghanistan, working-class America...

Probably expensive, too, but we can just tack it onto the deficit.