Strange things at funerals

[tazdev3225]

After reading another thread I started thinking about the funerals I have had to attend and wondered if I am the only one who has strange things, or funny, happen to them at a funeral. I was 8 when my grandfather died. At his viewing his hands moved. He was Catholic and his hands were together clutching his rosary. While I stood there looking at him his hands moved apart. My Gram did confirm what I saw so at least I wasn't seeing things.
When I was much older my favorite great-aunt died. As the pastor talked about how she was such a nice person and wouldn't it be great if she could come back, she frowned. I thought I was seeing things until I heard most of my family say they saw the same thing. Of course this aunt had a great sense of humor. As we were in the procession heading to the cemetary my grandmother was talking about Thanksgiving the next day. As the procession headed one way we went another and headed for the nearest phone (before cell phones in the dark ages). My mom had special ordered a fresh turkey and forgot to pick it up. The store closed in 20 minutes and we were at least an hour away. We had to get my DH to go get the turkey. We beat the funeral procession to the cemetary. We all left with a big smile because we knew she was having a good laugh.

 

[Geoff_M]

A former co-worker of mine was a pall bearer at this grandmother's funeral and when they were moving the casket into position at the cemetery he managed to slip and fall into the freshly dug grave. He had a history of truly bizarre stuff like that happening to him.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We had a very nontraditional (but wonderfully home-y) service when my grandfather passed away. He was cremated and we all went together to bury him in the small country cemetery by his house. We all were taking turns digging. He was a rock hound and mom had brought some gems to intersperse with the soil around him, etc. Very much "him".

Well we made it about 3 scoops down and the shovel broke. It was hysterical. He was a big joker and we swore it was him getting the last laugh. The neighbor had to go find another shovel so we could finish.

 

[lemondog]

a former co-worker of mine was a pall bearer at this grandmother's funeral and when they were moving the casket into position at the cemetery he managed to slip and fall into the freshly dug grave. He had a history of truly bizarre stuff like that happening to him.

omg!!!

 

[ms.yt]

I was at a visitation a couple of weeks ago for my half-sister's aunt. I remember her always talking about how they were big about taking pictures of the deceased at every funeral, so I wasn't really surprised when one of the family started snapping pictures. However, she started complaining that she couldn't get a good shot, so one of the deceased's sisters offered to prop her up. Somebody started talking to her, so she got distracted before it could happen, thank goodness. A few minutes later, though, she came back and suggested that all the sisters and her should gather around the coffin for a group picture! She asked a woman I was talking to if she would take the picture, but then she said that I was a good photographer so I should do it! Again, though, I was saved by someone who came up and started hugging one of them. I made sure I said my goodbyes and left before I had to end up taking one of the most bizarre group photos of my life!

And, of course, there is the story where I had to have my half-brother's daughter escorted out of my dad's visitation by the police, but I won't go into that here.

 

[dawson5]

oh boy. When my father in law passed, we had to drive in (3hrs) for the funeral and we stayed with my mother in law. My husband went out that night, after the showing, with his brothers to get some things at the store for the next day. When he came home, the boys and I were already in bed. He somehow dropped the keys to the car, they fell under the bed. Next day we're getting ready to go for the services and I can't find my keys. To make matters worse, I was responsible for driving my mother in law,hubby had gone earlier with his brothers. We find the keys, get the kids loaded into the car and head there. Already running late and then we get caught by a train. I made my mother in law late (at least 20 minutes) for her husband's funeral. My husband still doesn't let me live this down, even though it wasn't entirely my fault. She on the other hand, just giggles about it, doesn't mind and knew what was going on. We searched that house looking for the keys everywhere.

I guess it doesn't qualify for strange but definitely not something that happens every day.

 

[teacups]

A former co-worker of mine was a pall bearer at this grandmother's funeral and when they were moving the casket into position at the cemetery he managed to slip and fall into the freshly dug grave. He had a history of truly bizarre stuff like that happening to him.

Gotta be a winner!

 

[monkey68]

Not funny, but freaky. At a friends funeral, at the cemetery, it was a calm, clear day. No wind, no clouds to speak of. Well, the rabbi was saying the prayers, and as soon as it finished, a huge gust of wind came out, and I swear it started from the ground in the middle of all of us, and circled around us for a bit, and then went up and away. It was the freakiest thing. Everyone felt it too, we were all looking at each other.

At my grandfather's funeral, it was a very small service. He was buried on New Years Day, and he was buried the day after he passed, so getting people on such short notice on a holiday is very difficult. But my sort of cousin came with her husband and 2 kids since they didn't have anyone to watch them. The kids didn't go to the actual service, they waited outside with the husband because they were only 1 and 4 at the time. Well, after the service, we're walking into the lobby where the husband was sitting with the kids (it was winter, too cold to sit outside the whole time), and the 4 year old screams at the top of her lungs when she sees her mom, "Mommy!!! Izzy made a huge poopie! You need to wash her hiney!" Everyone starts laughing hysterically, how could you not?

 

[goofyernmost]

When my grandmother died in 1963 the viewing was in her home. The casket was in the living room (ironic) in front of a window. There is nothing more exhausting then having a vigil in one's home. Tradition dictates that someone needed to be awake and present 24 hours a day for the duration. This one was long because my aunt had to get to upper NY state from Kansas. She wouldn't fly so she took a train.

During one of those long nights of vigil one of the family feel asleep and while asleep managed to pull out all her eye lashes on one eye. When she awoke she recalled that she had been dreaming about a one teated cow. I can't remember a group of people laughing as hard as they did.

The next day, another relative that had the reputation for showing up at all wakes and eating the vast majority of the food that was present, was a big girl. She sat in one of the easy chairs in the living room and the arms visibly moved out about three inches on either side of her. My mother, who was grieving the loss of her mother, was sitting next to my cousin and I. We started commenting back and forth about how we needed to take cover because that chair was about to explode at any moment. My mother started to laugh out loud but because of the occasion was completely embarrassed so she pretended to be crying and ran into the kitchen where she couldn't stop laughing. Weird, yes...but I think it served as a release valve for the tensions of the moment.

 

[mmccan]

We were at my granny's funeral and my oldest DS was almost 3 at the time. We were at the cemetary and had just finnished the graveside part of the funeral. All of a sudden my son tripped and fell under the casket into the grave. He fell head first and went all the way to the bottom. Of course everyone was frantic, because the way he fell he probably should have landed directly on his head. My husband my my cousins friend reached down and were able to get him out. He ended up with 5 stitches in his forehead. After our trip to the ER we went back to our house where all the relatives were for a lunch. While my DS was eating he looks up and tells us out of the blue "I was playing hide and seek with grandpa and I slipped and fell. But it is alright because Granny caught me" Everyone in the room got chills. My cousin said that she saw him fall and as he went down, he almost did a flip in mid air and landed on his mostly on his shoulder instead of his head. A funny thing about the ER visit. We told the PA what had happened and that he had fell into a grave. The PA asked us about how far did he fall? My husband looked up at him and said "about 6 feet" We all got a laugh out of that when the PA replied, "I guess that would be about right"

 

[Pakey]

When my grandmother died, she had requested that the pallbearers be her oldest male grandchild from each of her children (large Italian family here). I had one male cousin who was not the oldest male in his family so he could not be a pallbearer and was very upset because he said he loved our grandmother more than all of the other kids (I have 43 first cousins on this side--it's a pretty good sized family).

Anyway, between the church service and the graveside service, my husband and I were in the car procession behind this same cousin who had thrown a fit about not being a pallbearer. We see him drive out of the procession and into a Taco Bell drive thru.

He and his wife showed up at the graveside service with Taco Bell. They stood there and ate their tacos while holding the super sized sodas. I found it bizarre that this was the same guy throwing a fit two days before because he could not be a pallbearer.

 

[tazdev3225]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with good funeral stories. When my Gram died my cousin felt that she waas the only one entitled to grieve. She actually had to be physically removed from the kneeler to let other people pay their respects. Before I got to the funeral home she threw herself at the casket almost causiong the lid to fall on her and she actually jarred it far enough off of the stand that the funeral director stayed next to it for the next 3 hours. When it came time for the final good bye my dad told her to move it or lose it. This was his mother and he was fed up with her behavior. Funerals do bring out some strange reactions in people.

 

[doxdogy]

Years ago in grade school a classmates older sister had passed away. Since this was a Catholic school, the entire class attended the mass. On our way back to class, the wind started blowing and the sky turned dark. It was almost like twilight outside. Scared the living stew out a bunch of fifth graders.

 

[dislal]

My nephew passed away three years ago. When we where at the gravesite it was a beautiful clear day with absolutly no rain in the forecast, it was the most bizarre rain I ever felt just tiny little drops almost like someone crying and it only lasted for about two minutes but everyone felt it.

 

[Claudia1]

This is strange in a different way.

One of DH's co-workers died and the guy's mistress planned the funeral. His wife and kids showed up with their church friends in the church bus. One of them stood at the head of the casket and the other one stood at the foot, both greeting people as if the other did not exist. These were very nice, respectable ladies and not Jerry Springer-types at all.

He worked out of town and lived with his mistress while he was away for work, then went home to his wife and children.

When he died, he was with his mistress. She was the one who called his wife.

None of us knew what to say or who to speak with first!

 

[Disney Doll]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with good funeral stories. When my Gram died my cousin felt that she waas the only one entitled to grieve. She actually had to be physically removed from the kneeler to let other people pay their respects. Before I got to the funeral home she threw herself at the casket almost causiong the lid to fall on her and she actually jarred it far enough off of the stand that the funeral director stayed next to it for the next 3 hours. When it came time for the final good bye my dad told her to move it or lose it. This was his mother and he was fed up with her behavior. Funerals do bring out some strange reactions in people.

I have always felt that the people who display the most "dramatic" reactions are the ones that feel the most guilt.

 

[Disney Doll]

At the cemetery for my DMIL's burial, all of a sudden a gust of wind came and really shook the casket (it was kind of a windy, rainy day). Well, her brother yells out "Holy S---, she's coming back!". I was sitting next to him & it struck me so funny that I started to laugh. So I put my face in my hands and pretended I was crying...

All I could think was that everyone would be like "Nice DIL, laughing at her MIL's burial...typical" when really I liked my DMIL and we got along fine and I was sad that she had passed.

 

[lemondog]

We see him drive out of the procession and into a Taco Bell drive thru.

He and his wife showed up at the graveside service with Taco Bell. They stood there and ate their tacos while holding the super sized sodas. I found it bizarre that this was the same guy throwing a fit two days before because he could not be a pallbearer.

Are you serious? Wow, that just seems totally inappropriate!!!

 

[NCRedding]

My uncle died a couple of years ago. He was cremated, and was to be placed in his church's columbarium. The family took his box with ashes to the house, then my nephew was to carry them to the church for placement with all the extended family there. As we got to the columbarium, the minister looked around and said "where is my Bob". Turns out my cousin left the ashes in the car, and had to leave the service to run get them. After we looked at each other, we all laughed until we cried. My uncle would have loved it!

At my MIL's funeral, one of DH's cousins came and brought his 2 year old son. Apparently, DH's cousin wasn't used to paying attention to this child (his wife didn't come with him) because he let this child run wild. I had to crawl behind the casket at the visitation, because the little brat had crawled back there and wouldn't come out; he was shaking it so I was afraid it would fall off. Then at the family lunch after the service, he knocked over an older lady, knocked a dish off the table, and was loudly banging on the piano. I got him straightened out, only to turn around to see him put his head thru a banister in the fellowship hall and get stuck. Finally something registered with the dad, who was desparate to get him out. He was pulling on the bars, demanding someone call 911. Since I'd seen him get in, I was able to get his head turned to get him out. The next time I saw him was at another cousin's wedding, where he almost knocked over the cake.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

This is strange in a different way.

One of DH's co-workers died and the guy's mistress planned the funeral. His wife and kids showed up with their church friends in the church bus. One of them stood at the head of the casket and the other one stood at the foot, both greeting people as if the other did not exist. These were very nice, respectable ladies and not Jerry Springer-types at all.

He worked out of town and lived with his mistress while he was away for work, then went home to his wife and children.

When he died, he was with his mistress. She was the one who called his wife.

None of us knew what to say or who to speak with first!

OMG! Now that is crazy!