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It was the most inspiring and uplifting funeral I have ever
conducted or been to. Bob, my friend for over forty years, was
well-known for his love for animals, children and lost souls. Many
of those who turned out for the memorial service were blessed by
God's gift of Bob to the church. But it was his love for animals,
recounted by those eulogizing him, that amused us and made our
sorrow easier. In fact, it is the only funeral service I can
remember where the mourners laughed.
Bob, the animal lover, kept all kinds of interesting creatures on
his property in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Among them were goats.
One day his goats got loose, and one of them, with an unusual taste,
was found eating the siding off a neighbor's house.
He also kept an emu--a large, flightless bird that resembles an
ostrich. A woman in the neighborhood, driving past his house one
day, was startled to see this bird standing in the road. She
managed to drive around it, but the bird challenged her to a race.
As she picked up speed, the bird ran alongside of her. It finally
pealed off as she left the neighborhood.
These stories brought much laughter and tender memories from all of
us. But the thing that capped it all off was the grave-side
service. Bob, having served in the Coast Guard in his youth, was
given a military honor guard. Three Army riflemen and a bugler
stood off from the grave while two Coast Guard NCOs stood at the
head and foot of the flag-draped casket.
After committing Bob's body to the ground, I paused before giving
the benediction for the rendering of military honors. The riflemen
fired their three-round salute and the bugler played taps. The
honor guard removed the flag, and as they folded it, we had a
fly-over.
No, it wasn't the Navy or Air Force. It was a flight of geese,
loudly honking! I thought, How appropriate. Yes, animal creation
is also remembering Bob. And I know what they're saying. They're
saying, "If you love Bob, honk!"
We sorrow not as others who have no hope.
In Memory of Robert E. Drennan, Jr.
Asleep in Jesus
February 15, 2005
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