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| Cherry Hill, New Jersey Joe's Grandpop Kowalski passed away, so we got a Zipcar and drove to Cherry Hill for the funeral. I didn't get a chance to get to know him, but it's clear that Joe's got a lot of the old man's qualities. The service was in Polish, but even the Polish-speaking family members said that they couldn't really hear what the priest was saying, the way his voice was distorted by the old church's echoing sound system. The final goodbye was at the cemetery. The Kowalski family and friends paid their respects. I'd never been to a funeral honoring a military man. Young people in full uniform attended, and after lowering the coffin into the winter ground, someone folded the American flag and gave it to Joe's mom. It was moving and beautiful. We all cried. Afterwards, everyone met up at the Adelphia, a big restaurant and function hall, for a luncheon that Joe's dad had arranged. Friends and family told funny, sweet stories about Grandpop Kowalski, made each other laugh, and they toasted his memory a lot. What a fine and noble send-off. I think I'd have liked Grandpop Kowalski quite a lot. Requiescat in pace, sir. |
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| Edward Kowalski, Sr. (c.1940) |
