I moved through the week very carefully - three memorial services in seven days. I attended all three. One was held in Alexandria, the other two in St. Paul. Of the three women, one I knew very well, one I knew as a member of this organization, and the third woman I knew not at all. I sang for her memorial service. But I came to know each one better this past week. And each one left a legacy as individual and significant as her life.
Laura Menard was a generous and steady benefactor of the Minnesota Senior Federation for more than 15 years. To read a separate tribute to Laura Menard click here. She left a legacy of philanthropic giving that set the standard for her peers.
I traveled to Alexandria to say my final good-byes to the grandmother of my two boys. Her legacy is a treasure trove of memories, laughs and a fearless embrace of life that the rest of us may attempt to emulate but never match. I’m particularly grateful that she considered her grandsons with significant gifts to their education funds. Erik and Jeff are well on their way to lives of giving back to their communities thanks to all the gifts she gave them, especially the gift of herself.
I listened carefully to the tributes paid to Elizabeth in the third service. I wanted to get to know her better. After all, I felt I’d been invited to be a part of an intimate family gathering. Elizabeth was revered by her children as a loving and thoughtful mother. But her family remembered and gave tribute to her dedicated enterprise of making sure that the things she cared about were taken care of. Elizabeth made sure the music program in that church had adequate support for its work each year.
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