Cousin Jude's Funeral

Earlier today I came back from Cousin Jude's Funeral which was held at Ebenezer Methodist Church on Shirley Street at 10:30 this morning. The church was so packed with family and friends that when I arrived late with my brother and his wife (he was driving behind schedule) we had to go sit on the second level!

It was nice sitting up there, having a birds eye view and staying out of the direct action, though it did not impede me hearing the sermon, eulogy, dedications and feeling the sorrow of my departed family member.

It was a lovely service, which everyone would agree with. It started out with the Reverend Dr. Gerald Richardson reading a poem that was picked out by Jude's widow Doreen, which she thought summed up Jude.

Here is the poem:

MY SOMEBODY

Here's to somebody, staunch and true,
Who's always around when there's work to do
Who keeps a supply of love and cheer
For all the folks for all the year,
Who knows that a gentle, loving smile
Is the best of tonics for all the wile,
That there's nothing so bad that it can't be worse~
A case of blues is a terrible curse;
So here's to somebody, staunch and true,
Of course you don't know it, but
Somebody's you

C.J.B.

Isn't that lovely?

Later the Eulogy by Bradley Lightbourn was great. It was light hearted and funny. I would like to get myself a copy of it so I can read it again and again...speaking of, I also need to get myself a copy of my father's as well.

FYI: Cousin Jude was born Arther Roland Kemp on January 5th 1934 in Rock Sound Eleuthera, which coincidently is the same place my grandmother was born. When Jude was a boy he called Junior by his family and his older brother Garth used to tease him by calling him Judy. He didn't like that very much so later his name was settled on something more palatable - Jude.