Goodbyes and Reunions…

Thank you, thank you, to all of you who have prayed for my family during this time in our lives. I really appreciate your kind words of comfort and encouragement and I have felt your prayers. Blessings on you for sharing in our sorrow and rejoicing in our joy that our mom is with our Lord.

There were many times during my mom’s services and burial that the comment was made amongst old friends that it was too bad that it seems the only time we see each other these days is at a funeral. The older we get the stronger this reality.

I want to warn you ahead of time that we had an old world burial and if you get squeamish around caskets and viewings this post probably isn’t for you.

Thursday night viewing at Rose Hills Chapel. Many old friends came to share in our sorrow and rejoice in our hope. My brother Steve gave a message that made me consider God’s hand on the story of my life on this earth.

Friday morning we had a memorial service at my sister’s church in Whittier, California. It was a time of remembering who my mom was and a time of thanking God for who He is in my mom’s life and ours. Brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and great grand children participated in speaking, singing, reciting Psalms 23 and praying. Our nephew Caleb opened the service with greetings and prayer. Our sister Kathy and our BIL Len sang a duet in Russian of a song my mom requested. Our niece Hope and Great nephew Jackson read the 23rd Psalm. Our son Josh and my nephew, David shared memories of their Baba that they gathered from their cousins. Our niece Michelle sang the first verse of “It is well with my soul” (Baba’s request) and the congregation joined in on the rest of the song. Our BIL Len led us all in singing with great enthusiasm. Our brother Leonard shared my mom’s eulogy with tears and laughter in Russian and English. Our family and friends from Bethany Baptist Russian church joined together for an impromptu singing of “Bless Thou the Lord”. My brother Steve gave the short and insightful message challenging us to see heaven as the place where we will see God and our Savior face to face as our reward. My nephews Levi and Joe led us in “Because He Lives” as the finale to our time.

Eight of my mom’s grandsons were the pallbearers.

We gathered around our Pop, Dzeda to comfort him and support him throughout the services.

We met at the graveside and participated in my mom’s burial.

My mom’s daughter’s, granddaughters, great granddaughter, and nieces placed a long stemmed pink rose on her casket before it was lowered into the grave.

In the old world tradition starting with my father and my siblings we all took a clump of earth and threw it in the grave upon the coffin.

We sang in Russian and English while the son’s, grandson’s, nephews and old friends of my mom’s used shovels to fill the grave with dirt.

We find this tradition of participating in the burial to be comforting and honoring and we leave knowing that we did this act in love.

Our son Dan with Dear.

Josh and Laura

My cousins on my father’s side of the family with their spouses.

The newest member of our extended family.

It was now time to head back to the church for our meal together. Friday was a very clear day in Southern California standards at Rose Hills. We could see all the way to Downtown Los Angeles. Rose Hills Memorial Park is the largest cemetery in the United States and is located in Whittier, California.

In my next post I’ll continue with the good times around the tables over our meal enjoying doing a little catch up with friends from our childhood.

It’s good to be home again. We are still trying to get our bodies on our West Coast clock instead of our British clock. I think a nice full week at home will do the trick. We left a very sunny Southern California and arrived to a rainy blustery Northwest. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

In Memory of…

In Memory of Nadia Bagdanov

April 8, 1924 – September 13, 2013

Services:

Viewing: Thursday September 26 beginning at 5:30 pm in the Garden View Chapel at Rose Hills Gate 1
Thursday Night Service: Thursday September 26 at 7pm in the Garden View Chapel at Rose Hills Gate 1
Funeral Service: Friday, September 27 at 10 am. Whittier Area Community Church
Graveside following service at Rose Hills (approximate time: noon)
Reception following Graveside at Whittier Area Community Church (approximate time: 1:00 pm)

These words were penned by Nadia’s granddaughter Melissa:

If I said that facing the impending death of someone as amazing as my grandma was hard, that would be an understatement. It doesn’t matter how much you try to prepare yourself because the truth is, you’re never really ready to face such a great loss…

As I sit here trying to process it all, her life, her death, the amazing gift of even being able to call her my grandma, the reality of having to live the rest of my life on this earth without her, I find myself overwhelmed at God’s love, His goodness and His perfect timing. Many of you who knew Baba know that she was a very strong, very stubborn woman and she demonstrated that until the very end. The doctors gave her less than week to live, but she and her stubbornness proved them wrong and instead, she lived almost 2 months. Because of that, my family was given a very special gift, a long goodbye…the opportunity to spend precious time with her all the while knowing that every goodbye could be our very last…until it finally was.

I know her memory will live on…we’ll be able to hear her critiquing our varenyiki every Christmas from now on (we promise not to make them look like slugs, Baba…we’ll aim for 5+’s now more than ever ), we’ll still be able to hear her snarky remarks during Dzeda’s speeches before family meals, and her telling us to love each other…something she did so well.

Until we see her again, we mourn our great loss but celebrate her GREAT gain. I have no doubt she heard the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful, servant’ when she entered the presence of her Savior this morning. She truly was an incredible example…an example whose footsteps have been etched so deeply in my life and heart. She will forever be one of my greatest role models and inspirations and I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing legacy.
But words cannot even begin to express how much I will miss her…
I love you SO much, Baba

Please leave any comments here and I will be sure to pass them on to my Dad. I am sure he would love to hear words of encouragement or remembrance from you. Mom loved Jesus and was confident in her last days. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She will be missed and her words will encourage us for years to come. The Bagdanov family was blessed by God to have Nadia as our Mom.

I copied this post and information from my brother’s blog. If you live in Southern California feel free to attend my mom’s memorial service. We would be happy to welcome you and see you. I will be away from the computer for the next few days…

Special Delivery…

If we could send letters to heaven here’s one I’d send…

Dear Kathy,

How are things going in heaven? What was it like to see our Savior face to face? While you are basking in His presence we are still down here figuring out life without you, especially Bill and Jeaneen.

I wanted to share that your memorial service was really a great celebration of your contagious joy and love for our Savior. Friends and family testified to the encouragement you gave them in life and how you made them laugh time and time again. Your sister-in-law Donna read tributes from Bill, Jeaneen and several other family members and friends. Bill wrote a beautiful tribute to you called “Going Home” that was printed in the bulletin. Your friend Katie read another tribute. Bill put together a slide show with some of your favorite hymns that showed your life over the years. I was so humbled to have a shot of you and me included in the show. Many of your friends and extended family came to say goodbye including cousins from Whittier and Santa Rosa. Your long time friend Judy came from San Diego and Randy gave the message. After the service there was a nice spread provided by the church and people lingered long to talk. The next part of this day was a little surreal for me…

After your service I drove over to your house for the evening. You know this was my first time ever at your house and it was just weird stepping into your house for the first time without you physically present. Thankfully I could see you in every comfy corner and in all the decorator touches in your home. I went outside to your garden and you know who was laying out there? Yes, you guessed, Soloman. The one you so lovingly called the knucklehead cat! He must sense a bit of your presence out there.

We had some great conversations around your dining room table with – count them…4 Home Economics Majors. I didn’t realize there were so many of us out there and that you had majored in Home Economics, too. Your cousin from Whittier really made us laugh and she also made us blush a few times! So many fun and funny memories were shared. By the way…I have no idea why Bill looked at me when he asked if he should open a 2nd bottle of wine?! :0) It was a long day and I had to call it a night and head back to the hotel. We had one more event in your honor coming on Monday morning.

It was great spending time with Jeaneen and being able to give her hugs and let her express her emotions about losing you. She really misses her big sister.

On Monday morning we got together at Fair Oaks Cemetery for one more goodbye.

Your friends and family were a great support to both Bill and Jeaneen.

We were able to pray together and we sang a song together, too.

This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.
My treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus

Heroes in Heaven…

…”Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 15:54-57

Ray Allen Keesling (September 11, 1931-July 16, 2010)

Uncle Ray was laid to rest on July 23, 2010. We were blessed to be able to travel to California to honor his memory. We had a wonderful time visiting with Aunt Carol and with the extended families.

A Military Honors burial is a moving ceremony. We learned that it depends on your rank how many Honor Guards participate. Since Uncle Ray was a Chief Master Sergeant he was honored with 10 Honor Guards from Beale Air Force Base at his burial.

Heroes in Heaven

by Janet A. Norwood

Heaven’s full of heroes
who sacrificed their lives
in service to our Country
so that Liberty survives.

Uniforms of blue or gray,
khaki or olive green;
skin of every color;
young and old and in between.

They fought in many places-
spanning history and time.
Flags wave in their honor still;
in tribute, church bells chime.

In cornfields of America
or on Europe’s distant shore;
Pacific Island paradise
or Chosin Reservoir.

In blowing desert sands,
or in jungles’ stifling heat,
on Navy ships or in the air,
or Fallujah’s dusty streets.

It doesn’t matter where they fell
or if we know each name.
What matters is to know that
when their Nation called, they came.

Grateful for their service,
for the precious blood they spilled;
for their sacrifice and courage,
and the duty they fulfilled.

Yes, heaven’s full of heroes-
now part of history.
We treasure what they gave to us-
The Gift of Liberty.

I’m adding this post to Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally!

Sophie Wozniuk ~ December 25, 1913-July 9, 2009

What a wonderful celebration of Sophie’s life we had at her funeral on Wednesday. Sophie is my oldest sister Kathy’s MIL. Kathy and her husband Len cared for her for several years right up to her death last Thursday night. Sophie was a spunky hard working lady. She has 3 daughters Lil, Laureen, Ruth and one son, my BIL Len. Len charged us from the beginning of the memorial service that we were going to rejoice with his mom who was finally in heaven. Sophie loved her Savior Jesus Christ. Heaven was her theme and desire for the last 20 years. This last year it became her daily prayer to God, for Him to please take her home.

Len and my sister sang a duet in Russian and English. Len’s sisters Ruth and Laureen, 2 of my sisters Kathy and Lana G, my niece Michelle, and an lifetime friend Diane sang a sextet of Psalm 121 put to music. My father gave a word from Micah. My nieces shared some stories about their Baba. The oldest grandson Phil (Lil’s Son) read her Eulogy. Another Grandson Greg (Laureen’s son) spoke of remembrances of her and read her favorite Psalm 121. My brother Steve spoke and wove a wonderful message about Sophie’s Song using some great old hymns and referencing the songs of women in the Bible.

Len was our choir director at Bethany Baptist Church in L.A. (A Russian Baptist Church) many years ago and we were led in song again by him at the funeral. It was a great reunion of so many of our Russian friends and relatives who have all gone their separate ways. Fun times looking at a face we recognized but forgetting the name attached to it. Wozniuks, Semenchuks, Leonovich, Katkovs, Menns, Bagdanovs, Titovs, Shvetzovs, Kudraves, Kaluzny, Goncharenko, Rudametkin, Kowalski, Wlasiuk, Poulsons, Kuzichev, Moure, Philipchuk and more. We sang at the service, we sang at the graveside and we kept singing at the dinner reception afterwards.

My nieces are trying to sneak a photo of me taking photos but I caught them!

All Sophie’s grandchildren that were at the funeral released a balloon for her…

My niece Michelle with her husband Ryan and their son Jackson. Doesn’t she look so cute pregnant. They are expecting a little baby girl in September. I got my sister Lana G! to pause a moment to get a photo taken with Michelle. The case that this bouquet of flowers are in belonged to Sophie’s husband Tony.

My cousin Jim and his wife my friend Jeaneen and my friend Heidi and her husband Ken. Heidi and I met and became friends at the Russian Baptist church. I met Jeaneen in college and introduced her to my cousin Jim.

Shirley, Bobbi and their mom Nura Menn. Shirley is another one of my buddies from the Baptist church. Her mom Nura is my Aunt Nina’s sister. Phil Semenchuk (Phil’s mom is one of Sophie’s daughters) with his fiance Anna. Milla and Susie. Milla’s father was our aunt Nina’s brother. Milla’s parents were friends with my parents in Iran and remained close when they both immigrated to the U.S.A. Milla’s sister Tamera was at the funeral, too, but I didn’t get a good photo of her. We always called their parents aunt and uncle.

My brothers Steve and Fred with my sister Lana G! This is the very first current photo you’ve seen on my blog of my brother Fred. I was happy to see him at the funeral.

My brother Fred and my cousin Jim with my nieces, nephews and SIL Kelly in the background.

My partner in travel and crime in my early college years…

My cousin Jim, sister Kathy, brother Fred, sister Vera, our Aunt’s niece Milla, ellen b, my sister Lana G!, and my brother Steve.

Kathy, Vera, Fred, Ellen, Lana, and Steve. (Tim and Leonard are the two siblings missing in this photo)

Dear friends through the years…

I have found that people are so loving and attentive at funerals. It’s as if our mortality sinks in for a time and we take care to let each other know that we love them and care for them. It truly was a great time of reunion for me. We ended our time by singing “God be with you till we meet again”

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Funerals