And the answers are...

Jim's funeral was Saturday and, as funerals go, it was very nice. The officiant was an old friend of his and his brother and nephew stood up and told a few stories. However, as the stories were being told, there were more than one time where Big A and I exchanged glances and the thought "Where were you these past few years?" ran through my mind.

The questions I posed in the last entry never got any answers:

• The video montage of photos showed him and his daughter at earlier occasions such as her wedding and the birth of one of his granddaughters but nothing more recent than 8 years ago when she was born. I thought maybe things would change and she could remedy any hard feelings as the process of the cleaning out of the house happens but I have a feeling she won't be doing that. Her cousin is scheduled to move in. I'm assuming that might be temporarily. They seemed concerned at the funeral about the small fortune in cars Jim might have in his driveway and barn-like garage and leaving the house unattended. I guess having a frail 68 year old living there didn't cause them any concern for those same belongings.
  

• His brother that lives in the same city looks like a younger one and seemed, from the outside, physically capable of helping his brother.
  

• I never did quite catch Jim's 'loving companion' in person but I did see a lot of blonde hair in the front row, opposite the aisle from where his daughter and her family were sitting. Her daughter got up and read a letter written by the companion's granddaughter that contained 'grandfather' references and how he came over on Sunday mornings to drink coffee on the porch. Maybe Jim was just a private person and preferred to go visit rather than have visitors. I can understand that. I would prefer to leave when I want to rather than having to host longer than I want to because people don't know when to leave.

After the funeral, everyone gathered outside. About 25 members of the Corvette club that Jim had founded had driven their Corvettes to the funeral and had them lined up, ready for the drive to the ceremony. There were old ones, souped up ones, new ones, all colors. It was impressive to see. At a signal that was given, they all started their engines at the same time. It was the coolest and most touching tribute I've ever seen (I now want to join a Corvette club so they can do something similar when I die!).

We didn't join the procession to the cemetery. Instead, we walked to the opposite end of the parking lot and, now that everyone was in line, watched them drive by. I wish I had a camera.

Last night I emailed his daughter and shared with her my Jim stories - the generous gift certificate and the time he came out to help me shovel while wearing a mustard yellow knitted winter hat that had 'Hooker' knitted in red and how I was afraid to ask a guy that once had a Hooters front license plate what his hat was about. For the record, Hooker makes auto parts and Jim was a mechanic so it makes sense now. After hearing the stories of him from longtime friends and family, I wonder if he wore that just to see my expression. I have to get myself one of those hats before next winter.