The Funeral.

Dulcie's Funeral was held at the Great Southern Memorial Park near Mount Cotton and was at 12 noon today.Today was a beautiful sunny day and she would have loved that.She has a large family and so there was a good turnout to send her off. Terry's boys were there and three of Shirley's sons and Danny's sons had come down from Bundaberg. Dulcie has two granddaughters, the lovely Shelly who got married in May and who has now embarked upon a road trip and is currently up in Airlie Beach and  Phoebe, Will's daughter. Shelly couldn't be with us today but was with us in spirit while Deranie and Phoebe had flown up from Sydney.Also there were Dulcie's lovely neighbours. Debra from Blue Care who used to shower her on Fridays came as did Julie who used to cut the grass. Andrew, his mum Con and Ros were there. Anne and Pauline, who work with Will, came.There were lots of people from the Maclean area including Tracy who drove up this morning and relatives of some of Dulcie's siblings including her niece Perces.The Memorial Chapel was practically full by the time we all filed in. One wall was all windows with water constantly streaming down them.Will and I sat found a seat at the front and Phoebe sat between us.Dulcie's simple wooden coffin sat on a raised area at the front with a beautiful arrangement of cream gladioli on the top and a framed copy of the photo I had taken of her.The service started with the song 'Take me home country roads' by John Denver before the celebrant Jake came and stood at the lectern at the front.He read the eulogy that the family had written.He talked of her birth in 1923 in Brooloo, nr Imbil. She was the second youngest of 11 children and was the last of them left.Though she wasn't highly educated she was a great reader and imparted that love of reading to her children.He talked of her love of horses and riding, of the outdoors and getting her hands in the earth. She was a country girl at heart loving the fresh air and being in the bush. She loved panning for gold and fossicking for gems.He talked of how her house was always open and how she loved to bake biscuits for others, her love of cards and how she taught her children and grandchildren to play cards but took no prisoners when playing them. She loved the Bronco and watching  the Virginian and Bonanza.She lived much of her life in various places in the Mary Valley but when she moved to Celtis St she said she would never move again and that they would have to carry her out in a box. She got her wish and died peacefully in her own home.Above all though she was a wonderful, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother.Jake asked if anyone would like to come up and say anything. No one did which was no reflection upon her she just really did not want any fuss.There then followed a moment of reflection to the stains of an instrumental version of 'My Heart Will Go On' from the film Titanic. I tried to contemplate all the happy times that I had had with Dulcie but could only picture a sinking ship! No matter I will have plenty of time to reflect later.Next Jake read the poem ' She is Gone.'

You can shed tears that she is gone

Or you can smile because she lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her

Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she is gone

Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back

Or you can do what she would want and smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

As we finally said 'Goodbye' and the curtains closed in front of her coffin Johhny Cash and June Carter sang "Peace in the Valley" before we were ushered back out into the sunshine.Following the service we all drove down to Skinner's Park beside the Logan River, where there were light refreshments and drinks. Dulcie would have loved it with the sun and being outdoors.It was lovely to meet so many people that I had heard of and never met but who felt they knew me from their reading of this blog.As the people began to drift away those left finally took Dulcie's gladioli flower arrangement down to the river and cast the flowers into the water and watched them drift away. It was very moving and lovely though I am not so sure that the two fisherman fishing on the jetty appreciated it as much as we did.I am sure Dulcie would have liked it and that is all that matters.