This week my family mourned the death of my Uncle Harold, 78. I wasn't his favorite niece (can't quite figure out why M was...), but I always got credit for remember his birthday - he always forgot that mine was the day before and that's how I always remembered his.
I grew up with him always being around - he live around the corner from us and he visited my grandma and granddaddy who lived with us. My whole family has a great sense of humor, and he was no exception. His was a dryer sense of humor (no pun intended on his amazing talent of fixing dryers and washers), and it would sneak up on you without warning.
my favorite example: he used to torment my mother by telling her he wanted the "Beer Barrel Polka" played at his funeral. No sad songs. My mother would look at him in horror and say "Oh Harold, you don't mean that!". He said, "yes i do - but instead of singing 'roll out the barrel' everyone has to sing 'roll out the Harold'" and then he'd start singing it which would make my mother more horrified at the thought of singing that song in church. We'd all laugh and move on to something else.
Friday, at his funeral, people stood up and told stories about what a wonderful, funny, caring man he was and I couldn't help thinking through my tears about that song. We sang "How Great Thou Art" and some really pretty song about forgiveness. Then, after the minister said his final prayer, just before we were to roll the casket out of the sanctuary, there it was. My sister V and I couldn't help but laugh (I got a couple of horrified looks for laughing during a funeral) as "Roll Out the Harold" sounded from the organ.
What a great way to go Uncle Harold. Ill miss you and your amazing sense of humor. You certainly got the last laugh. I love you.
