HINSDALE, N.H.-Carol, my beloved wife of 63 years, passed away on May 8, and her funeral was held May 17 at St. Michael Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. It was a beautiful day and we had a beautiful Mass that ended around 1 p.m.
My daughter and I led the procession that followed her casket to the hearse waiting at the curb. Initially, the hearse blocked the view of anything beyond, but as we approached, we were absolutely stunned to see an almost endless line of St. Michael School students silently and very respectfully standing single file facing the church on the sidewalk along the entire length of the front of the school. They were all wearing white shirts and navy blue gym shorts, creating the most impressive image.
As powerful a presentation as that was, we were moved to tears when the students all blessed themselves as the casket was placed in the hearse.
I tried to show our appreciation with words and gestures of gratitude from across the street, but nothing could convey how deeply we were touched by their presence.