Jim was a good man...

The call that came about 6am that morning was not a surprise, but to experience a funeral of this magnitude was.  Let me try to explain. Two days after the call came of Uncle Jim's death, we were pulling into the parking lot of the funeral home in Delaware, Ohio, where Jim's viewing was being held.  A Delaware County ambulance draped in a black cloth was parked near the front doors and various emergency civil service men and women dressed in formal attire (white gloves and all) were milling around.  Upon entering the funeral home, family greeted us and offered us a bite to eat.  One of Jim's close friends, Ed, greeted Rodney and seemed genuinely interested in Rodney and his family.  Ed said he knew much about us but had never met us.  Jim and Ed had been friends for nearly 25 years and worked together as EMTs.  Soon we learned that the Delaware County emergency servicemen were honoring Jim with two casket guards, one posted at each end of the casket.  With formal ceremony, honor guards changed every 15 minutes during the viewing hours of 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm.  We also learned they had provided transportation via ambulance for Jim's body every time it had been and would be moved, right up to the cemetery. 

Rosalind, Rayne, Shelby and Makenna at Jim and Patsy's house before the funeral

The next morning we spent some time at Jim and Patsy's house before the funeral.  Later, as we approached the church, we noticed a "service vehicle" in the road several blocks past the church that wasn't there when we went by on our way to the house.  Both Rodney and I thought it was a utility company working on the power lines.  We proceeded into the parking lot of their small country church and as part of the normal funeral line up process, parked our car behind the EMS vehicles and the ambulance serving as a hearse.  When we went inside, the casket guards were in place again, this time at the front of the church.  The family didn't come in formally, but all sat together in the front across from the Delaware County honor guard.  Church family and friends filled the rest of the sanctuary.

Just after the casket guards were relieved for the beginning of the funeral, "Jim was a good man," she said.  All I could think was "Amen."  All three of Jim's pastors from his time in the Kilbourne church were part of the funeral service.  The pastor who served the longest was Sonja Bender and she knew Jim well.  Her voice was so soothing, almost healing.  She went on to talk about relationships and action behind faith even when no one is watching.  Several people shared about their love for Jim and what their relationship meant to them.  Ed was one of them who told of Jim interviewing him for his position of EMT and learning the ropes from Jim and spending years as his partner.  He talked about how Jim was a role model for him at work as well as in his personal life.  Jim stood up with Ed in his wedding and later Jim and Patsy supported Ed's kids- following their school activities and ballgames throughout the years.  The church choir that Jim participated in every week, practiced with every week and who took turns seeing Jim to treatments and appointments sang a couple of lively choral numbers that aren't normally performed at a funeral.  It was so appropriate.  Jim's siblings, Karen and David sang a duet that was equally appropriate.  In her benediction, Pastor Bender began singing a capella from the pulpit before she closed the service with prayer.

As everyone exited the church, the Delaware County honor guard lined both sides of the walkway, approximately 25-30 of them.  They saluted as the casket came out of the church and the pallbearers loaded it into the ambulance.  Mist gently fell and cooled the summertime air...  it couldn't have been more perfect.  Everyone loaded in their cars for the procession to the cemetery.  Ten service men escorted the ambulance on foot all the way to the cemetery.  The truck that Rodney and I had mistaken for a utility truck was actually two firetrucks that now held a huge flag between them over the entrance to the cemetery... more Delaware County workers were honoring Jim that day.  They stood at attention, saluting the entire procession as it passed by them.  At the graveside, two military bagpipes played Taps and Amazing Grace, and two military men performed a flag folding ceremony and presented the flag to Patsy.  Delaware County honor guard stood facing the family just under the edge of the tent.  The call came over the radio from the central dispatch for the county giving a final call for Jim Tharp, Delaware County 3.  A closing prayer was offered and with the amen the mist falling from the sky stopped.

We were in awe of the formality, honor and respect of each portion of Jim's funeral process.  These men and women who were a part of this honor guard were giving of their precious time to honor one of their own for a great portion of two days.  Jim retired from the Delaware County EMS after 27 years in 1999, so he had been retired for 11 years.  Jim was also a veteran of the Vietnam war.  We were surprised to learn that not every family of deceased service workers in Delaware County allows the honor guard to be a part of the funeral process.  What a honor it felt like to us to witness their devotion to one of their own.  Ed mentioned that Jim's funeral was one that every county worker wanted to be apart of the honor guard because of their relationship with Jim and their respect for him.  It was a very humbling experience for us all and one that we will never forget.

We returned to the church for a lunch provided by the women of Kilbourne United Methodist.  We were so impressed with the church, not the building, mind you, but the people.  They were an active, close knit group that loved Jim. 

Two fire engines holding a flag above the cemetery entrance

more Delaware County workers honoring Jim

Delaware County saluting the funeral procession