I did not think, on Sunday, when I spent
some time with my first cousin, Reggie at
Mr. Bill's birthday party that before the
week was out he would loose his own Father.
My Uncle Roy Eserman, passed away on Tuesday, 11/19/19.
The text from Reggie, reading"
"MY WONDERFUL FATHER JUST PASSED AWAY"
Memories flooded my mind and heart.
When people speak of Eclectic personalities,
well Uncle Roy's name may be near the definition.
My whole entire life, this man not only sang at our
hometown church, but led the choir for all my years.
I will never walk into my church, Our Lady Of Prompt Succor,
for the first 40 years of my life and not expect
to hear his voice. I don't know if he ever missed a weekend
mass or a funeral to lead the choir in our small town
of Golden Meadow. Everyone on the bayou knew him
for his love of church hymns, his singing and his
preaching of the Bible.
The family story is that he wanted to be a Priest but
could not learn the Latin language that was needed
back then. Then he met my Aunt Jeanette, the baby
of my Daddy's siblings and the relationship began and
lasted until he took his last breath.
Their relationship was also an odd one but there was
no doubt they loved each other in their own way.
Aunt Jeannie fussed and sometimes cussed and he
prayed, always. lol To watch them was entertainment
but there is nothing this man would not do for his wife.
When talking to him, if he was not teaching about the
Bible or how he felt of life after this one, he was
bragging about his Sons and/or their families.
Having been a treasured child himself, he was so very
glad he left his boys with each a sibling.
Just a few months ago, we had a family gathering
in Golden Meadow at his home.
That day he was not feeling so good but good enough
to preach the Word to me.
"You going to go to purgatory, Lilly. Everyone goes.
If St. Theresa had to go to Purgatory we all going to go.
How long we stay will depend on how we lived."
I chuckled as I remembered my whole life,
he has been the one who taught me the most
of what he believed in about "life after".
I must say here though, that he and my Aunt Jeanette
played a big role in the life of myself when I was in
the hospital for 12 weeks straight.
They took in my two sister, Celena and Rosie
for the majority of the time while my parents stayed
with me. MY sister, Rosie speaks of the fact
that it was our Uncle Roy who taught her how to kneel
and pray. She says he prayed with them every night
for their little sister who was battling an incurable cancer.
Evidently the Big Man heard as I am still here.
Two years ago, Uncle Roy was so ill none of us thought
he would survive it, He was so sick in ICU.
One morning, while walking off the elevator,
Cousin Reggie, heard someone singing with a loud
and clear voice:
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the song..."
He shared with me that his first thought was
that it could not be his Daddy as he was barely talking
the day before.
Yet as he entered his Daddy's room it was his Daddy,
singing strongly like he had not done for a long time.
I visited the day after this small miracle and
heard the story first hand from Reggie.
Combine that story with the one I spoke of previously
about us all going to Purgatory, and allow me to
share with you all what happened in my presence yesterday.
It was Thanksgiving mass yesterday with the Grandgirls.
Weighing heavy on my heart was my Eserman relatives.
I walked into church, settled down with the grandgirls
on each side of me, and offered up
this mass to my Uncle Roy.
The 5th grade class makes
their way up to the altar and on their small
recorder instruments they blow out the song
AMAZING GRACE!
Yes, I got tearful. then mass started and the children's choir
sings Amazing Grace!
I knew my Uncle was sending comfort.
The mass ended with this beautiful song and as i sang
through wet eyes, I realized these words could have been
written for my dear Uncle Roy.
He had his ways, but he led more to the church than
anyone I knew. He did not only talk the talk, he
walked the walk and although he could be pushy
about his faith, he believed all he said.
As I sat in that church with me littles near me
I say to him,
"You made it Uncle Roy, and with these signs
I know you were wrong about purgatory,
you my Uncle went straight to Heaven,
this mass is your way of telling me this.
Tomorrow we bury this man who if he could,
would say he lived a wonderful life.
That he loved his boys and his wife and his
grand children. That his life was not always easy
but he never faltered on his belief of God.
RIP Uncle Roy, dance and sing you heart out,
and I hope when my time comes, if
I do spend some time in Purgatory, you will not be there,
having already made your way to your Heaven.
(Their 50th wedding anniversary)
Pleas pray for my cousins, Reggie and Jude, their families
and most especially my Aunt Jeannie who has
never done anything without this man by her side.
