The last week and a half have been interesting. We went to Gilby, North Dakota to intern my Uncle's ashes. Our family is such that it has taken two years so it was more like a reunion. Not the best reason for a reunion but a reason.
Because of that, we did spend a lot of time in cemetaries. The Prespytarian church was kind enough to open their doors for us. The family brought a lot of pictures to share and my Dad brought his candies. He was told it felt like Christmas by cousins.
We drove by the house where my Grandmother and Grandfather lived. One of the sets of stairs I fell down when I was very small. I may have traumatized cousins since I have heard the stories from both.
A cousin lives in the house my Great Grandfather built and was kind enough to let us all tramp through. They did a wonderful job of renovation after my two bachelor great Uncles lived in it for years. I do not like large homes and this is a large home but it is the first large home that has appealed to me. The spaces are just cozy. My Great Grandfather's family was a family of twelve. But you can tell we are all related. The house was built in 1917 and the bedrooms have closets. It seems to be a genetic trait to think about storage.
I would have to say that I took more pictures of the peonies in the cemetaries then family. I love peonies and they do not grow where I live in Texas. They do grow in Gilby. I had a cousin who wished to stay the whole summer there. I do not blame him at all!
I do have to say that it was a beautiful area. We actually camped in East Grand Forks which is in Minnesota. We right on the river and took walks. It was just a lovely time with family.
We drove my Dad home. He asked to stop in Fargo, North Dakota because my Great Great Uncle Guv's drugstore has been moved there. The sign is still up on Main Street in Gilby but this is his drugstore Bonanzaville Pioneer Village. Those benches in back? I have had ice cream sundaes at. My favorite was his black and white. One scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and one scoop of chocolate ice cream with marshmallow sauce. So good. I used to buy candy for the right side of the shop and that register was used. It is so strange to have childhood memories sitting in a museum setting. Because to me this is life, not history. Not pioneer!
The drive back to my parent's was uneventful. We did stop and look over the Badlands. We stopped and saw friends. It is interesting to drive with my Dad because he has been back and forth over this region a lot. There were many stories. And there was much laughter with friends. It was a good trip but it was just a portion of the trip. Being back seems very strange!