We were up and down in the breakfast room of our motel by 8:30 am where we planned to meet Len and Sarah Muller, my cousins who had arrived early yesterday. But what a surprise, my brother David (he had come in late last night too) was also there so we had a wonderful time just chatting together for about an hour.
But we then had to take off as we'd made arrangements to have lunch at the newly reopened bd Mongolian Grill in Lakeland with Frank and Susan Kiefer and Frank and Bette Foulke - Mid-Florida Winnie friends.
Then from there we needed to go to our home in Zephyrhills to find the title to our home as there was a request by the insurance company for specific information. Unfortunately that part didn't work out so well as what they needed we didn't have and they've therefore cancelled our insurance. We visited with our reps at the company and they gave us some suggestions of what we might do to solve the problem but it will now have to wait till we return in the fall. But at least we had a chance to check out the place and see how it was doing. And we also took a few minutes to visit with Mary Gray and give her a hug
Then we returned to Leesburg and my uncle's home where family was beginning to gather. It has been quite a long time since I've seen some of them so it was truly a joy to just gather and spend time with one another. I did go shopping at the local Publix with Len and Sarah to pick up some snacking food (several cheeses and crackers plus grapes and watermelon) that could be shared by everyone today and tomorrow. Bonnie had ordered food from Olive Garden that was delivered at dinner time for all of us to enjoy.
Here are many of our cousins' children enjoying eating together.
From left to right at this table was Len, Sarah, Peggy and her daughter Masha.
Our cousins' children all enjoyed having time with one another. Here are a couple of the from left to right David boyfriend of Katie, Masha and Erin.
One of the great joys for my three Ross cousins was finding a half brother of their dad. Rick came (on the sofa) came down from Newport News. Here are Bonnie and Bobbie getting acquainted with this long lost brother of their dad. He was a wonderful addition to the gathering fitting right in.
Tuesday morning we all gathered at St Paul's Catholic Church in Leesburg for the funeral which was part of the regular morning mass. Bob had reverted to his Catholic heritage in the last couple of years and requested that the service be held there. Then following the service, we all gathered in a social room for brunch. These are Bob's children - my cousins Bonnie, Bobbie and Peggy
This is Peggy's family (from left to right) Rickie (husband of Masha), Masha, Biz, Lee, Peggy and their son Daniel.
This is Bobbie with his family
Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of Bonnie with her family but these are her children twins Katie and Daniel with Erin in the middle
This is a picture of Peggy's kids: Daniel, Biz and Masha
And here is the gang of all of them including Masha's husband and Katie's boyfriend.
Also attending was my cousin Sarah with her husband. She is the youngest daughter of my uncle - my mother's only brother, Donald.
And here I am with my two brothers David and Stephen. We are the children of the oldest of the MacRae siblings, Rosalind. My brother David and I are now the head of the "clan" as the oldest members of the next generation.
Our cousins from the middle child, Margie, were not able to make it but we had just all spent time with them in Ohio in May when we had a memorial gathering for their mother who died earlier this year. We've made plans to all gather at the Ohio home which is now a vacation rental place in October.
At one point during the day there was a toast to Bob
My brothers and I made a trip over to the First Presbyterian Church of Leesburg to visit the memorial garden where both our dad and mom's ashes are buried. When this garden was created, they donated the fountain. Name plaques are on the wall of the church for each of the people whose ashes have been placed there.
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