FISHERMEN FOUND

After three weeks, the bodies of two missing fishermen were found. May they rest in peace. Their families can now plan their funerals and get a sense of closure.

I remember my other grandfather’s funeral. He had an unusual request before he died which my grandmother chose to honor: "No women allowed at the burial." I know, I know—sounds terrible—but as us men went to the cemetery we shared hunting and fishing stories. Not being an avid hunter, I could never understand why they’d take someone with Alzheimer’s (including sundowners) out West. Wyoming, to me, was just too far to drive, and I couldn’t understand how my grandfather, in his diminished capacity, managed to bag a buck the last two years of his life. As we drove to the cemetery, I learned that his hunting buddies took his ammo away. I could imagine how his heart was pounding as he raised his rifle to his shoulder, aimed at God knows what, and pulled the trigger. "The mule deer," my grandfather had explained, "never had a chance." In the retelling of my grandfather’s hunting successes, his hunting buddies commented on his fine marksmanship. It was then, that I understood how much they looked out for him.

When we arrived at the cemetery, my dad commented on how they dug the hole in the wrong place. We were puzzled as to what piece of real estate belonged to my grandfather. Phone calls were made. Soon we discovered that his burial plot, according to the blue print specs delivered by the cemetery caretaker, had been switched by his sister to accommodate another family member getting up there in age. I also suspect that my grandmother knew about the swap, and to avoid any arguments, chose to stay at the church hall with the other women.

It didn’t matter to me where my grandfather was buried. What mattered—was knowing that before he died, he continued to do the things he loved while his hunting buddies looked out for him. I know that at this year’s catfish tournament, the fishermen who drowned on Lake Huron will come up in conversation, and hopefully, others will realize that we really need to look out for one another.