Today was bittersweet as the Ellingson family paid their final tribute to their beloved Irvin. After 85 years, he was finally home set to lay at rest next to his parents in Middle Forest River Cemetery in Dahlen.
Once again, a motorcade escorted the casket from the funeral home to the church in Dahlen. Several local police cars led the way, followed by the hearse, the Honor Van
and at least 50 motorcycles.
Janet, Michael and I were there to offer our support.
The church was an hour away by car, located in a grove that stands in the middle of fields that seem to extend to eternity.
We paid our respects, and a photographer offered to take our photo.
When it was time to begin, the minister led us in prayer outside prior to us making our way inside.
An honor guard escorted Irvin into the church
and family and friends followed.
The beautiful interior was nearly full of attendees. To the left of the altar sat a large group of children making up a small orchestra with violins, cellos, trumpets and trombones. The musical selections were heartfelt and the performances were exceptional.
Tributes were made first by Lon, who was the key planner for all of this week's events.
The commander of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air force Base gave a heartfelt speech regarding Irvin's service.
And the minister delivered an inspirational homily.
The Brothers in Harmony Quartet sang "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."
Terry, who had hosted us yesterday at his farm complex, sang the Our Father, accompanied by his cousin on the piano.
As we exited after the ceremony, the young man who had treated us to his trombone solo yesterday, played "Goin' Home" on his instrument today.
From here, the attendees all loaded up into school busses that had volunteered their services to drive us to the Middle River Forest Cemetery. It is a small cemetery with limited parking, so Lon had arranged for easy transport.
On the way to the cemetery, the hearse made one last trip onto the homestead where Irvin had been born.
It was the house where Marty and I had inadvertently made the wrong turn yesterday. This explains why the banner was standing at the roadside.
At the cemetery, men from the American Legion were standing at attention awaiting Irvin's casket.
An honor guard escorted him from the hearse to the gravesite.
A short ceremony was held with blessing on the casket and those present.
Then we all gathered around for the presentation of the B-52 bomber in tribute to Irvin's service on the B-29 sister plane. It came in from the south east
flew over head
and flew away into the distance.
An emotional tribute and reminder to all that this was the plane that Irvin had served on for 16 missions prior to being shot down by Japanese forces.
We returned for the official folding of the flag
There was a 21 gun salute
The Brothers in Harmony sang Taps while Lon played the song on his trumpet.
And, finally, the folded flag was presented to Cathy, Lon's older sister.
And that completed the final farewell for SSGT Irvin C Ellingson. He will be buried in the family plot, next to his mother and father, finally at rest after 80 years. The family's wish has been fulfilled.
We were bussed back to the church and invited to join the family at the American Legion in Lankin. The Legion woman put together a lovely dinner with pulled pork sandwiches, potato and macaroni salads, baked beans, and sweet treats for dessert. They were eager to lighten the burden for family members whose emotions were strained from the events of the day.
It made for great camaraderie, and it was a lovely send off for us.
As we said our good-byes, I was hugged and thanked by a number of Irvin's nieces and nephews.
I had mentioned in an earlier blog that I really had not planned on attending, but Marty convinced me to come. (Plus he wanted to fish with Lon.) The trip ran into complications due to a cancelled flight from Chicago to Fargo leaving no option but to rent a car and drive 11 hours. As if that wasn't bad enough, Hertz was insisting on charging us an extra $2000.00 to drop the car off in Fargo. So, return plans involve driving back to Chicago instead of departing from Fargo.
But despite that extra stress that was certainly unwarranted, I must say that this has been one of the most fulfilling events of my life. The camaraderie exhibited by this amazing family deserves accolades. The appreciation shown to me was overwhelming.
I must say, I'm very proud to have been part of the journey.
Rest in Peace Irvin. You are finally home.
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