GRANDMA ELLEN AND GRANDPA BILL

2011 started out on a sad note with the passing of John's father (January 10th). We will miss his leadership as the patriarch of the Strong family. We (the family) hold fond memories of this great man. Grandma & John organized a wonderful funeral service for Grandpa with family members participating. John gave the family prayer, Brandt the opening and Mike the closing prayer at the services. All three prayers were very warm and comforting. The great grandchildren sang "I am a Child of God," they did such a wonderful job as we could tell by their emotions that it was a hard thing for them to do. Shannon gave the eulogy and talked about Grandpa and all the great memories the kids had of him, she did such a great job. Natalie played the most beautiful rendition of "Oh My Father." Two of Grandpa and Grandma's friends gave excellent talks. John ended the meeting with an awe inspiring talk. He mentioned how Grandpa was always honest and committed to his ideals, he talked about Grandpa never holding a grudge and how dedicated he was to his callings in the church. Many friends and family members came from long distances to be there. We could see how much Grandpa was loved.

Military Honors for a man who served in the Navy during World War II

Presenting the flag to GrandmaTapsA family pictureGail's and Roxie's children (Grandpa's sisters) Grandma's ward did a wonderful job with the luncheon after the services. We had several family and friends stay for the lunch.
The Leatherbury boys, Marshall and Jack

When John and I arrived in Ephraim on Monday the 10th, we were worried about the weather. It was freezing cold (0 degrees)and miserable, but by Thursday it had warmed up to the 20's, the Sky's were clear and it turned out to be a beautiful day for the services and traveling for our out of town people.