We don't have many remaining uncles and aunts (all of them came) but our cousins appeared from all over the eastern United States. Most surprising, though, was the number of Ray's friends and co-workers who came. I was really touched by the genuine affection and respect he was held in by his employees at Sentry Construction Company which Ray and Marty Thieneman operated.
Archbishop Kelly was one of the first visitors in the early afternoon, and we finally closed with a short prayer service at 8:00 PM. Tammy's father Junior had a reading from scripture in that little service.
In anticipation of many family and friends coming to the Dittmeier house after the funeral, some serious house cleaning was undertaken. Here Martha Dittmeier Reed and Hope Leet Dittmeier take down the Christmas tree and put away the ornaments for this year.
Paul Dittmeier undertook some personal beautification and ironed a shirt to wear for the gathering of friends and family at the funeral home.
Mary and Martha were moving various belongings and sleeping bags in and out of the cars, and Mary was also vacuuming the return air vent of the furnace. Unfortunately she dropped Martha's other shoe into the vent and it went down into the furnace in the basement.
Fortunately big brother Dennis Dittmeier was able to recover the missing shoe after only minor dis-assembly of the furnace.