Day Fifteen - July 3, 2006

Today was the memorial for my grandfather, Warren Mercer. He died in May, but my family has never been big on burials, funerals, or other graveside rituals. Since the family picnic is on the fourth, we knew most of the family would be in Southern California now, so we decided to get together and chat about him.

The memorial was held in a restaurant/bar at a small craft airport (Whiteman) that he was fond of. The most popular story about Warren was about the time when they were living in a cabin in the canyon, and he wanted to "hang" the top of an evergreen tree he had cut down. To save time, and the bother of getting on a ladder, he took out his shotgun and blasted a hole through the roof beam.

Here are pictures from the memorial:

My sister Susan, and my father's partner Lyn

My dad's cousin Michelle

My Aunt Elaine, and Janet Barthlomew (a friend of my grandmother Elizabeth)

My 2nd cousin Jill, and my father Aunt Betty

Jill's daughter, Olivia