Saturday, November 24

What do you do when two friends go home to glory and their memorial services are the same day at the same time – 11 o’clock am?

We decided to go to Raymond (Ramy to us) Burkholder’s visitation at 9 am at Faith Bible Fellowship Church, Lancaster, then to Charlie Sensenig’s memorial service at 11 am.

Ramy had dementia for the past few years and didn’t know Cerwin the last time they saw each other at a hunter’s breakfast. However, his wife, Lois, told us yesterday that he was a good patient.

Cerwin has lots of good memories of hunting with him in Potter County. When Cerwin saw this picture, he said, “I can just imagine him preparing to tell one of his many stories.” (They were usually about life when he was growing up with his brothers.)

Cerwin began hunting with him and “The Mountain Raiders” in 1957 – when Cerwin was 16. He figures they hunted together about 50 years.

The Mountain Raiders were my introduction to bluegrass music when Cerwin took me to one of their “shindigs” in the fall 1961. (We had just begun dating a few weeks earlier.) The Mountain Raiders loved to hunt, but they always had a bluegrass jam at the cabin on the Saturday night before hunting season opened on Monday.

Fabulous memories

~~~

Since we had time, and Cerwin needed something from his tool bucket at the TFC shop, we stopped there before going to Calvary Monument Bible Church, Paradise, PA.

It was a cold, rainy day.

It was a joy to attend Charlie’s memorial service – just like he wanted.

His request was that there are tears of joy, but no regrets. Charlie and Hazel’s son Steve is a professional pianist and played many beautiful hymns during the prelude.

Following the welcome and a few memories by a pastor friend, Steve and his sisters Joyce (flute) and Judy (horn) played O Love That Will Not Let Me Go and I Surrender All. Later in the service they played In the Garden and Day by Day.

Congregational singing was led by Clair Leaman. He is one of the best choir directors I know – so the singing was fabulous.

Larry Gouge told his own memories then read a few letters from people who wrote notes to Charlie and Hazel. One was from a trucker who was stranded and needed help. He mentioned that he was in a low part in his spiritual life, but meeting Charlie changed that. Another was from a Fresh Air Child from New York City (now a woman) who spent two weeks with their family each summer. She said I never knew the love of a father or what a godly family looked like until I spent time with Charlie and Hazel’s family.

I was especially blessed by Hazel’s note (also shared by Larry Gouge). She said, “How can I sum up sixty years of marriage and your total faithfulness to me and our children. You always opened and held the car door for me – even when the car was parked in our garage.”

Steve sobbed after playing Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. I expect there was a special memory with that song or maybe it was just the time to sob.

There were more written memories that were shared by Larry. A roommate of their daughter Janet shared how Charlie and Hazel influenced her life. She was born into a family who did not know or believe in the love of Jesus. When Janet was left handicapped from a terrible traffic accident then died in 1994, her friend mentioned how observing their strength and trust in God changed her life.

Faithful was a word we heard to describe Charlie many times during the service. It is also how Cerwin and I would describe him. We think we met them in the fall of 1976 at a TFC function. He enjoyed trucking and sharing the gospel with anyone he met – and he loved to promote the ministry of Transport For Christ. Don Hollinger said that Charlie sold 11 Lancaster Banquet tickets in 1984. Karen Sauder told me that in recent years she reserved three tables for him at the banquet – that is 72 tickets.

Steve played the closing song, To God Be the Glory. I think we all felt like standing as he played. We did clap when he was finished and the pastor said I am sure we all felt like clapping after each song (but it didn’t feel appropriate at a funeral). 🙂

The pastor closed with words from Charlie. “I don’t want anyone to leave my Celebration of Life service without a heart that has been fixed by Jesus.”

~~~

There was a listing of some of Charlie’s favorite verses.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31 KJV

How excellent is They lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. Psalm 36:7 KJV

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23 KJV

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4