ATTENDANCE AT GRACE EPISCOPAL WAS UNUSUALLY HIGH THE NEXT morning, almost rivaling Christmas and Easter. I went with Mother largely to keep her in line. She was trying to plan an elaborate funeral for Mrs. Grover; I wanted to get Reverend Pugh to contact
Mrs. Grover’s clergyman or friends back home to make arrangements. I wondered if, knowing Mother, he could be persuaded to utter a small white lie and tell Mother that Mrs. Grover wanted to be cremated quietly, with no service or other fuss. Preferably back in Fort Lauderdale.
Reverend Pugh correctly deduced that Mrs. Grover’s death was the reason for the high attendance and preached a very moving sermon on the general theme “Even in the midst of life we are in death.” At least I suppose it was moving for those who were able to hear it. I was sitting in the back, where Mrs. Fenniman and the other professional town gossips were busily updating each other on new developments in “the case.”
I fled home immediately after the service, but my hopes of getting anything done were dashed by an unusually large infestation of visiting relatives.