(Tammy’s part in the funeral program with my best effort at remembering the extra things I said.)
Mom and Gil discussed the words to the song that Rebekah just sang on their final day together.
I have been asked to read a tribute that was written for Gilbert by my mom while he was still alive. Before I do, I would like to share a few memories that Nathan and Beverly’s remarks reminded me of.
First, I must have been visiting with Mom and Gil after I was married because I remember Gilbert coming home and saying that he was disappointed that they were advancing him to the office of High Priest because he wanted to stay with the young guys.
When Mom and Gil moved next door to us, five years ago, I tried to get them involved in our Senior Citizens Program. We have a nice Senior Citizen Center in Springville and they have a lot of activities there but Mom and Gil said that they didn’t want to go and hang out with a lot of old people. The only time they ever attended an event at the center was when Rebekah and a group of high school students were performing some musical numbers there. They went to see Rebekah.
Gilbert loved music and when he was in the nursing home we would go to visit him. (He wasn’t happy in the nursing home and we tried to bring him home to live with us. He was really unhappy living with us so we ended up taking him back to the nursing home. He wasn’t happy with us because he wanted to be with Mom. While he was living with us, he couldn’t remember if he had eaten lunch or that Mom lived right next door but he managed to give Elizabeth some pertinent advice on a problem she was having with a friend, compliment my decorating, and call me from a back room to see a flower that was blooming in my garden.) Anyway, we would visit him in the nursing home and we would often sing songs or play musical instruments. Gilbert enjoyed that so much and would invite the other residents to come and listen and he would introduce us as, “this is part of my bunch”.
Gilbert made me laugh and I wanted to share one of those times that I remember. After they moved next door, he would tell me every day that I was “a pretty good girl”. One day last summer (the summer of ’08) we were driving somewhere. It was just Gilbert and I in the car and he told me I was a good girl. I could see, out of the corner of my eye, that he was really studying me. After he had looked me over for a long time he said, “I don’t know if I should tell you this, but you’re not a girl anymore. In fact, you’re getting kind of old.” I told him, “I know. I’m a grandma now.” And he said, “You are? Well, that’s just wonderful!” It made me laugh.
Now I will read a tribute written to Gilbert from my mother.
WHY I LOVED YOU
Let me count the ways:
In the beginning: You dressed nice, always wore a white shirt and tie even at school. You drove a big expensive car. You took me to nice places to eat, like the Bali Hai and Lawrence Welk’s Resort restaurant. But most of all you didn’t drink or smoke.
As soon as I knew you, you began to help me at my work. You made sure I got the equipment I needed. You were very respected in the district and knew all the right people. (You were so loved in the town that when you retired they held a three day Farewell celebration for you with a huge banner across main street saying, “GILBERT NIHART DAYS”. Your picture and a write up was in the paper. All the children made paper ties to wear in your honor.)
Then we were married and you made it possible for me to have my own home again. You had good credit, a down payment and a good job.
You made sure I always had a reliable car to drive. It was always gassed up and ready to go.
You made it possible for me to visit my mother and kids in Utah every summer. You could drive all day and never get sleepy. You always knew places to go and things to do.
You planted a garden with fruit trees and flowers. You built me a covered patio. You painted the house and kept things repaired. You bought me roses.
You made sure your children and everyone else knew that I was number one in your life.
You had been a Methodist Minister, but you went to my church. You joined and worked to marry me in the Temple. You have been a good member ever since.
When I had night classes at the universities to earn my California Life Credential you drove me there and waited ‘til my classes were out to drive me home.
You took care of me when I had cancer and you made me feel OK about it. You were so scared of losing me and loved me even more afterward.
You didn’t quit when I would have given up. You changed what you could to make it work.
Every day you tell me you love me and you call me your Earthly Angel.
This is some of why I love you.
Dorothy
(I asked Mom, after the funeral, when she wrote this and she said it was part of a family home evening activity we did a few years ago where Rebekah had us write a letter to someone we love.)
Nathan doesn’t want to try to remember and write up the extra remarks he made while he was reading Gilbert’s life history. He said that he mentioned how much he enjoyed Gilbert’s stories—especially his experiences as a civilian in the Air Force. And he said that Gil was not “quickly advanced” to the office of a High Priest but was still in the Elder’s Quorum when we got married making him probably the oldest active Elder in the history of the church.
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