The Funeral Day
The Day of Yeva’s funeral was as if the Gods were smiling and all the Angels came out to play. We had had dark clouds and rain for a few days and sandwiched in between further rainy days was a sparkling sunlit one. Yevs timing, good as ever! The scene was set for St Peter Church in Firle, Sussex. Its a tiny village, nestled under the Downs and has a feel of yesteryear. Peter Owen-Jones is the Vicar of the Parish who has been made famous through his TV show “Around the world in 80 Faiths”. He was the perfect man for the job, definitely a maverick and yet with a deep faith, open heart and twinkle in his eye. Yeva would have loved him. The Leaves were sunlit, and Yevas Wicker Casket arrived, beautifully adorned thanks to an old family friend, Carol, with purple orchids and ivy. The Funeral Director Cara of Arka, was amazing throughout, and made sure that the difficult job of directing a funeral was sensitively handled and perfectly in keeping with Yeva.
The service opened with a Hallelujah Welcome, and we all joined in to raise the roof, and connect with each other. After Peter said a few words and explained that Yeva was also known by other names by people at different phases in her life; Mary and Lynnie, Tumi (John King) stood to talk about his connection with Yeva in the early days of her Spiritual Awakening, and read the Invocation Prayer which was one of Yevas favourites.
Andy Cooney read one of his poems, called “Inspired by Yeva” which brought a tear or two to peoples eyes, then a Eulogy followed by Pam, Yevas neice. She talked about Yevas life before she married Bernie and her memories of having Yeva (Mary) as an aunt and especially how very dapper Yeva and Bernie were ” back in the day”. A reading by Isiah 43: 16-21 followed then the hymn Now the Green Blade Riseth. (you can find a version on you tube)
The Canticle of the Sun, a song of praise written by St Francis of Assissi was powerfully read by Andy Dawes, Pams husband followed by The Jesus Prayer read by us all. Finally Riga Forbes sang Amazing Grace from the depths of her soul with Mike Shreeve on guitar, and Yevas Casket was carried out with the congregation humming Amazing Grace very softly.
We gathered outside the church, and some of us said goodbye to her casket before she left for the crematorium. Her ashes are to be interned with her mother and brother at Ovingdean, which was her wish.
We all headed to the Memorial Hall in Firle, a quaint hall that had been decorated with seashells and flowers to honour Yevas love of the sea-view she had most of her life. Despite the fact there were about 100 of us we crammed in. Thanks to the Buttercup Cafe in Lewes for the Catering! It was perfect. The hall was also decorated by a few of us with memory boards of Yevas life in crop circles, womans circles, and her days on the road on her spiritual missions. The day continued with some great dedications to Yeva of some of her favourite songs, Michael Richmond sang ” On a Clear Day”, Alison David sang “Born Free” and Somewhere over the rainbow” , Dalia Saunders sang “Feelin’ Good” Nina Simone, and Jenny Sessions bravely managed to get up on stage since her car crash only a month before and sang her own channelled song, “When Spirit Calls”. A younger member of the gang got up and sang “We all live in a yellow submarine” amongst others and we all joined in. Someone said it was like an Irish wake without the fighting! We held a circle, and Vanessa sang a lament about the Heron, guardian of the gateway between the world of this life and the afterlife. We Om’d and had some moments of silence.
After the Hall, many of us headed up to Firle Beacon, A beautiful high spot with 360 views. The sun set a golden red, and turned the landscape to golden pinks, and lilacs. A fire was lit to honour Yevas passing. She always enjoyed the power of a fire ceremony. The four directions were called in, and music and song filled the sky. It was a fitting close the magical day when Yeva Flew to be with Great Spirit.
Peta Wilkinson; For All those worldwise who could not be there on the day.
Now the Green Blade Riseth
Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
In the grave they laid him, love whom men had slain,
Thinking that never he would wake again.
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green,
Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain.
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
