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When we visited Lithuania, and all our wonderful Lithuanian relatives, in September 2000, Mom said that part of her wished she could stay there; she felt that she was home. She just did not want to leave her grandchildren. Now, she has her wish, thanks to those relatives.
Because Elyte's husband Vytas is missing from most of these pictures, I know that, in addition to being instrumental in the arrangements and ceremony, he also served as the photographer.
 The flowered tin in which I mailed Mom's ashes and the urn that Elyte and Vytas had made for them. |
 The Mom's urn with her ashes. These are in Elyte & Vytas's garden. |
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In the church in Musninkai. Mom's urn and a picture of her from the 1930s. |
Tete came to this church in the early 1910s as organist and choir director. Mama was in the choir, and her father was the local magistrate who befriended Tete. Tete greatly admired Juozas Kancleris, but he fell in love with Rosalija. They were married in this church in 1913.
 Mom's cousin Antanas, the crucifer, leading the procession out of the church. The woman in yellow is the organist whose playing Mom enjoyed at the requiem we attended. The woman and girl on either side are choristers. |
 More of the procession: the priest, Virgilijus Balnys, Elyte carrying Mom's picture, the rest of the family led by Juze's husband Vytas and Mom's sousins Valentina, Luida, Ona, and Regina. |
From the church, the ceremonies moved to the cemetery, just north of Musninkai.
 The participants follow the priest and Antanas up the hill into the cemetary. Juze's husband Vytas follws with Mom's urn, then Mom's cousins, followed by the Musninkai ethnologist Filomena Vaicekauskiene who made an oration at the funeral, then some local people who were kind enough to honor Mom. The young men in white shirts (one between Vytas and the cousins and the other behind the villagers) are the grandsons of cousins; each helped make Mom's visit to Lithuania enjoyable. |
 The procession approaches the grave. Juze, with Mom's picture, and Antanas, with the cross, lead the way. |
The ceremonies continued in the cemetery. This is the grave of Mom's grandparents, Juozas Kancleris and Rosalija Kancleriene, her great uncle Mikalojus Jurkunas, her infant cousin Veronika Sipaviciute, and Elyte's infant sister (& Mom's cousin) Aldona Kancleryte.
 Father Balnys blesses the grave. The ethnologist and Elyte hold flowers on either side of Antanas and the cross. Juze's Vytas holds the shovel, with Liuda to the right of the monument. I find the flower-garden aspect of Lithuanian cemeteries especially beautiful - and appropriate. |
 The family: Regina (whom Chuck thinks looks so much like Mom), Juze (with Mom's picture), Valentina's daughter Ruta, Vytas (with Mom's urn), Roze, Ona, Zita (whose mother Ona was another of Mom's cousins), and Liuda. This monument is not what was at this grave when we visited. It was on the grave of Zita's family. But when she and Liuda got a new monument for that grave, they moved this one here. |
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 Vytas lowers Mom's urn into the grave on a black ribbon. |
 Father Balnys begins the burying of Mom's urn. |
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 The closest relatives, Mom's cousins each add a handful of dirt to continue the burial: Elyte, Juze, and Valentina here. |
 Now it's Dalius's turn. He's the grandson of Mom's cousin Antanas, who is the crucifer. |
I have not seen this done in local funerals. But having the family and friends symbolically bury the deceased is certainly an English, and Anglican, tradition. I'm sure that Mom knows and appreciates the actual participation. It is so much more meaningful than our leaving it all to men with machines.
Mom's cousins and other relatives.
 Regina, Liuda, Kazys (Liuda's husband), Roze, Dalius (Antanas's grandson), Ona, Antanas, Jonas, Elyte, Ruta (Valentina's daughter), Valentina, Filomena (the ethnologist), Andrius (Ruta's son: Valentina's grandson), Vytas (Juze's husband), and Juze. |
 Roze, Regina, Ona and Jonas peeking behind Liuda, Kazys, Elyte, the very top of Antana's head, Valentina, Ruta, Vytas (Elyte's husband, finally coaxed from behind the camera so we can see him), Egle (Zita's daughter), Filomena, Andrius, Juze, her husband Vytas, and Zita. |
 The monument with it's plaques. If you right-click on the picture and select "View Image", you should be able to read the inscriptions. |
The ceremonies are over. As Mom wished, part of her is staying with her Lithuanian family. |
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Thank you all so much. I am so glad that Mom & I were able to visit Lithuania and meet our incredibly wonderful family.
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