THE JOURNEY TO A FUNERAL!

       This past Monday, September 22nd, my sister Doris and I attended a funeral in Corning, Iowa for Dean Davis, the husband of our first cousin Dianne Smith Davis. Dianne is the oldest daughter of my mother's youngest brother Arnold Smith.

      I started out from Williamsburg a little after 9am and drove to Gilman to pick up Doris. The one thing nice about just the two of us going together was that it has been a couple of years since we have taken our Fall or Spring Iowa Day Trip together. We had gone to southwest Iowa and visited Dianne and Dean a few years ago , but, had traveled a different way.

     This time we picked up the Interstate at Kellogg and drove I-80 and Des Moines and onto I-35 south to the Winterset exit. Just by stopping there for a break, it was decided to go from Winterset west on highway 92 and on through Greenfield. We drove by the hotel where my sister Doris and her husband, Clyde, stayed years ago on the first leg of their honeymoon.

      From there we drove to highway 148 and on south to Corning. That route I had never been on and I have always said sometimes it's enjoyable just to see different corn fields while in Iowa. And, there were lots of beautiful views and scenery along the way.

      Although, it was the first funeral I have ever attended where I actually only knew less than a handful of people. Actually three- Doris, Dianne, and myself. Like so many families today we are so spread out and due to age of first cousins some are no longer around. But, the service was very nice and I told Dianne that although we were not that close as kids growing up it has been special becoming closer in later years.

       On the way back, we drove through Creston and highway 34 then to 169 north to I 80 by De Soto and straight east and back home via Gilman to drop off Doris. It was enjoyable also on the way back, especially through the Winterset area where there is  rolling terrain with lots of trees It would be especially pretty in 2 or 3 weeks with the fall colors.

      It was a special day to be able to spend it with my sister and be there with a cousin
  in her trying time.