Gugny Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 http://poststar.com/news/local/unbelievable-husband-dies-on-way-to-wife-s-funeral/article_d4ea878e-7b98-11e2-9536-0019bb2963f4.html CAMBRIDGE -- When mourners arrived to pay their last respects to Gwendoline Hendrickson at Ackley & Ross Funeral Home on Saturday, they were confused by a note posted at the entrance. “Surprise — It’s a double header — Gwen and Norman Hendrickson — Feb. 16, 2013,” it read. It was a surprise, indeed. Up until about a half-hour before, even the Hendrickson family hadn’t anticipated saying goodbye to anyone but their 89-year-old matriarch who had died eight days earlier on Feb. 8. Suddenly they were grieving the death of 94-year-old patriarch, Norman, too. In a twist of fate that daughter Norma Howland admitted could not have been more fitting, Norman died on the way to his wife’s service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 It's not that unbelievable; it actually happens frequently that an elderly widow/widower passes away shortly after their lifelong spouse. But good to see the family had a sense of humor about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 BOGO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 BOGO Did they put both in the same coffin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erynthered Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Thats what hapened to my step sister and step mother. Daughter died and my step mother just couldnt live without her. We had a duel service. My step mom died in my arms....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 This was before I was friends with them, but a friend's dad died and his wife's mom died the next day . Him in the SF area and her in the LA area. That must have ben tough to figure out what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guffalo Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 In High School and College I worked summers in a large graveyard on Tonawanda. As I wandered around doing the lawncare and other jobs, it always struck me how some spouses would have the death so close together. It was very common, especially for the ones that had been married 40+ years. Sometimes though, you would see the headstones "set up" (the first decedent birth and death dates, the seconds birth date) and the date had not yet been filled in. Sometimes I would wonder if there really is a 113 year old woman living around here, or did she get remarried and this poor guy spends eternity waiting for her.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think the shocking part of this story is that the man was on his way to his wife's funeral when he passed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowgirlsFan Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Oh my!! I thought this was about Ernie Banks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Oh my!! I thought this was about Ernie Banks! So did I! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SageAgainstTheMachine Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 It's cool that the family found humor in it. Sometimes death is tragic, but a lot of the time there's equal cause for fondness and laughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 It's cool that the family found humor in it. Sometimes death is tragic, but a lot of the time there's equal cause for fondness and laughter. Especially for a 94 year old. Really, what is there to grieve when someone has a run like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 In High School and College I worked summers in a large graveyard on Tonawanda. As I wandered around doing the lawncare and other jobs, it always struck me how some spouses would have the death so close together. It was very common, especially for the ones that had been married 40+ years. Sometimes though, you would see the headstones "set up" (the first decedent birth and death dates, the seconds birth date) and the date had not yet been filled in. Sometimes I would wonder if there really is a 113 year old woman living around here, or did she get remarried and this poor guy spends eternity waiting for her.... God that would suck. Especially for a 94 year old. Really, what is there to grieve when someone has a run like that? My grandpa lived to 93, when he passed away it still rough - so often seeing him go about his day the same he'd had since I first met him, 27 years before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 My mom is now 86 and still in good health. I've been joking with her. Can we save a few bucks now and have them carve the 20 on the headstone now? My dad hated his S-I-L (brother's wife) with good reason. Before my dad died his brother and S-I-L decided to get their own graves. They eventually settled on another cemetery, but my dad said if they pick the plot next to my mom and dad's, he wanted my mom to dig him up and move him. He said: "I am not gonna be next to that B word for eternity." A few months before he died, my dad was talking to his B-I-L, who also knew he was dying (weak heart). I overheard them making a bet on who would go first. They said they pay up when they both met again. I picture them smoking cigars, drinking, and playing cards with another B-I-L of his who died from type 1 diabetes at age 47 in the late 70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeviF Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 My father's parents died about 5 months apart. His dad (my grandfather) went in January 1997, lung cancer. Couldn't bury him then so they scheduled the burial/funeral for Memorial Day weekend - he was a WWII vet and would get all the military stuff at the burial. Grandma died three days before grandpa's burial, so they buried them together. My uncle told my dad when they met up the day before the burial, "mom always did want to make things easy for us." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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