But what would everybody’s epitaphs be?

Here lies meowzart
A true Roadfooder at heart
She was done in
From eating crispy chicken skin

(Just for an example…)

I had the pleasure (?) of attending a Polish wake in PA not too long ago. It was held at a local fire hall and had so much food and booze it seemed like it was catered and really was better than alot of wedding receptions I had gone to. The friends and family brought enough food to last a week. Everyone said it was a typical Polish tradition to celebrate the lives of the people not the death of someone although he missed a heck of a party.

South Boston was a pretty unique place where the only thing better than a good Irish Catholic wake (yep, that’s what we call ’em) was the St. Paddy’s Day parade! Those Irish Catholics (now, I’m a proper Methodist) would actually STAND IN LINE to get into the wake! Afterwards there was much consumption of Guinness, Bass, Harp and Jameson’s whiskey. The Irish don’t care what they eat, as their national spices are salt and pepper, they adopted corned beef from the Jewish, so the food was an afterthought. When I get 86’d by the Master Chef I hope there is a feast from here to kingdom come!!! With lots of foies gras from Perigord and really good champagne! Living well is the best revenge. [}:)][}:)]

That describes the way every funeral I have attended here in Texas. Folks come before "to visit" and drink coffee, then afterwards a community meal.

A few months ago I went to a funeral in teeny-tiny Tow, TX, at Lake Buchanan. The ladies of the little community prepared a lovely meal at the little community hall.

Aside from all the casseroles (no shrimp and crab here), there were dishes of cheese grits, hominy and fritos, and taco salads, as well as several jello salads. It seems that there is always coconut or lemon cake served.

Everyone stays the whole afternoon, as Mayhaw said – mostly gossiping. As dusk falls, everyone leaves in groups for a final visit to the cemetery. Then there will usually be another gathering at the home of the dearly departed with a little drinking, more gossip, and playing and singing.

I must add that the cemetery on the hill top in Tow is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I have ever seen.

I want a funeral just like the one I described to a journalist who queried me about food at funerals in the deep south. Below is my response:

Unfortunately I just experienced a couple of Southern Funerals. One being the death of a good old friend with a couple of kids and an "Old Uptown New Orleans" background and all of the baggage that comes with that upbringing. He was someone who would be described as an old line "wasp". He had long been suffering with The Big C and if there is such a thing as a blessing in death, this was probably it.

The other funeral was for a working class guy who lives in my small town in South Louisiana. Nice guy, good kids, the whole bit. Had a big fat heart attack and keeled over in his attic while working on his A.C. He was a South Louisiana Cajun Catholic.

I had occasion to write obits for both of them and people held both of them in high regard. I hope people speak as well of me when I go "ten toes up". [:0]

My point in talking about these guys is that regardless of social standing and religious or economic status, the food at both homes before and after the funeral was pretty much the same. By any measure if one was reviewing the meals and snacks prepared and served by friends of the deceased, they would get high marks. Part of it is that no one wants to put something substandard out on a table and have it sit like the ugly kid at the dance and the other part is that the food represents an offering of love to the family. Breads of all kinds, every kind of sweet and cake you could want and CASSEROLES.

I don’t know what the deal is with casseroles and the South and funerals, but man will people bring ’em out for a funeral meal. Seafood, meat, vegetable, etc. All kinds and all sizes and shapes. At one of these events I had a shrimp and crabmeat deal that was as good as anything I have ever eaten (both the shrimp and the crabmeat were fresh within 24 hours and it was prepared by the wife of the guy who caught them)

My mother (who I called just to ask her about this) says that casseroles make sense because there is always too much food and they can easily be frozen by the bereaved family to enjoy later. I guess that makes sense because there is too much food generally. People here in my part of the South tend to go to to the homes of the family if they know them fairly well before the funeral and almost everyone has a visitation after the funeral at their home (what else are you going to do with out of town guests? After all, good manners dictate entertaining guests, even if someone has died).

Also, this being South Louisiana, there is an inordinate amount of drinking and conviviality going on as relatives end up using funerals as impromptu family reunions. As wierd as it sounds, I love funerals in my family. I will see people that I love and care about and generally don’t get the opportunity to see and one othe rbonus is that people seem to have their guard down after a death and the quality of the gossip goes WAAAYYY up…….." Did you hear about Aunt Lena? No? Well let me tell you, she took up with the new assistant minister from First Methodist and is acting like she is twenty years old. Her husband Hank is probably rolling over in his grave right now. I tell you what, if her Mama was alive she wouldn’t be carrying on like that!"

I would like to point out that my funeral expeience among my Jewish friends in the South has been much the same. I think that there is a level of "old world" tradition that has kind of hung on. While the body is no longer laid out in the living room (which I believe is the basis for the visitations at the deceased homes), there is still a very general attitude of "what can we do to help you out?" that pervades my little part of the world. There is a very tangible feeling that someone’s life should be celebrated after he has passed, instead of an overwhelming feeling of sadness at t,21,42926.003,1,14084,65.118.24.3
42928,42926,42926,2003-10-30 10:56:20,RE: “”86’ed”” ROAD FOODERS”

Easy answer to that question for me; what has always been and I hope always will be done in these parts; that same great Southern home cooking I just stated made for my best ever meal; this meal consisting of the great individual dishes brought in by the more distant family members, friends, neighbors in the community, whether served at the home or at the church, as is now frequently done. No better way to go out than with loved ones having the food you loved best.

wooden snowshoes, e-mail for more info. Hopefully I won’t 86 before you do. [:)]

You’ll know I’m gone because death is probably the only thing that can shut me up! That rock-a-billy funeral comment reminds me of one of my favorite rock-a-billy tunes:

When I die, don’t you bury me at all
Just hang my bones up on the wall

…there’s still alot of rhythm in these rockin’ bones!

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

quote:

Originally posted by spadoman

When I get word from where ever such word comes from that I must be put in a home of some sorts, I bequeeth that I get pushed off shore in a canoe on Lake Superior.
Now, this lake stays cold all year long, and knowing from my days in college that hypothermia is a great way to go, I figure that I just roll overboard and let the cold lake take me.

Last time I was in da UP, we were at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Musuem (the searchers all say they’d a made Whitefish Bay if they put 15 more miles behind them), it was July, and it started to snow. I love the UP. 11 months of winter, one month of bad sledding.

Clothier, believe it or not, I make snowshoes. November 10th is the anniversary of the "Wreck" They toll the bell 29 times. All the radio stations play Gordies hit just about all day.

But the pasties are Great! (had to keep the food thread goin’)

I agree with some of the posts here. When I get "whaked" by the Devine ruler of the universe, I want my friends to have a good time at a "party" in my honor. (I am assuming that someone will show up in addition to my kids wanting to know what the "will" states).

I think Funeral Parlors are out of date. They should have a bar in the viewing room and play CD’s or records that I like. A funeral should have Beef Sandwiches and Hot Dogs from Chicago, good music, a dance floor, invite all the relatives and ex wives and girl friends, and for every drink that someone has pour a shot of Vodka on me in the casket.

I am going to get cremated. Before the "box" is rolled into the "oven" I requested that a Chicago Hot Dog (with peppers) and Beef Sandwich (with sweet peppers) be there with a large order of good ole Chicago Perogies. If the funeral parlor allows, a side order of White Castle hamburgers (Grease could effct the oven)can be added (Appreciate that). Get this all burned up and spread these ashes over the mountains of Colorado. (It is warmer here than Chicago and the food will last longer for me).

I am in favor of the "old time" versions of Funerals vs. the "Sob Events" we have today. Remember the Good Times and celebrate the transition to a new world with the best foods and booze that Heaven can offer (there are many good chef’s up there and a great barmaid I once "knew"). If they have Email up there I will continue to post and let you know where to go plus directions.

In Heaven there is the best! Good food and Bill and Hillary are not there yet. There is also no concern over being overwheight or having to take Vaigra. No SPAM (Ahhhh).

My 2 cents.

Don
Castle Rock, Colorado

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

We dumped my Bubbe off the Pagaoda in the middle of Reading, PA.

My grandfather was strewn to the winds off of Avalon, NJ. Then we proceeded to the White House Sub shop in Atlantic City and stuffed our selves silly in his memory.

Just remember to stand down wind.

Because of the food at the White House? [}:)]

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

I haven’t seen a post from Kimchee in a long time.

Spadoman, stay out of those canoes. Isn’t that how those guys got abducted by aliens?

LONESTAR: It’s nice to be missed. I’m still among the living. I’ve been very busy lately, but I check "Roadfood" every day. Once all of the activity dies down (no pun intended), I’ll be able to contribute more. I’m wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween, too.