On July 22, 2010, we celebrated
Marie's 90th birthday AND July
26th (her birthdate) we celebrated her birthday and her life.
In her words, after her
surprise breakfast party and concert by Piecemakers Band and chorus, "I
knew you all were up to something. I just didn't know where or when."
We breathed a sigh of relief, because we knew then that she did not
have a clue about the Tuesday, July 26th gathering of family, friends
and customers being spearheaded by her daughter, Marj.
Tuesday, a little
before noon, Marie's two daughters and three of her granddaughters
picked her up at the store to take her out for an intimate little
birthday lunch at a "nice restaurant". Long story short, they drove a
loop and ended up at Piecemakers sewing room where close to 100 people
were waiting to yell, "Surprise!" Marie was overwhelmed,
surprised and could not hold back some tears as she expressed her
gratefulness to God for the life and extended family He has given her.
It was definitely "a happening"!
See the stories of both
days in the pictures below. Click on
any picture to enlarge.
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JULY 22, 2011
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All the
preparation beforehand...
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"Happy
Birthday to you..."
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"I knew
you were up to something..."
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Concert
featured Marie's son, Mike, on guitar.
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Piecemakers chorus
sings, then back to the kitchen to blow out the candles and open gifts.
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What a
sweet face...
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The
last gift was a book, "Words from the Heart", with birthday words from
everyone.
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JULY 26, 2011
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Waiting for Marie
to arrive... poster of Marie in the 1940's.
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The door
opens...
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"Surprise!"
- and a spontaneous standing ovation.
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Don,
her eldest, greets Marie as she makes her way to her chair. Lots
of greetings...
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Lunch is
first on the agenda!
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Marie sheds tears
as she expresses her gratefulness to God, and then turns and says, "How
did you pull this off?!" Lots of visiting to do...
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Marie
shares a humorous moment with daughter Kris as she prepares to blow out
her candle on the cake made by granddaughter, Shastin.
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Pictures
to take and gifts to open, the biggest surprise being a 2-volume book
set of photos from the beginning of Marie's life till now.
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