Uncle Ralph

On Sunday and Monday I attended the visitation and funeral service of my Uncle Ralph. I can’t say that I remember spending a great deal of time with him specifically although I did enjoy many family gatherings at his home at either the farm house or the big room downstairs of his four plex.

One Thanksgiving when I was in jr. high Dad and I drove to Illinois to pick up a new Suburban. (My sister says we had Suburbans before they were cool.) Jamie, a cousin and Uncle Ralph’s granddaughter, and I stayed at Uncle Ralph and Aunt Catherine’s that night. The next morning they asked how late we stayed up. We honestly told them a very late hour. Uncle Ralph said, “Well, we know you’re telling the truth because we know exactly how late you were up!” I guess we weren’t as quiet as we thought we had been. My dad just said, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

Dad asked Uncle Ralph and Aunt Catherine to bring my grandmother to AL for my high school graduation, but that trip didn’t work out. They visited later in the summer, and then they were in SC when Mary was in Othello and graduated with her master’s and I graduated with a bachelor’s degree.

At Mark’s wedding Uncle Ralph suggested that I make it easier for family and get married in central IL. I still smile at the lack of necessity of that request.

A niece on the other side of the family commented that Ralph was their famous uncle. That was true for us as well. It was impressive to tell others that our uncle worked in the Reagan administration. It was interesting at the funeral he was described as a modern day Joseph since his job at the USDA was to monitor the surplus grain supplies of the 80s.

I thought this comment in the on-line condolences shows just one of the many characteristics of his leadership:
For so many of us, Heinold was a family and Ralph was the head of that family. He taught us, championed and mentored our goals, listened to our challenges and helped us move forward. The Klopfenstein family opened their home to us all on many occasions and the company's feeling was also about hospitality. The camaraderie was unbelievable in those days. Whenever we get together, we thank our stars for having had the work, fun, and friendship interactions in the Heinold years in our memories. Life is good, but in the work/family department, so far, nothing has compared.

On Thursday and Saturday as my friend and I traveled I read my father’s recently published memoirs. I had read a pre-published edition last fall and this didn’t stand out to me. However, on Thursday when I knew that Uncle Ralph had very little time left on this earth, I was really humbled and touched when I read that when my father in his mid-20s was living for a short time with Uncle Ralph and Aunt Catherine in LaGrange, Uncle Ralph invited Dad to church on a Wednesday night. Through that Dad became acquainted with several young people in the church and eventually became a Christian. In that group of young people was the lady who became his wife and my mother. I am thankful that Uncle Ralph was willing to step out and invite Dad to church that night—something that my not have come naturally with a family member. Had he not, who knows how my father’s steps would have been different.

The weekend was good to reconnect with aunts, uncles, cousins and meet others as well. There is always some sadness at the passing of an individual yet there is joy knowing that Uncle Ralph is in the presence of God in a body no longer ravaged by disease.