We sang the songs their mother loved

We just returned from the Emogene Olson Bragstad Jacobson funeral in Roseville, a celebration of life if ever there was one.
Born in predominately Norwegian Jackson County in 1922, baptized there at Our Savior's Lutheran, she attended Waldorf College and graduated from St. Olaf in 1943. She taught school, then married a minister, the Rev. Robert Bragstad, in 1947. Her sister, Beatrice, married a minister too, Dr. Joe Knutson, who would become the president of Concordia College in Moorhead.
Emy is survived by three sons, John, Claude and Glen (Stan met John at Concordia); as well as a daughter, Regene.
Twins Glen and Claude have a tax planning firm and are friends with Stan's brother Virg. Stan hadn't talked to their big brother John for years and, whaddaya know? He's now a marriage counselor. His web site promises "Real Help for Real Problems: Serving Stillwater, Woodbury, White Bear Lake, Hudson, WI, and surrounding areas."

John Bragstad

The Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, formed by Emy and her late husband in 1957, was packed today with Lutherans in fine voice. It's a good thing. Emy loved a robust hymn sing and for her funeral she chose some of the best that the Red Hymnal has to offer:
"I Know That My Redeemer Lives,
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness
"Children of the Heavenly Father
"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
"O Day Full of Grace"
Her eldest, John, also a Luther Seminary grad, delivered a thoughtful remembrance.
After the service, lunch was served by honest-to-goodness church ladies, and the traditional green bean and mushroom soup casserole appeared prominently among the open-faced sandwiches and krumkake.
On the way home, we shared a copy of the program with veteran funeral soloist Bev Rolfsrud, 92, at Kell Avenue in Bloomington. She lit up while going through the many musical selections, singing and humming a few of the familiar lines here and there.

It's The Berger!
Old friends gathered to honor Emy
and enjoy a plateful of tradition.

And of course she knew well all the traditional numbers Emy had chosen for her prelude, alternately presented on organ and piano. At one time or another Mom's performed them all and has taught many others to sing or play them, thereby bringing these enduring tunes forward, and helping to provide a continuous spiritual backdrop to so many lives:
"Sheep May Safely Graze"
"Behold the Host Arrayed in White
"Lift High the Cross
"The King of Love My Shepherd is
"Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus
"Away in a Manager
"Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord are We
"Now Thank we All our God
And of course, "The Doxology."

The postlude was the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, played on violin and piano, truly a magnificent Amen to the celebration of a long life well-lived.