Sep 15 - I am a pallbearer at the funeral**

Friday, September 15, 1972 - Page 259

LOCATION: Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach

4:00 PM

I woke up naturally at 6:00 A.M. and turned on Lohman & Barkley. Told mom to get up at 6:30, and around 7:30 we drove to Chunk's. I went up and got him, then we went to Grandma Dot's [Mobile Home in Santa Ana] and waited there for a car to be supplied by the mortuary [Brown Colonial Mortuary, Santa Ana]. It was a wide long car with a great deal of leg room -- Dot, Mom & I sat in the back -- Chunk & the driver were in the front.

We got to the big church where folks from Dot's & Brazzel's trailer park and the Heekin family was, plus a few other people. The main attraction was the three or four beauteous Heekin girls. At 9:00, me, Chunk, and 4 other guys (Heekins, etc.) pulled the casket outa the Hertz [actually Hearse] and stuck it on a dolly, then they wheeled it up and stopped it in front of the dias, or whatever, and for about a half hour the priest talked and we people (about 25 of us in all) listened. The priest always mispronounced the deceased's name -- he called her BRAZzel with the accent on the first syllable. After the lil' talk, they wheeled the coffin back to the vestibule and we stuck it back in the Hertz. Then we got in the car, and the other cars got into position. The priest got into the Hertz, and we took off at 20 mph with a bike cop escorting the procession to Huntington Beach where the cemetery was.

Good Shepherd Cemetery & Mausoleum
8301 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92646

Then we yanked the box out and stuck it on the strange contrivance on top of the grave. Then Mrs. Heakin, Mom, Dot, Me & Chunk sat in the chairs in front (everyone else stood) and the priest talked some more. Then us relatives signed a book, and after malingering a bit we took off again, and the guy drove us to Dot's. About 10 people showed up at the trailer (the Heekins I guess) and we chatted for an hour or so, and ate ham (I cut it) that Mrs. H brought. They left, then we left. Got back at quarter to one. I did my exercises not long ago.

TOMORROW: An unfinished sketch