August 2004

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Recently I told the story of Mother and Aunt Rebecca's funeral procession. There is another funeral procession story in our family, again involving my mother.

This funeral was in the winter of 1958. The deceased was Mother's Uncle Bob, one of her father's brothers and the patriarch of the Gastonia branch of the family. He was a physician, and the source of much of the family's medical advice over the years. Note that his death was about three months after my father's.

One of the relatives attending was Kemp Doughton, nephew of Robert L. and a politician in his own right---Kemp was in the State House of Representatives for eleven years or so, and was Speaker the last six. So he was rather well known in the state, even though his last term had just expired.

Another rainy North Carolina day, late afternoon. Kemp wasn't planning to stay for the burial, which was several miles across town from the church where the funeral was held. He offered Mother a ride home. She accepted, and asked if he would mind dropping her by a department store for a quick errand en route. He was happy to do so, and the pair of them got in Kemp's car and headed out.

I bet you know what happened. Everybody knew Kemp. Everybody thought Kemp knew what he was doing, and that he was going to the graveside part. Kemp managed to get himself going in the funeral procession, without realizing it...it was dark and rainy enough to need lights on, anyway. So he made the turn to go to the department store, and everyone in line after him thought the procession was taking Uncle Bob for one last ride down Main Street, until Kemp pulled over to park.

Yes, my mother took fully half the congregation to Belk's.