Last week the Hrabe clan came home
to bury its matriarch. Our father, Elmer, passed away a year earlier and now it
was time to say goodbye to Catherine. It was a bittersweet time but as we drove
through the city we all remembered why
Thank you to the city for the parks,
the swimming pools, the ice rinks and the ball fields we used when we were
kids. Thanks to the police for keeping us safe, slowing us down and even
shooing a few of us home when we were out too late.
Thank you to all the caregivers for
the checkups, operations, and even shots. For healing earaches, broken bones
and diseases we couldn’t even pronounce and for caring for our elderly parents.
Thank you to the restaurants for feeding us on the special occasions of
birthdays, proms, weddings and, yes, even funerals.
Thank you for the jobs you gave us
so we could all go to college (even the four boys and their “Route 33” at the
Post-Bulletin). Thank you to the churches that baptized, formed, and married
us. Thank you to the school system, both public and private,
teaching us to not only be good students but also good citizens.
Thank you to the public leaders and
community volunteers who made everyday life so pleasant. Thank you for mourning
with us as we said goodbye to Elmer and Catherine Hrabe, who lived in
To express our appreciation we will
open a donor-advised fund at the Rochester Area Community Foundation in our
parents’ name for the purpose of community betterment. Thank you,
Joan, Jim, Jerry, Jon, Bill and
Anne Hrabe