Mr. Archer

Yesterday was the funeral Mass for Herb Archer, 85 years old, and a long-time parishioner at SS Philip & James Church.  There were many, many people at church and that should make all of his family members very proud. 

Herb's primary job was as an employee at Superior Meats for 31 years.  He then drove a school bus for Northwest Schools for 17 years. 

Two of the people who sang in the choir for his Mass were among those Herb transported here and there.  For one of them, it was the Archers' garage where they waited to take the bus to Central Catholic High School.  For another one of them, Mr. Archer was her bus driver for a long while.  According to Fr. McCaffrey, those bus loads of kids were "his" kids to Mr. Archer who took the job very seriously and put a lot into it.

One of those bus riders was Jill.  Jill Burke started out as Jill Galehouse in Canal Fulton, Ohio, and it was obvious from a young age that she was blessed with a wonderful singing voice.  Then Jill became Jill Jordan and she went to Nashville and was under contract for a period of years.  She never really achieved the highest eschelon of fame in the country/western genre, but you would not have known that yesterday when she sang two songs for Herb.   Jill was Country Newcomer of the Year in 1989, quite the honor from a competitive industry, and her beautiful voice remains strong and true.  Her talent today is shown in nursing homes where she entertains residents.

The first song was during Communion -- Ave Maria.  After Communion, she sang Heirloom, a country song familiar to most of us and made popular by Amy Grant. 

I think that the words are profound and should resonate with every one of us.  Who doesn't have boxes of photos and a few "heirlooms" about?  Who doesn't have containers of memories?  And really, in the grand scheme of things, what does all of this stuff mean except for the people we love captured in that moment in time.

So this is Heirloom. 

• Songwriters: Brown Bannister, Robert Burk Farrell, Amy Lee Grant

Up in the attic, down on my knees
Lifetimes of boxes, timeless to me
Letters and photographs, yellowed with years
Some bringing laughter, some bringing tears

Time never changes the memories, the faces
Of loved ones who bring to me
All that I come from and all that I live for
And all that I'm going to be
My precious family is more than an heirloom to me

Wisemen and shepherds down on their knees
Bringing their treasures to lay at His feet
Who was this wonder, baby yet King?
Living and dying, He gave life to me

Time never changes the memory, the moment
His love first pierced through me
Telling all that I come from and all that I live for
And all that I'm going to be
My precious Savior is more than an heirloom to me

My precious Jesus
Is more than an heirloom to me.



It says a lot.



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