GaryOsberg.com

It has been 20 years since my dad died. We held a “Celebration of Life” for him at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala. Dad had prepared many funeral plans over the years, due in part to his decision to donate his body to the University of Minnesota Medical School. Also, in 1969 his doctors had told him that he had throat cancer and would probably only live another 5 years. He lived 36 years after the removal of his voice box. The soloist at the service asked if dad was an Elvis Presley fan, since all the songs that he choose were on an Elvis album, Evening Prayer, “He Touched Me”,” Amazing Grace” and “The Lord’s Prayer”.

I was at home the Monday evening after the service when the phone rang. I answered it with a somewhat weary voice and the woman on the other end said: “We are looking for the family of Gary Osberg”. Expecting a sales pitch, I responded: “This is Gary Osberg!”. There was a long pause, and I heard laughter in the background. I thought to myself, ‘I am not in the mood for this’. The lady came back on with: “This is the strangest phone call I have ever made. We have a floral arrangement for the funeral of Gary Osberg”. In a loud voice I proclaimed: “I AM ALIVE, IT WAS MY DAD THAT DIED! Where are you calling from?” The floral shop was in Foley, a city not even close to Upsala. She told me that she had checked with all the funeral homes and churches in her area and had no luck. I was dating a woman who lived near Clearwater at the time, so I had them deliver the flowers to Karen, and they were beautiful.

“I walked for miles at night along the beach, searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that the person would be me.” Anna Quindlen