The Trip To Erie

The staff at the nursing home thought there might be another infection brewing on Thursday the 18th. On Friday test results confirmed that, and Suerk dutifully swollowed his anti-biotic pill. By Saturday, for the first time since the accident, it seemed the infection might not respond to the treatment. One of Suerk's favorite new friends, Nurse Tammy, called Sunday morning to say she was fairly certain that this was the end. Cousin Jerry Cohen rushed over and called back to say, "Get here if you want to see him again." Tom Weber, Dave McChesney and Rabbi Bush hurried to his side, talked, prayed, told stories, laughed. Tammy called as I was boarding my flight Sunday afternoon to tell me he was gone.

They kept him for me until I arrived. It was something they asked if I wanted. I was unable to answer them, so they kept him, and I'm glad they did. It helped. I thought I might talk to him, but I didn't. I just thought thoughts.

On several occasions over the months Suerk had indicated he was no longer interested in a funeral service. He wanted a concert at Mercersburg. He knew that. He no longer liked the idea of something at a funeral home. By Monday late morning, Tom Weber had arrangements finalized for a gathering at the Erie Maennerchor Club where Tom and Suerk were members. Twenty-one of his closest Erie cousins and friends came together. Rabbi Bush blessed the gathering with the breaking of bread, read a poem, and we ate. After that we went around the room and all but three of us spoke. The stories were wonderful. That did not surprise me. What struck me most were the handful who'd known Suerk for ages, but who had only grown to love him during these twenty months since the accident. Again and again, we heard how Suerk had managed to maintain his intense interest in others, his acute sense of humor and his phenomenal memory. Always the Suerk we knew until the end.