Jake’s Eulogy

James (Jake) and Eugene Dicus circa 1943… in Missouri

My uncle Jake passed on this month. He was a pretty funny fellow, I think that might be because he was a shorter fellow in a family that tends to run a bit tall. Maybe that’s what made him such a talent at one-liners and a truly inspired poet who could see a story and make a humorous poem about it in minutes.  It also made him a bit of a fighter when he was a younger man…. the stories I’ve heard.

   I suppose with the hard life his family had in the Ozarks made for someone who tried to see the humor in everyday things…. while they also worked and fought hard to get out of any scrapes they were in.

   He wrote his own eulogy….. I enclose most of it here… but some is a bit too ribald for publication on a family site.   The part I cannot include was the last paragraph… the minister would not read that portion aloud at the ceremony either. Trust me, it’s funny, but if the Pastor will not read it aloud, I’d best not print it.

 Jake’s Eulogy
By James Dicus

In-state lies ol’ Jake
dressed fancy for Elain’s sake
as he lived, so should he die
laugh with him, do not cry.

No fancy duds, no jewelry fine,
short in stature, also mind.
Now he lies, he’ll lie no more.
Ends the life of this insensitive bore.

Of his deeds, some good some bad,
made some happy, others mad.
A humble man, short and fat,
If it could be done, he’d try that.

He’d read, paint and write a poem,
Strange, this fellow: content at home.
If he was here, this he’d say…
“Bingo Elaine, go right away!”

Of his friends, and this is true,
wasn’t much he wouldn’t do.
What else to say? it’s all been said.
kick his body, make sure it’s dead.

   Yeah, I always enjoyed seeing uncle Jake.

  So just today, on the radio I heard a song that made me think of him…

~Jamey Johnson~
‘In Color’

I said “grandpa whats this picture here
its all black and white it aint real clear is that you there?”
He said “yeah i was 11, times were tough back in ’35
thats me and uncle Joe just tryin to survive a cotton farm in the great depression.

“If it looks like we were scared to death like a couple of kids just trying to save each other
you should’ve seen it in color.

“Ohh and this one here was taken over seas in the middle of hell in 1943
in the winter time you can almost see my breath that was my tail gunner ole Johnny Magee
he was a high school teacher from new Orleans and he had my back right through the day we left.

“If it looks like we were scared to death like a couple of kids just trying to save each other
you should’ve seen it in color.

A picture’s worth a thousand words
but you cant see what those shades of gray keep covered
you should’ve seen it in color

“This one is my favorite one.
This is me and grandma in the summer sun
all dressed up the day we said our vows.
You can’t tell it here but it was hot that June
and that rose was red and her eyes were blue
and just look at that smile I was so proud.
Thats the story of my life right there in black and white

And if it looks like we were scared to death like a couple of kids just trying to save each other
you should’ve seen it in color.”

A pictures worth a thousand words
but you cant see what those shades of gray keep covered
you should have seen it in color.

  You can see the video of this song at ‘In Color’.