Maycel E. Gebhardt - 5/17/18

Graveside Service for Maycel Gebhardt

May 17th, 2018

Maycel E. Gebhardt was born April 7, 1929 in LaHarpe, the daughter of Amos and Flo Nelson Bundy, one of 11 children. She worked in her parents’ restaurant growing up and attended La Harpe schools. On July 2, 1947 she married Edward L. Gebhardt in LaHarpe. They enjoyed 66 years of marriage together before his death in 2013.

Maycel worked at the Lomax Canning factory and W.R.I.C. in Burlington, IA. She babysat for many years and was proud, even in recent years, of the impact she’d had on the lives of so many. Even as people would stop in at the nursing home to see her, they would say, “Maycel watched me (or my kids) growing up.” Maycel loved being around her family and following her grandchildren’s sporting activities. She also liked bowling, riding her bike, and walking. Even after she was in the nursing home, she looked forward to going on walks with Kerry or anyone else who she could get to go with her. If the weather didn’t permit walking outside, they would walk laps at the nursing home.

She was a member of the LaHarpe United Methodist Church and a 45 year member of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Maycel died at 1:10 AM Monday, May 14, 2018 at the LaHarpe-Davier Health Care Center at the age of 89.

She is survived by 3 sons, William Ed (Carol) Gebhardt of Burlington, IA, Kerry L. (Beth) Gebhardt of Blandinsville, IL and Marvin (Kelly) Gebhardt of LaHarpe, 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren and one sister Frances (Eldon) Neff of Burlington.

She was preceded in death by her husband, one son, Byron Gebhardt, 5 brothers: Julian, Harold, Billie, Amos and James "Dude" Bundy, 4 sisters: Pauline Link, Betty Melvin, Viola Hainline and Edna Furrow and her parents.

Maycel Gebhardt was a woman who didn’t believe in doing things halfway. If she was going to do something, she did it at full speed. Whether that was work, her family, her marriage, or most anything else, Maycel put everything she had into it.

That was especially evident in her marriage. She and Edward loved each other dearly and as the years went by that love grew even more. When Maycel had to go to the nursing home, Edward just couldn’t stay away (part of that was because Maycel wouldn’t let him!). He would come and visit her every day, often many times each day. When Edward got sick and couldn’t come visit her anymore, Maycel was beside herself. After 6 weeks of not being able to visit one another, and when it became clear that the end was near for Edward, Maycel finally got to visit him. Those who were there remember the moment they got to see each other again vividly. They both lit up with joy at being reunited. She was saddened when the love of her life was no longer in her life.

Maycel worked hard at her jobs. She wasn’t afraid of hard work, and would sometimes spend the entire day picking strawberries at 10 cents per box so she could earn a little extra money on the side. She even would have her boys help her sometimes. She was also happy to make dishes with fresh-picked strawberries, whether it was strawberry pie, strawberry shortcake, or anything else, Maycel knew it was worth the effort.

She always made sure her family was well-fed. She was good at making food stretch, but the boys never went hungry, even if it meant they ate a lot of macaroni and tomatoes growing up. She made the best homemade noodles, and everyone enjoyed it when she made chicken and noodles. Though her holiday menu rarely changed, there really wasn’t much need for it to change. She would always make sure you left full and happy.

Maycel was quite adept at getting her way. Edward always treated her well and tried to make sure she was always taken care of. If you spent much time with Maycel, you quickly learned that you would be doing things her way. She had a particular idea about how things were going to be done, and that’s pretty much how they were done. If you ever tried to argue with her, you probably discovered pretty quickly that it was not a good idea. All that would be accomplished is that you would be tired by the end of it. I think it’s fair to say that Maycel had a bit of a stubborn streak. She had decided that she wanted to have a room to herself once she moved to the nursing home. And for the most part, she was successful in getting her way. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, however, on the part of the staff at the nursing home. They tried pairing her up with a number of different people…but none of them ever worked out. Maycel managed to get her way once again.

With that said, she was also fiercely loyal. She loved her family and was committed to them no matter what. Her boys were her world, and even their wives knew that Maycel thought they deserved the absolute best.

After Edward died, Maycel wanted to make sure her boys didn’t forget about her. Though they were good about visiting her regularly, she would constantly find ways to get them to come up to the nursing home as well. The same was true with Kelly. Though Kelly worked there and she got to see her regularly, Maycel always seemed to find a way to get her to come in on her day off too! She just loved being with family.

She absolutely adored her grandkids. It didn’t matter what they were doing, if her grandkids were playing a sport or competing in some way, she wanted to be there to support them. Through the years she played many games of Uno and Skip-bo, and put together many puzzles with them. Some of those puzzles are still on display somewhere in the family even today.

She loved her family tremendously, but a close second may have been her love for chocolate. She was always excited to see Kerry on Sundays, but she was also excited to see what chocolate Kerry brought her. Whether it was 3 Musketeers, Reese’s, Hershey’s, or something else, she was so appreciative. She enjoyed eating it, but I think she enjoyed sharing it with others almost as much.

Maycel’s impact could be seen in the lives of many others. The children she cared for when she babysat all came to love her, as did their parents. Her family never doubted her love for them. And even though she gave them all a hard time, the staff at the nursing home ultimately knew Maycel loved and appreciated them as well. She was a woman who lived well and will be remembered for that.

It is hard, however, to stand in a cemetery at the grave of someone we love, even if they’ve lived a long and full life. There is part of us that wonders if this is it, if this is all there is. There are many people who will tell you that you live, you die, and that’s it. If that were true, a cemetery would be a pretty depressing place to be. But fortunately, I don’t believe that is true. In the Bible we are told that the end of this life is not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a new chapter in the story. We are told that those who trust in Jesus Christ to forgive them of their sins and who seek to follow Him with their lives continue to live even though they die.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in the Bible,

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling…For while we are in this earthly tent, we groan and are burdened…because we long to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up in life. (2 Corinthians 5:1-2,4)

This is not merely wishful thinking. I believe this to be true with every fiber of my being. I suspect that Maycel did as well. This was the hope that she clung to, even as her own body began to fail her.

If Maycel trusted in Jesus for her salvation, then today she is not here. Today we do not lay to rest Maycel Gebhardt. We only lay to rest her earthly remains. She lives on. And if you trust in Jesus, if you follow Him with your life, then one day you will be reunited with her in Heaven—and what a reunion that will be.

I want to share with you one other passage of scripture. It is one that seems kind of strange, but it actually very instructive for us.

Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies--so the living should take this to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

King Solomon says that it is better to spend time at funerals than at parties. This seems like a strange statement, because funerals aren’t much fun, but parties are supposed to be. I think what Solomon was teaching us was this: every one of us will eventually die, and it is only when we stand at a grave that we are often forced to wrestle with the uncomfortable truth of our own mortality. It is easy to overlook things like that when we’re having fun at a party. But as we stand at a funeral, what is most important comes into sharp focus.

If I may, I would challenge you today to focus on what is most important as you stand here today. We remember today that the amount of money you made, or the stuff you accumulate is really of little lasting importance, even though our society says it is. At the end of life, that stuff simply fades away. So we should learn to invest in things that matter.

I believe that’s what Maycel Gebhardt did. She invested in people rather than stuff. She leaves behind a legacy of family, of people she had cared for, and of changed lives. I hope you learn from Maycel’s life that hard work isn’t something to be afraid of, but to be sure you are working for something that lasts. If you do, you can reach the end of your life proud and with no regrets.

I would also remind you that the questions of faith and of what happens after you die become very practical when you stand in a cemetery. It’s easy to dismiss those questions are merely hypothetical throughout the rest of life, but here they take on particular relevance. So let me challenge you to wrestle with the questions of faith for yourself. They are too important to simply leave unanswered.

My prayer today is that you will be comforted by the memories you have of Maycel Gebhardt, but also that you will be comforted by the fact that this life is not all there is. And if you will follow after Jesus, you have in store for yourself a grand reunion in Heaven, that is too great to even imagine.

Will you pray with me?

Our heavenly Father, today we come with mixed emotions. On the one hand, we are grateful that Maycel has been delivered from the frustration of a failing body, we are grateful at the reunion she has experienced with the loved ones who have gone before her, but we also mourn at the loss that we experience today. We mourn at the fact that there will never be another conversation, another walk, or another phone call with Maycel in this life.

So Lord, please comfort this family as they grieve. Help them to ever remember the impact and the love that Maycel had for each of them. Remind them of the truth that this is not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a new chapter. And bring them strength as you bring them closer together. Father, please carry this family through the difficult times ahead, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.