Buried close to the old home

Maria Moosbrugger, my dear mother-in-law and my children's granny, was buried yesterday. The churchyard is in the most beautiful place of all Allgäu, on a hill close to the famous village church of Bodnegg, just above the old house of the Moosbrugger family, with a splendid view all over the countryside, far away to Switzerland and Austria.
Maria had been born and raised with eleven brothers and sisters in the Schlotter family in Waldburg, her father a farmer and mayor of the village. Never rich, but always friendly to everybody, the huge family took care of little Klara, an orphan, accepting her as if she was a real sister. Maria and Klara had always been very close. Of all the brothers and sisters, four are living still, but from all of them at least a daughter or son came to the funeral.
The burial was done according to the traditions of the place and the catholic faith, with the village people, family and friends climbing up to the church for rosary on tuesday evening, and the burial on wednesday afternoon. The small church was filled with songs and prayers of the many friends and neighbours coming to say goodbye.
They were all invited to a traditional lunch of Gschlagene and potatoe salad in the local restaurant "Nussbaumer", opening up especially for the funeral lunch on this day.
When the family had a last look onto the grave in the evening, the coffin was already covered by earth, our wreaths and flowers decorating it. A wooden cross was set up with her name and the dates of her birth and death. It will be standing until the tomb-stone is set up. Not done by a Moosbrugger, like so many others in the churchyard. The father Otto who died ten years ago was the last of the Moosbrugger stonemasons, having come from Vorarlberg in Austria to this corner of Germany more than a hundred years ago.
My kids and I left the brothers Ulrich and Roland with his wife Sabine late in the evening to go to daily routine and work in Stuttgart, but will be back for the mass on Friday. The neighbours will be there, too, as well as to the three or four more memorial services that will be done during the next year until the important anniversary of her death when we will all meet again.
Life in these south german villages is still structured by old traditions, giving comfort and help in times of need.