The Roblee Blog: January 2012

This weekend has definitely been an emotional one to say the least. We had a beautiful memorial service to celebrate Adele's life at St. Andrews by-the-Sea in Pacific Beach on Friday, January 20th and so many people showed up to support our family. Many thanks to everyone who came. The Roblee and Heink families so appreciate all of your love and hugs during this time.

One beautiful thing that comes in the midst of mourning is the gathering of friends and family to remember, tell stories, reminisce, cry, laugh and celebrate. Some of Ralph and Adele's family members traveled from Florida and Oregon to attend the memorial. Adele's brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Mary Lou Heink, nieces Jobie Woltman and Leta Mosebach, nephew Karl Heink, and Ralph's sister and brother-in-law Al and Hansie Freebury spent the weekend visiting and we enjoyed their company so much. I hadn't even met Jobie or Karl before, so it was such a treat to sit down and chat with the family and get to know them more. We spent time at the Roblee house the night before the memorial and had a wonderful time reminiscing over some yummy food and preparing our hearts for the day ahead.

Friday was the memorial - it was simple and beautiful. From Adele's beloved Pacificaires choir, to the eulogies, to the interment...everything went so smoothly. Although there were many tears, I think everyone was embracing the wonderful thought that Adele was no longer in pain. This, indeed, is something to truly celebrate.

On Saturday, the family got together again and headed over to Jim Guy's home, aka "Grossmont." This is where we spend our Christmas Eve every year and it's one of Adele's favorite places. As I've mentioned in blogs past, this is the home of Adele's great grandmother Madame Schumann-Heink. Not only is it a home full of history, but also of memories and good times. Jim and Maureen welcomed us in and gave a little tour for our out of town family members. It was a treat for them to spend some time here since Adele loved it so much. The kids ran around and climbed on the rocks (so did the big boys!). It's such a beautiful place with an incredible view! It was a privilege to spend this last Christmas Eve with Adele there. Being able to witness her walking around so well and smile so much was a gift that I know we will treasure always. Having lived many difficult years bogged down by pain, suffering and depression, it was an indescribable blessing to see her glowing with happiness.

Now, the weekend is over and the visits are done. Families travel back home and life goes on. After hearing all of the stories - some sad, some difficult, some happy - I will never forget what Mike said in his eulogy that rings so true: Adele loved her family more than anything in the world.