Family, Food, & Funerals

Anyone who’s attended a funeral dinner knows the routine—the family of the deceased gather around tables in the church hall, eating home-cooked casseroles and desserts made by the (mostly) women church members as an offering to help provide comfort and solace to the mourners. It’s as much of the funeral ritual as the prayers, eulogy, and burial. And in some small town congregations, the women who arrange those meals are truly a force to be reckoned with.

As someone who has been on both sides of the table at such gatherings, I was drawn to Claire Swinarski’s “The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County.” Looking at the cover, I suspected it would be a nice, light, uplifting look at the lives of women—each with their own quirks—who spend their time cooking and baking as they help those around them. I forgot that old adage: don’t judge a book by its cover.

Because “Funeral Ladies” has some fairly heavy themes: losing money to scammers, gun violence, PTSD, absentee father, and death (though I did suspect that last topic would be part of the story). But I liked the book for its unflinching look at these sometimes difficult topics and how Esther Larson, her family, and friends unite to help those in the small town of Northwoods, Wisconsin. Reading about how generations come together to solve problems and the connection food has in uniting and healing people made this a very companionable read.

I look forward to helping more with funeral dinners at my church once I retire and this book reinforced my belief that is something I want to do, although I’m quite sure that the crew I’ll be joining won’t be quite like the ladies at St. Anne’s Parish. But maybe there’s more that goes on in the kitchen than I realize.

“Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County” is a book that will make you think there are still good people in the world and no doubt you’ll be craving a piece of homemade cherry pie or want to make a batch of pancakes using bacon grease on the griddle once the last page has been read.