Funeral Homily for Larry Gihring

[Isaiah 49:13-16 / 2 Peter 3:17,18 / Luke 2:25-32

Leona, John, family and friends of Lorenz Gihring, who would ever have believed upon first meeting Larry that he was almost 90? He certainly had no slowing of his mental capacities and he was spry as could be. Whose birthday did he forget? He was a man whose life followed a plan. He was organized, and that organization was in the service of kindness and love. How do you turn out to be a man like that? Think of his unspeakable patience as his second wife, Ann, grew ever more confused and slipped into forgetfulness. His loyalty did not waiver. His kindness seemed to have no end. I can still see them sitting together at the InnKeeper and he faithfully watching over her. Where did such profound inner strength come from? What’s the secret to a Lorenz Gihring?

To understand, you’d have to go back to that cold December day in 1919 when Minnie and Fred picked up their little bundle and hauled him off to the Baptismal font. As Pastor Hansen poured the water over that little one’s head in the name of the blessed Trinity, new life was poured out on Larry. His sins were taken away - all of them - and the promise of an eternity was given to him. Did you hear it in our first reading today?

“I will never forget you; I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Larry grew up in that assurance, in that loving embrace of the Triune God. And when he was still just a youngster - you can see his picture hanging up downstairs in the basement - he knelt before this altar when the building was only a couple year’s old and Pastor Hansen who had baptized him all those years before, confirmed him in the holy faith. As those aged hands pressed down on that young head, the words of 2 Peter 3:18 rang out: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory now and to the day of eternity.”

And that’s the secret of his life: he never stopped growing in the grace of God. He never stopped marveling at it, as you will hear very shortly when I read you the obituary he himself composed.

And he knew life was all about was praising the Lord; the Cardinals may be great and fun to follow, but you missed out on life, in his opinion, if you weren’t offering praise to God: “To Him be the glory now and to the day of eternity!” So all the years in the choirs, all the singing and the joy of the Church’s round of services. He faithfully attended them all and used his voice to give glory to the One who had chosen him, named him His own, and promsied that He would never forgot His little Lorenz Immanuel.

The strength of a man like Larry Gihring, then, is found in his very close walk with the Blessed Trinity. Faithful in his prayers, faithful in his service, faithful in his witness. Oh, he knew he was a sinner and he never pretended otherwise, did he? How many times did he gather with others in this room to confess that he deserved nothing from God but temporal and eternal punishment, and yet he never despaired. He pleaded always for mercy and grace in Jesus and knew that that prayer was not in vain. He lived in grace - for He knew that he had been engraved on His Savior's hands by the marks of the nails. The hands that held him tight bear witness forever to the grace that blotted out all sin!

And so he was ready to go whenever the Lord called. Like Simeon in today’s Gospel, he had held the Lord and seen him face to face - happened each time he came to receive the body and blood of his Savior - and there is nothing that sets one free to love like the certain joy of eternal life. Larry remembered as he received the Eucharist how the Lord promised him that he would never forget him, never leave him, never let him go.

That’s the secret to Larry, my friends. He lived his life in the joy of sins forgiven, eternal life won, and knowing that death, when it came would never be the end of him. He lives His life praising God. He kept on go on growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and he will keep on growing into it forever! Christ holds his soul in His safe-keeping and when the time comes, will raise his flesh from the dead on the Last Day. Larry knew that and He knew there was nothing more certain in this life than a promise from Jesus Christ.

And such knowledge set him free to love like he did - Tom, you told me the other day, “he was like my own Uncle.” Leona, you know what a dear friend he was to you and how he just wasn’t going to let up until he got you going to church with him and communing together. I’m sure he spoke about that to you, his family, too - and with Larry it never so much had the feeling of “you had better do this” but always the flavor of “you don’t want to miss out on this!” That’s what made his witness so winning.

A faithful soldier to his country, a loving husband to two wives, and a faithful companion to Leona here in these last years - as she was to him - a man who loved his family and never tired showing pictures of them (and of his trip to Germany!). Ask me how I know! A man whose life was simply an icon of the love of Jesus Christ; proof of the holiness which God can work in a person who humbly walks with God on this earth for 90 years. He was our Larry and we will miss him. But let his strong and bold faith be your comfort in these days, and let it challenge you to taste also the goodness of the Lord who comforts His people and gives them an eternal life. Then when your last hour comes, you too will be able to pray: “Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace. Amen.

Here are the words that Larry gave me some years ago to read for his obituary, I have modified them only by bringing up to date who preceded him in death and who survived: Lorenz “Larry” Gihring was born December 10, 1919 to Fred and Minnie Schlechte Gihring in Hamel, IL. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s, Hamel. In 1951 after getting married, he and his first wife, Agnes, transferred to Zion Lutheran in Bethalto, living in Meadowbrook. They both sang in the adult choir for over 25 years. Agnes died in 1978. After remarrying, Ann and Larry continued to worship at Zion in Bethalto until 1997, when they moved to Hamel and in 1998 transferred back to St. Paul’s. While at Zion Lutheran at Bethalto, he continued to sing in the adult choir, was also active in Voters’ and men’s club, served as elder and trustee for a few terms. I know there is no salvation in good works, but if we love God we will want to serve him. We are saved only by the grace of God through faith, lest any should boast. Larry retired from Laclede Steel in 1982. He was a member of the VFW in Alton (local 3643). He was in the army Illinois 33rd division from April 1942 to November 1945 in the Pacific Arena. Surviving, one son John Douglas Gihring of Godfrey, 4 grandchildren, 4 great grand children, one step son, Joe Urban and wife Donna, 2 step grand children, nieces and nephews, and his dear friend Leona Daube. Preceding him in death, his first wife Agnes, his second wife Ann, his parents, 3 brothers and 1 sister and spouses and 1 great grandson Jonathan.