For my Grandma and Grandpa Moss' surprise birthday party I was given the task of creating a slideshow dvd of old pictures, much like the one I did for my Grandpa Schepker's funeral. This is the finished result. Created using Garage Band and iMovie on my iMac.
My cousin DJ's future father-in-law Larry Schnackenberg went missing last Thursday.
Larry Schnackenberg Jr. was last seen at about 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 8 when he picked up merchandise at Laptop PC Center near 77th and Quivira.
He was expected at a family gathering at about 3 p.m. that same day, but he never showed.
His family reported him missing at about 6 p.m.
After police pinged his cell phone, Schnackenberg’s white Ford Explorer was found later that evening in Shawnee Mission Park. His wallet, cell phone, keys and the computer he picked up earlier that day were all in the SUV. The doors were unlocked and there were no obvious signs of a struggle in our around the vehicle.
Police say the keys were found in the Explorer but not in the ignition.
If you can help out in any way, whether on twitter or on facebook, or helping search if you are in the area, it would be greatly appreciated. There are quite a few articles on the disappearance, including this one from KansasCity.com. If you have any information regarding Larry, please contact the CrimeStoppers TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.
Well, the wake and funeral for my grandpa was Thursday and Friday of last week. It was definitely a sad time, but also a good time to reflect on how great a person my grandfather was with the whole family. All throughout the wake I could feel the tears gathering in my eyes, but for some reason I couldn't just let go. When I played the slideshow and saw my family tear up at their favorite parts, I wanted to join in with them, but couldn't. When my cousin Beth and my uncle Jim gave excellent eulogies at the funeral mass the next morning. I wanted to cry then, but couldn't. In fact, it wasn't until we reached the cemetery and watched the Marines give him a military burial that I finally started to cry. Gunshots rang out, taps played in the distance, and the slow salute, delivered with the utmost precision, got to me. When a Marine got down on one knee and thanked my uncle Stan on behalf of the President for my grandfather's service, I cried even more. It was a very emotional day, to say the least.
Things did not go off without a hitch though. On the way to the cemetery, my sister was hit by a car that did not yield to the funeral procession. Thankfully, everyone was alright. At the same time my sister was calling us to tell us about the accident, my grandma's care facility called to tell us that she was in bad shape and they wanted to transfer to the hospital or a hospice. We're still dealing with that situation and aren't sure what's going on as we're waiting for test results.
Even though it was a sad couple of days, plenty of laughter was heard at the funeral home and our family's restaurant after the ceremony. Stories about a great man were told and his corny jokes were repeated over and over, two of my favorite being, "You're funny, but looks aren't everything," and "I remember when I proposed to Sophie. She was so excited she almost fell out of bed." I also found out why my grandpa joined the Marines. If you knew my grandpa at all you would know that he was always cold. Apparently this wasn't something that came with old age, he was always that way. He heard stories coming from the Army about how cold it was in Europe. He also heard that the Marines were fighting in the Pacific. He joined the Marines because he would be warmer with them. It was great to share all these stories with the family, especially the ones who traveled from out of town. We don't see each other often, and while I prefer to see them under better circumstances, it was good to have them there. It was obvious by the amount of friends and family at the service(s) that Jacob Schepker will be missed by many and forgotten by few.
