We, the children of Beatrice Morris, decided to return to Farmingdale to hold her funeral services on Nov. 21. We chose this location for several reasons: it was the place where we grew up many years ago, our mom had a special attachment to Farmingdale and St. Kilian's church, and it was the home of her beloved surviving brother and his wife, Roger and Loretta Bell. They and their extended family were an important part of my mother's and our lives. Our mom was "Aunt Bea" to several Farmingdale residents including Roger Bell Jr., Kathy and Mike Kelly and their children, and Loretta and Mike Timko and some members of their family.

We selected St. Kilian's for the funeral services, and were so impressed with the marvelous restoration efforts of the church. It retained its elegant old charm while expanding and beautifying the facility. The "ministry of consolation," carried out by parish members (with special thanks to Sue Kohler), assisted us in planning our mom's funeral, and was a tremendously helpful and emotionally enriching experience in that difficult time. We were assisted with the funeral arrangements by the wonderful folks at McCourt and Trudden, who carried out their part in a professional manner that was very complete, competent and personal. The funeral service itself was all we hoped it could be and we thank Father Augustine, Paul Phinney and Margaret Barrett.

The town and citizens of Farmingdale should be very proud of your status. You have managed to remain a small and very homey village in this modern, hectic world. We thank you for reinforcing our fond memories, and for helping us through the difficult task of saying good-bye to our mother.