After the musical tribute and memorial service in Jackson, people crowded into cars to make the 90-plus mile journey to Rocky Mount Cemetery. We wound around the two-lane highway deep into the Mississippi woods that Sam loved so dearly. And we kept winding. Then a few drops of rain fell and then the sky opened up until we could hardly see the road in front of us. Everyone kept saying "the sky really is crying." Finally we arrived at the small community known as Paulding and then we turned onto a gravel road and THEN we turned onto a red dirt road which was a little muddy by this time. The road ended at the top of the hill where the small country cemetery sat and Sam was laid to rest next to his parents. We are thankful that the rain had turned to a soft drizzle by this time.

Sam liked having his own way and being laid to rest with his parents in Mississippi was a big deal to him. It really mattered to him and I, for one, am happy that Sam got what he wanted.