Anna and Joan in the Adirondacks

Photo above: Anna Rita Dewey Keeler, in 1940
with her daughter, Joan Barbara, aged 9.

Joan Barbara Keeler Lusk died on March 9th, 1975 (aged 43, in Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New York.) Her husband, James Thelbert Lusk and her youngest son, Roy Todd Lusk scattered her ashes at a remote spot in the Adirondaks.

Thirty-two years later, when Joan's mother, Anna Rita Dewey Keeler, passed away (aged 98, in Ilion, New York) Roy guided his uncle, Lee William Keeler, Jr. (Joan's brother and Anna's son) to the same spot, where they scattered Anna's ashes.

Roy wrote: "Uncle Lee and I paddled his canoe to . . . river to spread Grandma’s ashes along with Mom’s. It was very moving for me because it has been 32 years since I was there last (when Dad and I spread Mom’s ashes there). I had fears that I would not recognize the island that Dad and I landed on; would I remember it? Sure enough after paddling a short while (3-4 miles) we came around a corner and there it was; it hit me like it was yesterday that we were there. Uncle Lee and I paddled up to the island, beached and got out. We went to the point of the island and took turns blowing Grandma's ashes off a silver spoon into the water. I read a few prayers from Grandma’s favorite prayer book (where she made notes in the margins about how much she loved the particular prayer). It was a very gray cold day and sort of surreal, the two of us, in the middle of nowhere, spreading Grandma’s ashes, getting her back with mom . . . My grandmother with my mother, Uncle Lee’s mother with his sister."
Photos of Uncle Lee and the river taken by Roy.