Food for after Memorial Service?

[Deechef]

This is a combination food and other stuff question. My mother died two weeks ago in C'ville Va where she had been living for the past four years to be near my sister. She lived the bulk of her life in Wilmington , Delaware. We are having a memorial service for her at a lovely Church in Wilmington on June 13th. She was 86yo so not a lot of contemporiares are still alive but enough for a lovely gathering. We are having a reception after in the Church hall and a member of the church will do the food. She suggested tea sandwiches, coffee, tea and juice. My guess is 30 people tops. There needs to be a bit more but my brain isn't working. Ideas?The service is at 12:30PM.

2nd question. We put the obit in the Wilmington paper right after her death saying a memorial service would be held at a later date. We kinda know who would come so weren't going to put an additional announcement in the paper but we are having second thoughts. I think we should announce the memorial service so someone we might not have thought of can come. Your thoughts?

[LaraW]

Sorry to hear about your mother.

If you wanted to add anything, my suggestion would be a potato salad or macaroni-type salad. Fruit salad also seems to go with that kind of food. I doubt that people need too much, but you are right, that it does seem like it needs a little more.

[Terri_A]

First, I'm sorry you've had to go through this loss. As for running an announcement, I think that I probably would. I'm always amazed that there are STILL people in my parents' lives that I don't know even though we are so close. So, just to be sure you didn't miss anyone. As for food, I think along with tea sandwiches, a fruit salad, or just cut fruit and some sort of sweet (cookies or brownies or something else simple) would be appropriate.

[Kay Henderson]

You have received good suggestions. For my mother's funeral at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, the church ladies did cookies and drinks. We filled in with trays of other things we ordered from the service deli at the local supermarket. (My daughter and her husband picked them up on their way to the funeral; they went into the large refrigerators in the social hall kitchen until needed. We had more food than was needed, but the leftovers were able to be used for church affairs on Sunday.

My thoughts are with you!

Kay

Thoughts on notifying people. If there were any groups of people you know your mother knew quite well, it might be possible to call one person and ask them to spread the word. (For example, longtime neighbors, Sunday school class, clubs, etc.)

[Deechef]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions. We are going to put an announcement in the newspaper a couple of days before the service. Her closest friends have been notified and will pass the word.

Tea Sandwiches, fruit platter of some sort and some sweets should do it. I think it will be a lovely service and bring us three kids some closure.