Family and love is such a perfect thing, but next to when I had my own grandpa pass away six years ago, this has been one of the hardest things to see loved ones and family go through. I know how terrible it is to have someone suffer for so long with an illness. You don't want them to leave you and your family, but you know they will be better off and will be their loved ones that have passed on before them. Death is never and easy thing, and it was hard to watch Ike have to go through such a terrible yet beautiful. It is sad when death brings those in your family who may not be as close, closer and they have a change of heart and try to be around the family more and start to make changes in their lives that they know and wish they would have made years ago.
I haven't been in the family and known grandma for a long time, but when it comes to a loved one passing on, it doesn't matter how long you have known someone or been in their family it doesn't make it any easier. The week after grandma passed away was a rough one and emotions were higher than normal, I am a ball baby, but this week was even worse. It seemed as if it wasn't quite real yet and when you walked into grandma and grandpa's house that she would be sitting in the corner in her chair welcoming into the home and asking if you were hungry. Everything seemed to spark a memory you had with her or that reminded you of her. The Sunday after she passed all the family came together to plan everything out, many visits of family friends were made, the phone rang, and meals and treats were brought to the home. It is crazy to know how much a loved one was loved by others and the impact she made in their lives.
The viewing was perfect, there were tables of memories, pictures, flowers, her high school day of teaching, and any thing else that pertained to her. The flowers lined the walls and halls and were stacked high to make sure all were seen. They had the family prayer (which i missed cause i all of a sudden got a bloody nose), after that we all had our turn to say our last goodbyes to grandma before they closed the casket. Emotions ran high, the sniffles were going, and the spirit was so strong; you knew grandma was in that room comforting each of her family members. We know this is not the end and that we will see her again if we continue to do our part her on earth. The funeral was filled with music which she had requested. The great grandkids sang popcorn popping, Ike, Randi Jo, Halee, and Sheri sang In the Garden, some friends sang How Great Thou Art, and all the granddaughters sang Remember When. It was all so good and such a good tribute to grandma, stories were shared and memories were made. After the funeral we headed to the cemetery, more tears were shed, more sniffles came, and our last and final goodbyes were said. Ike gave the dedicatory prayer over the grave, it was good and helped us all to remember to go and visit her often. It made me feel bad that I hadn't been out to visit my grandpa very often or lately, I need to start being better and going to see both and let them know how much I love and miss them. We hung out at the graveside for as long as we could and headed back to the church to eat some Red Velvet cake, grandma's favorite. We dispersed the flowers with everyone and headed home for the rest of the night.
We love you and miss you so much grandma and can't wait to be able to see you again someday. We visit you often as does your sweetheart to let you know we are thinking about you. We have continued to do the traditions that you have missed out on so far this year and will always continue them. We know you are in a better place and was greeted by many that had passed on before you. Love you again.
The first table you saw as you walked into the church; the flower arrangement in the middle is the one from Ike, Wytten, and I. It was so bright and cheerful just how grandma used to always be.
Grandma's kitchen table...it never failed she always had three candy jars on top of her fridge filled with candy and the kids always knew it would be there. One was jelly beans, another peanut m & m's, and the other skittles. So the daughter-in-laws when putting everything together decided they needed to have some treats for the people who come and give their condolences to the family.
Telling the boys the story about the rings they were about to get.
The rings grandma had made for her son's, Allen, Mark, and Jeff, as well as Ike and Zac. They are elk ivory's that were her dad's and she had them made into rings and then put "I Love You" on the inside band as well as their initials.
Grandma talked to Ike and had him get these done for her, she said she wanted her boys to have them for Father's Day. Well when she got really sick, Ike got right on it and got them going, he had a couple of pictures she had to decide on and to decide exactly how she wanted them made. The night before she died Ike showed her a picture of what the rings will look like. The next morning when she had passed away he got on the phone with S.E. Needhams and wanted to make sure to have them to give to her boys the day of the funeral. We went over the day of the viewing and picked them up and he gave them to them that same day. It was a little piece of her and her family that they will always have and cherish and remind them of how much she loved each of her boys.
Some flowers they brought from the viewing and funeral to the cemetery. I have never seen so many beautiful flowers in my life, she was sure loved and looked up to by a lot of people. Joe Rudd, the guy who did the viewing and funeral, said in all the years he has done it he has never seen so many flowers brought. That sure does say something about the impact she made on so many peoples lives.
Ike gave the dedicatory prayer of the grave.
Little girls picking their flowers to dry to remind them of grandma.
Wytten was a little excited for the balloons we were going to let go to send up to grandma. It was only fitting to get Bear River Red cause that was her favorite color; her and grandpa never missed a game at bear river.
Whispering into wytten's ear that grandma loves him and telling him the balloons are going up to grandma.
Most of the family and friends had left to head back to the church, we were still there, I looked over and grandpa was giving her one last kiss and said his goodbyes. Really got my tears a going when he starting crying and saying he missed her and didn't want her to go and why she had to leave him here alone.
one last kiss for grandma
The necklace I received that was grandma's. All the granddaugthers and two granddaugther-in-laws got a necklace that was her's, we all wore them that day in remembrance of her and continue to wear them to remember her.
