grammy’s funeral
August 29, 2008 by so grateful to be Mormon
my mom sent the following email about my grandma’s funeral yesterday. really neat how they pulled everything together to have a funeral for her just a few days after her death. here is my mom’s email in part. i wish my back was not a mess right now cause i wanted to be there so bad to lay grammy to rest and spend a little more in person time with her before she passed away in her sleep sunday morning, but i am so glad that i knew my grandma and i glad my mom sent this email about it. i am not sad that grammy died. i am at peace that she lived and that she is no longer in pain and discomfort. she was an active fit and with it grammy my whole life and she did not want to live like she had deteriorated to in the last couple years of her 93 years. she hated that she could no longer do anything for herself anymore (even feed herself and walk and stand, everything). i am glad she is released from that.
okay ..
here’s part of the email that i rec’d this morning from my mom about her mom’s (my grandma’s) funeral yesterday …
” … Everything went VERY well today. The music was all so glorious and fine. My mother’s favorite soloist, ~DM <me here, awesome man, he and his wife and their kids adored my grammy>, sang “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked!” Later he and his son sang “Abide With Me, ‘Tis Eventide”. I’ve heard them sing before but NEVER so beautifully. My niece, ~WM <my cousin’s daughter is the epitome of a sweet respective honorable young woman and she is a joy to be around, she is grateful>, played “How Great Thou Art” on her flute and that was beautiful too. We all sang together “Lead Kindly Light” <me here, one of my favorite hymns> from our hymnal. I think we sounded really nice singing together.
I gave the Eulogy and several people told me they liked learning more about my Mother’s life. About nine <me here, nine of her 12 grandkids were able to get there for her funeral!!> of her grandchildren then told of their special memories of Grandma. That all was really sweet and sometimes humorous too. Brother ~VN gave a wonderful short talk about death and the resurrection.
I had a little trouble getting a pianist. Finally our Bishop’s wife found a wonderful pianist from another Ward for me. What a relief that was… for that filled all the blanks in the program. She was a fine pianist too.
All the prayers were given by my Grandma’s grandchildren or other relatives and they were all so appropriate and beautiful. Even the Dedicatory Prayer for the grave was given by my nephew, ~WT <me here, one of my cousins who i don’t know, we were all raised on the east and west coasts, so many of us never met until we were adults>. Everything went off like clockwork and was truly beautiful.
Your dad’s brother, ~EA and his wife ~JA <me here, don’t know my uncle and aunt, never saw them much when i was growing up because they lived so far away>, were there and it was great to see them again. A family friend since abt 1941, ~FL, was also there. Of course, a lot of family were there as well as friends from the Church and Mother’s neighborhood. <me here, grammy lived in the same home for a million years, so she was very rooted in her community and church family there in california .. and many of my cousins stayed and raised their families there, so she always had family near by>.
About thirty members of the family returned to the Cultural Hall <comfy place in the church bldg to share food, goodies, and memories> for a very lovely lunch which was provided by our Relief Society <the women’s group in her church>. We took pictures there and we had a wonderful reunion! … ”
rest in peace grammy.
thank you, kathleenybeany 🙂
Sounds like a lovely service.
I’ve missed so many of my relatives’ funerals over the years for various reasons; pregnancy, work, lack of child care….it hurts, it really does. I know the important thing is what happens when they were still on this Earth, but we need that closure. Funerals are for the living.
xoxo
Sounds like Grammy had quite the party…er.. everybody else had it in her honor, I mean.
I’m glad you got a detailed recap anyway. It sounds like your grammy had a good and proper send off.
Sounds beautiful.
(((HUGS)))
(((((Beany))))))
I’m glad that it was so beautiful.
What a wonderful description–perfect. I’m sorry you missed it, echoing dysfunctional mom: Funerals are for the living.
Hugging you again.