Grandma Dorothy Emma Ella



We should all have one person who knows how to bless us despite the evidence, Grandmother was that person to me. ~Phyllis Theroux

Back in April our family lost one of the sweetest ladies you would ever come across, my Grandma Dorothy, my Dad's Mom.  Up until the last couple of years, she was the busiest Grandma you could imagine and was driving all over the place in her free time to visit her friends, go to church, play cards, visit family and go bowling.  It seemed that once she stopped driving, due to an accident she had, her livelihood went away and she went downhill from there.  I miss her a ton.  Being my Dad's Mom, and really the only piece of his family that we had left to hold onto, when she passed away unexpectedly on Easter Sunday, shortly before our entire family was going to walk down to the Beechwood Rest Home to see her from my cousin's house, it was a significant loss to us.  Below is the eulogy I wrote and read at her funeral.  To say I was a tad teary eyed when I began to read it is an understatement, but I did manage to contain my emotions and got through it.  I had to do it for her, she deserved it.

Grandma & I at my wedding.

Hello.  I am Dorothy’s youngest granddaughter, Dana and first I wanted to start by thanking all of you for being here to celebrate my Grandmother’s life.

When I decided that I should speak today in honor of my Grandma I sat down at home and started to think.  I thought about where I should start, what I should say, what could I say to get my feelings, our family’s feelings, across about this wonderful woman.

Grandma with my Mom & Dad on their 40th anniversary.

I pulled out a Bible, looking for scripture, she loved scripture and it was a part of her daily life and I found this passage from Psalm 34: 1-4 and it made me think of her.

“I will praise the Lord at all times.  I will constantly speak his praises.  I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are discouraged take heart.  Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.  I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears.”

Grandma with my cousin, Tim and I on the day of our confirmation.

I do believe that although she truly lived her life to the fullest here on Earth and made the most of every situation that she also knew she had grown weak and was truly looking forward to the day when she could walk through those Heavenly gates and be reunited with her family and friends that had gone before her and meet her Maker for the very first time.

Grandma with me, my sister, Delene, and my brother, Dion.

Some of the other words I would like to use to describe my Grandma would be the following:

Kind.  She was so kind.  Not only to us, her family, but to anybody she knew, whether through her church, bowling league, the churches we all attend, she was always willing to lend an ear, send a card or share a story or two.  A good friend of mine said it good when giving me condolences.  She was the kind of lady that would nod her head, giggle and smile even if she wasn’t even sure what you had just said.  It was her nature.

Grandma with her five grandchildren at my cousin, Cindy's, wedding in 1996.

Grandma was also very strong.  She is one of the strongest women I have ever met.  She grew up on the family farm and actually ran it all by herself for a few years after Grandpa Eugene had passed away.  I’ve also admired her so much for the strength she showed after losing two husbands and both of her children before their time.  A lot of people would struggle with how to recover from significant losses like that, but if she did, she sure had a good way of hiding it.

Grandma with Samantha on Easter Sunday in 1998.

Pictures.  Grandma took a ton of pictures and I believe at one point had the official title of “family photographer”.  I will always remember her gathering all of the family together for group photos until the smiles were worn off our faces.  Whether it was at a family reunion, Christmas holiday, birthday party, you name it.  Posing here, posing over there, this family, that family, grandkids only now.  In addition to taking them she would then put all of them into photo albums and write detailed descriptions about every photo in the album.  And to her, every single photo had just as much meaning to her as the previous.

Grandma with Zachary the day of his baptism in December of 2001.

One of the things that sticks out for me personally with my Grandma was the appreciation she had of my musical talents.  When I was young and in middle school and high school I was very involved in music and I don’t think she ever missed one of my concerts or musicals ever.  In fact, one time I went to the Fireside with her and my parents to see a show and afterwards she was trying to find somebody there she could talk to about getting me a job there singing.  I had nothing to do with it and actually had to tell her not to worry about it.  And even until her health started getting a little worse she would attend our daughter and son’s programs at school.  I know she would want me to sing today but I just can’t. 
  

Grandma with Samantha and my Mom at her musical performance of Honk the summer of 2010.

And last but not least that comes to mind when thinking about Grandma is her smile, oh her smile.  It could light up the room.  Her compassion for life, her love for her friends and family was obvious in that instant that her smile appeared on her face.  Look at her on the memory card you all got today and whenever you are having a not so great day I guarantee if you look at this it will bring a smile to your face as well.  So with that I close with a poem I found that seemed so fitting. 

Grandma coming out of the limo we rented for her to celebrate her 85th birthday, 5 years ago.

I’d like the memory of me

To be a happy one.

I’d like to leave an after glow

Of smiles when life is done.

I’d like to leave an echo

Whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times and laughing times

And bright and sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve,

To dry before the sun

Of many happy memories

That I leave when life is done.



Grandma with Lukas and my Mom on the day of his baptism in December 2008.

We will all miss you dearly Grandma and know you are happy in Heaven.