sailorzeo | And now for something serious

My grandmother died on Thursday. I can't make it back for the funeral; it's already over, in fact. It was held at 11 am EST today. I was even encouraged not to try to make it back; it would be expensive.

So, we didn't try.

Here's a picture of my grandmother, back in April of 2006, at her 85th birthday party.

She gave birth to four children, lost one at only six months old. She had five grandchildren. My grandfather died in the spring of 96, which left her living alone for the first time in her life. It wasn't long, though, not even a full year, I think, before my cousin moved in when he started college in Clarion, and he lived with her until she died. When he married last summer, his wife moved in.

In the past three years, she saw her two eldest grandchildren marry, and her third eldest grandchild gave her a great-grandson, whom she saw at Andy's wedding.

I'm glad I got to know her as well as I did; I have a book of memories she filled out for me about ten years ago, with pictures and stories in her own writing. I also have some of her recipes, with commentary. I'm glad to know where those recipes came from (some were from when she was in high school, from her home-ec class!), how she learned them, why she liked them.

And I have the resurrection hope, that in the new system, I'll see her again, this time healthy, without pain.