Sunday, October 2, 2011
I'm currently in Iraq and won't be able to attend her funeral, so this will have to be my attempt at an eulogy for my precious Mi-ma:
My grandmother was the most sincere, honest, loving, and salt of the earth person that I have ever met. My first memory is with my Mi-ma. I awoke from a nap and walked out to her kitchen where she had a bowl of fruit waiting for me. She opened the front screen door and we sat on her porch together as I ate the snack she prepared. At one point she rented the house next to ours. Our kitchen window was right next to her bedroom window, and in the mornings we would all go to the window and say "Good Morning Mi-ma" to wake her up. She moved a few houses down the street but would meet us at the corner once we were released from school. I remember holding her hand as she walked us to her home...feeling completely safe and loved.
She could not get enough time with my 2 brothers and I. We were at her house every day after school, on the weekends, and sometimes on school nights. When my grandfather drove truck I had Mi-ma's undivided attention (when she wasn't watching Murder She Wrote or In The Heat of the Night of course!) and it was so amazing. We would sit at her kitchen nook and play cribbage together, talk, or hold hands. She always asked for me to warm up her cold hands :)
There isn't a time in my life where Mi-ma wasn't taking care of someone. If it wasn't family it was friends. If it wasn't friends it was strangers. She took care of a sweet blind woman named Vesta for as long as I can remember. Her house was once filled with strangers that needed assistance. That was grandma; giving anyone the shirt off her back even if she didn't have another one for herself.
The most important thing in my grandma's life was family...and there wasn't a close second. She lived for spending time with her daughter Gail (my mom). They grew close when my grandmother raised her as a single parent, and that bond never stopped. They were best friends and would often take trips together to visit family in Brookville, PA. You could probably count on one hand how many days they didn't talk to each other over the past 56 years. She also loved having huge family dinners and would always end grace by saying, "I'm glad we're all together". She started that tradition and it will continue for many generations to come. And boy could that lady cook! We spent every Christmas Eve at her house, and I always looked forward to her favorite side, "Fiendish Bean Dish".
I have lived away from Jamestown for the past 12 years, but no matter where I was at in the world I could always call Mi-ma and she would answer the phone with excitement and joy in her voice every single time. She was a true best friend...one you could call sometimes months after the last one and pick up right where you left off with no questions asked.
I am going to miss my Mi-ma. Her laugh was infectious, her presence was uplifting, and her beauty was second to none. It was an honor to be your grandson for 30 years, and I thank the Lord for every moment and memory we shared. One day we will sit on your heavenly porch together eating fruit cocktail and catching up just like we always did.
Love Always and Forever,
Kristopher
