While the country was celebrating Memorial Day this past weekend, our family had a horrible loss.
My grandma Lila Willis passed away. These past few days have really allowed us to lean on our strong beliefs and be thankful for the knowledge that we have about the plan of salvation and in knowing that we will be with her again someday.
She has been quite sick for awhile, including the beginning stages of Alzheimers and a bad fall 4 months ago that led to a broken hip. She has not been back home since then as different parts of her body just were giving out.
While we have been incredibly sad at our own loss, we also have the great knowledge that Monday was a great reunion day for her. Over 50 years ago she lost a 3 yr old daughter in a car accident, and as a mom of a 3 yr old, I can only imagine the loss she carried in her heart in not having her daughter to raise. She is now reunited with her precious daughter Kay and with my Grandpa that we lost to cancer when I was 8 yrs old.
This loss makes me so thankful that she has been freed from the pain she was in, but she also leaves a large posterity that will miss her until we are with her again.
We were lucky to have lived close by my grandmother while growing up and to be able to spend lots of time with her. We would spend time baking together and reading stories. I am sure all the grandkids remember her "library" that we got to check books out from! She always had an immaculate home and a beautiful yard. We used to love eating the huckleberries that grew in her backyard. She was a frugal woman who saved everything, just in case she might need it again. Just this past week while going through some of her papers we found thank you letters that we had written to her as children more than twenty years ago. It was such a fun thing to find on such a hard day. We also had fun laughing and crying as we looked at old pictures and letters that she had saved. I know that she loved her family very much and while we do mourn her loss, I know that I will see her again. Till we meet again...
This is a picture of me as a baby with my mom, my grandma, and my great grandma Folsom. I was the first grandchild on this side of the family, (and therefore obviously the favorite!) and this was the first 4 generation picture taken.
3 comments:
Beautifully said. I love that first picture of her, that is how I will always think of her.
I'm so sorry- you didn't say anything yesterday :)! These kinds of things, even though sad- are completely different when you have the knowledge that this isn't the end!
Your family is in our prayers!
Judy
P,S. Wow your mom looks like Keri in this picture.
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