Memorial Day

We miss you, Grandma and Grandpa!

I think about you both all the time - so many good memories!

Merry Christmas, Grandma!

Dear Grandma,

I've been thinking about you a lot lately, especially with the holiday season upon us.  I hung a new ornament on the tree in your honor.  It's a sand dollar, and it reminds me of our trips with you and grandpa to the coast.  I'll never forget breaking open sand dollars in your driveway, looking for doves.

When I made fudge, it didn't taste like yours even though I used the same recipe.  Yesterday, I decided to try a new recipe, and it turned out terrible.  I miss your  decorations, Christmas cards, and of course your fudge, but most of all I miss you.  I love you, Grandma!  Have a merry Christmas in heaven!

Love,

Farrah

LEGO Grandma

When we got home from shopping yesterday, Greg and Kylen told me they purchased LEGO minifigs from the new series.  I didn't even know it was out yet!  We have a tradition of occasionally buying 6 and taking turns opening them, two a piece.  It's a lot of fun.  We decide on our favorites, lament over duplicates, and rejoice together over new ones.

Before opening our first package, we were talking about which minifigs we like best.  I noticed there was a grandma!  And she comes with a cat!  I have read many stories about people who lost loved ones and get strong, sometimes almost miraculous reminders of them.  This was my first such experience.  My grandma passed away over the summer, and she loved cats.  It gave me such a special feeling inside, being reminded of her that way.  I decided the minifig I'm most hoping for is the grandma with the cat.  I'll post a picture if we get one!

Bless the Lord ~ Matt Redman

This song was part of the slideshow at Grandma's memorial service.  We were singing it for a couple days afterward.  :-)

 

Grandma's Funeral

Beginning with the viewing on Friday evening and ending with a reception Saturday evening to welcome my cousin's spouse into the family, I think Grandma would have been very happy to see her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and acquaintances gathered together sharing smiles, tears, and memories.

Most of her children and grandchildren played a part.  My cousin put together a slideshow,  I did a painting for the program, and my uncle hosted a spaghetti dinner after the viewing.  Many spoke at the service; the pallbearers were grandchildren.  We had lunch in a reserved room at the same buffet as Grandma's 80th birthday celebration had been.  Then, we went home to change for three games of laser tag (in memory of the Christmas we all played together while staying at Grandma's).  We ate pizza and veggies in the Laser Quest party rooms and headed to our house for the reception.  I don't think our living and dining room have ever been so crowded!  It was a beautiful couple of days despite the sad occasion, and my aunt deserves a medal for organizing it all.  We thank the Lord for turning a normally somber event into a very positive experience.

Beautiful Flowers in Pink, Grandma's Favorite Color

My Aunt and Uncle Preparing Spaghetti

Pasta

The Program

The Memorial Service

Greg and Kylen

The Pallbearers

Graveside Service

The Gravestone

More than 30 of us at Laser Quest!  We filled the place!

The Cake for My Cousin and His Wife

Congrats, David and Chloe!

Balloons

Grandma's Biography

I just read Grandma's little biography that she wrote herself:

I was born on leap year, 2/29/32. I had a lot of fun with my children when they were young: they didn't understand how I could be so young, but be old! When my granddaughter Was 16 - Kamin - I was 16! My husband Orville and I married young! We had 5 children: Karen, Salena, Linda, Kenneth, and Aaron. He provided a warm and comfortable home for us. We travelled a lot as he bought lumber for different mills. The children loved it! as we went with him in the summer. Trailers, campers, and even a motorhome. We would just get home from one trip and the children would say, "when are we going again?"

We taught them about Jesus at an early age. We had daily devotions with the Egermeier's Bible Story book. As the children grew up and married we added to our family. 16 Grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. They were a joy I can never express.

Please read Psalm 145 over & over. It will guide you thru life.

All my love to my precious family and to all my special friends who made life fun in many ways!"

Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

KJV Matt. 5:9

 

 

Grandma was a peacemaker.  :-)

We'll Miss You, Grandma!

Norma Alteneder ~ February 29, 1932 - June 24, 2013

An extraordinary woman born on an extraordinary day, Grandma and Grandpa always disagreed on whether her birthday should be celebrated the 28th of February or the 1st of March.  I still remember when I surpassed her in age.  It was such fun boasting to my friends that I was older than my own grandmother!  And yet it was fitting for this youthful woman, who was ever young at heart.  She made us laugh right up to the last day she talked, surprising us with her blunt but humorous quips.

If I could choose one word to describe Grandma, it would be selfless.  She married young, bore five children, and spent her entire life serving others.  When her children were raised, her focus shifted to her grandchildren, and later, her great-grandchildren.  Visiting her house was one of our greatest joys.  Inside were two stories full of love and memories.  Upstairs was Grandma and Grandpa's bedroom where I used to sit and watch her fix her hair.  Across the hall was the "TV room" where we children passed many happy hours watching cartoons.  There was a spare bedroom for dropping off our belongings and a bathroom with a laundry chute.  The living room had a sofa, recliners next to the fireplace, National Geographics, and piles of books.  Best of all was the dining area, the central hub of activity.  It was connected to the kitchen, and consequently, to Grandma.   We shared countless meals over the table while laughing at Grandpa's famous stories, playing games, or putting puzzles together.  Grandma's favorite game was Chinese Checkers, which she was brilliant at.  I remember Authors, Crazy 8's, Old Maid, and lots of Parcheesi, which was Grandpa's favorite.  The adults frequently played Rook while the kids found plenty of diversion inside and out.

Downstairs was the mysterious, unfinished basement with its curious smells and exposed pipes.  It was furnished with a washer, dryer, freezers, enough coats to outfit an army, and a big wash sink with a paper cup dispenser.  I don't know how many times I entered through the garage and stopped at that sink to quench my thirst with 14 tiny cupfulls of water.  And there was the play room with its old toys, books, an exercise ramp we ran up and down, and balls we kicked around.  There were yellowed clippings from old funnies taped to a file cabinet and an ancient metal desk with all sorts of odds and ends.  My Uncle Aaron used to hide down there in the dark and scare us to death, making strange noises and throwing stuff up at us.  The play room had a door leading into a storage room, which we called "the junk room."  Running up and down those stairs all the time probably helped Grandma stay fit!

The house was situated near the bottom of a forested hill on a nice little piece of land, surrounded by a lawn, shrubs, trees, and flowers.  We explored the hill in summer, sometimes venturing all the way to the top, accompanied by Grandma and a picnic lunch.  In the winter, we sledded and tubed down it.  After wearing ourselves out, we were met with hot chocolate and a few rounds from the cookie jar, which was always well stocked.  I learned to ride a bike next to their garage and developed a passion for ice hockey on the cement slab down by the blue shed.  They had a long, dirt driveway that led to their mailbox, and it went right past Grandpa's huge garden where he taught me about potato bugs.

After more than 50 years of marriage, Grandpa passed away, and Grandma had to learn to be independent.  We would occasionally tease her about whether she'd found a man to marry, but she always firmly replied that she would never marry again.  She enjoyed 10 fabulous years of good health, collecting cats along the way (Grandpa had always kept cat-collecting in check), traveling around to visit her children, and keeping up both her house (for company) and a small apartment (for the rest of the time).

I learned many lessons from Grandma.  I learned that holidays and birthdays are special, stickers make great embellishments, and one can never overdose on chocolate.  I learned not to eat a handful of Flintstone vitamins all at once (the only spanking I ever got from her), and I learned how sweet a package can be.  We lived several states away until I was 6, and the boxes from her were the best!  The only stuffed animal I was ever attached to came from Grandma: a pink cat that I slept with and took everywhere until it nearly fell apart.

Grandma was a gracious hostess, always putting the needs of her guests before her own.  She was one of the last to bed, the first to rise, and I guess she didn't get much sleep in between for worrying about all she needed to do the next day.  She was modest and kind, gentle and patient.  She could get along with just about anyone and provided a sympathetic ear whenever needed.  She was an incredible role model of what it means to be a wife, mother, and grandmother. 

This beautiful soul peacefully went to be with Jesus at 9:25 this morning, surrounded by her son, daughter-in-law, grand-daughter, and the prayers of those who loved her dearly.  We'll probably never fully comprehend or appreciate just how blessed we were to have her in our lives, but we will miss her terribly.  I am so thankful for all the wonderful memories we have to cherish.

Goodbye, Grandma!  I can't wait to see you again!

Love,
Farrah, your "first grandchild"

Update On Grandma

Grandma was transferred to hospice a few days ago, and the focus of care has become comfort rather than recovery.  She has been given something to keep her calm and spends most of the time sleeping.  In a way, I envy her.  Soon she'll be leaving behind this life with all its sorrows and woes and entering heaven, where it's always happy.

I am so proud of my cousins, especially Melody and Kamin, and my Aunt Karen and Uncle Kenny.  They have made sure someone is with her 24 hours/day.  Even Kamin's husband, Adam, has spent much time with her and stayed with her during the night.  It's wonderful seeing all those who loved her coming to say goodbye or stay by her side.

Video: "A Letter from Dad"

This video made me cry.  It shows the beauty and value of life, even when that life is very short.