The End of an Era: Glimpses from the Celebration of a Far-Reaching Life

My last grandparent, my mother's mother, died recently. I was privileged to be part of the celebration of her life and mourning of her passing. Here are some snapshots especially for the ones who were prevented by distance and commitments from being present.

My mom (far left) and her siblings--11 altogether--a formidable family bedrock.

The receiving line at the viewing, which took place at the retirement home where Grandma lived:

That's me with my little head-turner:

Gathering at the graveside to sing and drop flowers on Grandma's casket.

Generations two and four-Mom and AG brave the cold:

The stone church meetinghouse where Mom grew up attending (newer addition in foreground):

Cemetery where Grandma's remains rest with Grandpa's (he was buried in 2000):

In her lifetime Grandma canned probably hundreds of quarts of pickles, fruit, and vegetables for her large farm family, so the Thanksgiving display in front of the church where the funeral took place seemed like it was designed for the occasion:

She also made and gave away lots of comforters and quilts, like this crazy quilt. This display at the viewing included photos from her childhood through recent years:

Some of her many scrapbooks and photo albums were also displayed along with the family genealogy books she wrote:

As one of my family members has commented, Grandma's death marks the end of an era. As my aunt and uncle so eloquently reminded us at her funeral, Grandma was a teacher of many, many things, not only to her children, but also to her grandchildren. May we convey her lessons of learning, work, love, creativity, faithfulness, and much more, to the next generation.