Saturday, January 20, 2007

gma's funeral

Grandma's funeral was Friday. We didn't have a graveside service due to the cold weather. The snow days actually caused a backlog, so the VA cemetary will inter her some time next next week. We'll probably visit the cemetary next weekend.

Since Gma was 94, we were not sure how many of her friends would be able to attend. However, I'm thankful so many people from her church paid their respects even though she has not attended for at least six years when she moved to Alaska. It was great to see so many familiar faces from Grandma's church which I haven't attended in at least ten years. Although I didn't regularly attend her church, I practically grew-up there. I was part of their bicycling group for several years and cycled most of the Oregon coast with them.

Gma's pastor gave a sermon and reminded us that Gma would have wanted us to know the Lord. (I later joked that the pastor's invitation was directed at those of use who either don't attend church or attend the wrong church.) The pastor's 'old school' sermon reminded me how important Gma's faith was to her. During the reception, some relatives reminded us that Gma would give bible tracts in lieu of tips at restaurants and would sign her checks with "John 3:16" under her signature. She gave-up these eccentricities after her husband's death in '83. However, she often freely shared her faith with strangers and always prayed before meals.

There were also several couples from Gideons International (you know, the motel room bible people) of which Gma and Grandpa were volunteers. I remember I was surprised to learn that not all grandparents' basements were filled with boxes of tiny New Testament bibles. I had assumed Gideons was just something all grandparents did.

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