Grandma Klien's Funeral

So I (Grant) have officially run out of living grandparents.

Grandma (mother's side) had been struggling with cancer for the third time, and we knew months ago that this time there was little the doctors could do. Thus, we went out to visit her with the girls in May (see previous blogs for further reference).

She died early on Saturday, June 25, peacefully as I am told. Though I am saddened by her passing, several points give it a silver lining:

1. Her suffering from her illness is over.
2. I am certain she is quite happy on the other side of the veil, having been reunited with her family who have gone on before her.
3. She was 96, and had lived a very full life. She had lived to see both great-grandchildren and even a great-great grandchild.
4. The funeral brought together parts of the family (including us) who seldom get the chance to see one another, in our case for the second time in under 3 months, which is something that would please her. This included my getting to see my elder brother and his wife, whom we have not seen since they moved to Utah approximately 2 years ago.
5. In the personal case of my immediate family, the timing meant that my girls and I got to spend six consecutive days together, something that was not supposed to happen all summer with me working in Florence.

All of the Grandchildren at the Internment

Me and My Sibs, presented in age order (start at the back left and go clockwise). Names in age order are George, Grant (me), Geoff, Cammy, and Glenn. 

The first time the family has been together (spouses included) since George and Steph moved to Utah.

 It also set off a whirlwind of last-minute shuffling. The car did not have a functioning air conditioning at the time, and we were loath to cross the Mojave desert in the middle of summer without one, so we rented a car. I also spent a very short work week, working two days and spending only a single night away.

Because we were renting a car and staying at a hotel on my Dad's dime (on his insistence), we did not stay after the funeral. This meant 3 very long days, spent traveling, at the funeral, interment, and after-family gathering, and travelling again. Our only "break" was sneaking away to Catalina Beach near Dana Point with my parents and siblings, which was (sort of) on our way home for 2 or 3 hours.

But despite the fact that the funeral was hard to sit through, I like funerals in general. Funerals give you a chance to learn things about a friend or loved one that you would probably never learn otherwise. As a grandchild, it was particularly interesting for me to hear the perspective of her younger brother, her home teacher, and bishop.

 You see, last year, I attended an uncle's funeral who was a businessman and general authority. Each speaker who spoke about him, although they spoke of similar character traits, had a slightly different perspective on my uncle. Not so for my Grandmother. Friends, siblings, leaders, or children, everyone was treated exactly alike, and everyone knew her the same way.

 Common themes were that she was interested in the people around her, and never hesitated to tell people her full and honest opinion about them, and her understated sense of humor, which was accompanied by unrestrained laughter. It reminded me that I often thought grandma often laughed longer and louder at jokes than they were funny, but perhaps she got part of it that I didn't. It also reminded me of the year or so she lived with us, where she never hesitated to tell us what it was about us children that was driving her crazy on any particular day.

I will miss her.