As I was looking through my dusty blog I found this draft that never got published. Now is a good a time as ever.
This my eulogy:
We have gathered here today to cherish, remember and celebrate the life of Grace Smith. I stand before you, deeply honored, to deliver the eulogy of our friend. Our Cousin. Our Auntie. Our sister. Our Grandma. Our mother. Pa’s wife. The beautiful and wonderful, Grandma Grace.
Grandma, was born Grace Elaine, to Glen and Bernice Erickson and was one of five girls. She was delivered by her Aunty Vi in her Grandma Cunningham’s home. From an early age, Grandma learned her way around the kitchen. She was taught from a young age to preserve fruits and vegetables for those long winters in Garth. She may not have known the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer but she did know the difference between a coffee pot and a tea kettle. She enjoyed handmade toys from her daddy and baking in the kitchen with her mom. According to her sisters she was not known for being brave, actually she was kind of a scaredy cat, but she was quite the prankster. She also was not a good sport when it came to games, whether it be losing at cards, striking out in baseball or losing at checkers.
Grandma was always very kind to animals. Cats and dogs often got to enjoy her cooking as they were served behind the old house. Chickens were shown off and bragged about. She could not stand hair in anyone’s eyes and it was a common occurrence for her to trim the bangs of dogs and horse. Any animal that had meaning to someone she loved was welcomed to be buried in the Pet Cemetery behind the house and usually a service was welcomed and encouraged.
Grandma was a collector and if you were lucky, she’d take you for the latest hunt. Her treasures were most often found at garage sales. Or Antique shops. Or auction sales. She has a large collection of crock pots and coil oil lamps which still grace the walls of her home. She was always on the lookout for the record she just might not have. She was always collecting frames because a great picture always needed a great frame. She had closets full of clothes and a pair of shoes to match any outfit you put together. Her collection of chairs just might have been enough to seat everyone here today.
Grandma was always doing what the next expert was going to tell you, long before it was made into a commercial or book. She wore helmets, seatbelts and life jackets long before it was law. She washed her hands frequently long before it was a commercial to stop the spread of the flu. She never liked to take any sort of medication or get any immunizations. She always kept her nails short and scrubbed clean.
Grandma was an incredibly skilled crafter. She sewed many of her daughters’ clothes. She fabric covered countless photo albums. Many books have lasted 30+ years because she preserved the covers with Mac-Tac. Old worn jeans would be turned into large quilts and always with a personalized touch. Halloween costume requests were always taken with a smile and she always delivered above what was desired. Dough was not just reserved for making buns but was also for her dough art creations that hang on many walls. She created many, MANY paper toule pictures, which were always framed. She was always on hand with her expertise when a new home needed a fresh coat of paint.
Grandma had an incredibly green thumb. She always had a large vegetable garden which was usually planted months before, from seed, in her greenhouse. There was always an overabundance of cucumbers and tomatoes for canning. You were always welcome in her garden and rarely got scolded for taking too much. She worked on maintaining a beautiful yard. Planting trees, flowers on the deck and several flower gardens. Often flowers were taken from their plant and pressed into books so she could admire their beauty later. She mowed her grass for years before teaching her grandchildren how to operate the mower. And you always had to ride the mower and then take the push mower around the trees.
Grandma was a master in the kitchen. Cakes and cookies. Breads and buns. Pies and cinnamon buns. Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas were big affairs. Her table would be decked with her best china. Napkins would be artistically folded. Name tags placed strategically. As she watched her family grow the table got longer, often going from the kitchen into the living room. She would be dressed up with an apron while she cooked. And she would only duck out briefly to recurl her hair before everyone sat down to enjoy her long days work. She usually insisted everyone share something. You could share a reason to be thankful. A joke. A song. Or a story. Her fridges, yes there were two, were NEVER empty for family or friends or farmhands. There was always a fresh slice of bread with raspberry jam after mowing the lawn. There was always an open can of peaches for something sweet or garlic dills pickles when you needed to cure a cold.
Grandma’s Kitchen was the heart of her home. It was where she taught us grandkids her favourite recipes. It was where she played games. Where she had drinks with friends. Where she prepared meals for her farming husband, Jeep. Where she shared her regular morning coffee with her son, Daryl. Where she washed, dye and cut her own hair. Where she cut the hair of others. Where she would bird watch. She would welcome line dance lessons in her kitchen. She would listen to her records in the kitchen. She would sort pictures in her kitchen. She would write letters in her kitchen and study history in her kitchen.
Writing and delivering a Eulogy is both an honor and a difficult task. It can bring countless tears. It can bring beaming smiles. It can bring booming laughter. And it can bring overwhelming sadness. To remember and honor and love with all of our heart is the greatest gift we can give Grace. She loved us all. She had memories with us all. And today we give her those memories back. Before we know it, today will become yesterday. And then last week. And then last month. And then we will be saying...”years ago.”
Carry her with you and.....
Smile when you can cucumbers. Think of her when you smell fresh bread. Honor her when you have a glass of wine. Willingly take one more picture. Dance when you hear Elvis. Remember the smile she’d flash you when you completed job number 994 on her to do list. Laugh when you recall an argument you won or lost against her. Go out and use the phrase “Full of piss and vinegar” to describe someone. Remember the floors rugs gracing her vehicles. Buckle up. Cherish the times she let you drive alone....before you were legal. Share a tried and true recipe. Cherish the little things that are dear to you. Pass on the important memories to the ones you love. Love like she loved. And cherish every memory she forgot.
