To Illinois, for Grandma Marie

Posted by Lauren

Quick Update –

Right now Nicole is on a plane to St. Louis and I am with our mom on a plane to Chicago.

Yesterday I received a call from Nicole with tragic news – our Grandma Marie passed away at the grand age of 85.

She lived a long, full life and brought fifteen children into this world (our mom is #7). She’s joining our Grandpa Bud up in heaven after battling Alzheimer’s for the past few years.

She taught our aunts and uncles to be hardworking, considerate, resourceful, charitable, and loving – lessons they have passed along to all of their children. Our family is coming together this weekend in Illinois for her funeral. We will share a little more later, but first a few mementos:

- when we were young, we always stayed in the back room at my Grandma’s house during our summer vacations … I liked to imagine what it would have been like to grow up in that house

- her kitchen was big, bright, and open, with tons of family photos plastered on the fridge

Her visit (with Ed) to California

- for the longest time, Grandma’s house was synonymous with hours of jumping on the large, rectangular trampoline and chasing after lightning bugs

- her cinnamon rolls are world famous, or at least they should be! She was such a good baker….

Accordion master!

- she could pick up her harmonica at moment’s notice, play a tune, and get everybody on their feet dancing

- our beds have almost always shown off her amazing quilt creations. I have fond memories of picking out multiple fabrics for an orange/yellow/green horse quilt she made for our bunk beds years ago…

- and anyone who agrees to be covered in beanie babies is a real sport! She had such a sense of humor and heartwarming chuckle… I’ll have to track down the photo from when she let us decorate her perm with butterfly clips!

I’m looking forward to being with those beautiful women (above) and the rest of our family to celebrate Grandma Marie’s life and legacy…..

-Lauren