In September of 2019, I accompanied my mother to Washington state to visit her mother for the last time. My grandma, Doris, was 99 at that time, and we didn’t think she would live very much longer. To our surprise, she continued on for another two years. Finally though, at the age of 101, Grandma left us on December 2, 2021. I wrote my own eulogy for Facebook and posted a picture of her in her youth:

Dave and I made arrangements for Mother and the two of us to travel to Washington to gather with the family for the memorial service. We met in Seattle and proceeded rent a car for the trip to Wenatchee. I insisted on AWD, which meant an upgrade, but I’m so glad I did as crossing the mountain passes would require extra traction. We decided to take the scenic route on HWY 2. Though it’s only a two lane highway, it has much less traffic and I believe a more beautiful drive. Dave sat in the back seat and took some amazing pictures. We stopped in Leavenworth as this town is made for Christmas. Besides looking like a Swiss village, the place is decorated with lights, trees, and horse drawn carriages. It’s pretty magical and worth a stop if only for pictures.

We arrived in Wenatchee and connected with Aunt Shirley and Aunt Lois for dinner. It’s not often the three sisters get together. We had a great time getting caught up.

The funeral was a graveside service in Orondo where the family plot is located. The snow covered mountains, river valley, and evergreen trees made for a dramatic backdrop. Grandma had picked out the casket herself years ago when Grandpa died. It was beautifully adorned with pink roses. The spray on top matched beautifully. It was very cold, and the service wasn’t long, but many people who had known and loved Grandma were in attendance.

Afterward, we met at a local restaurant for time with the family. Many of us don’t get the opportunity to see each other as we live in different parts of the country. We had fun reminiscing of days in the 1970s visiting as kids. All too soon, the party dispersed and we each went our separate ways. The three of us decided to drive through the valley allowing Mother to recount stories of her youth and marvel at some of the beauty of winterized valley. Dave and I had only ever been to the valley in the summer, so it was a new and amazing site.

We finished our visit at my cousin Debbie’s house where we enjoyed her decorations and had fun playing with her granddaughters.

The next day, we chose the interstate to travel back to Seattle. As I feared, more trucks, more snow, and more stress. I barely made it back to the airport for my flight. Someone must have been smiling on me though as I was upgraded to first class for the first time in my life on the second leg of my flight. I’m happy to have been able to join my brother, mother, and extended family to celebrate the life of our beautiful grandmother.

Grandma Doris was a dear and wonderful woman. We are blessed to have had her in our lives.

Grandma Doris 1920-2022