The funeral began with a prayer by my Uncle Todd and than the closing of the casket. The room was full of pictures from the viewing. All of us cousins with pictures of Grandma, including the picture from her house where all of us gave her thumbs up breast surgery for the cancer she was going through. The prayer honored her faith and after we made our way into the chapel for the service.
The service began with the bishop talking about how Grandma has been his friend as well as her second husband Bill (my Grandpa Bill) and how active they had been with missionary work in the church. After he spoke there was a hymn with the theme about light and my Aunt Meg gave the next prayer that recalled memories spent with Grandma.
After Aunt Meg was my Aunt Carol who recounted my Grandma's life in her own words. There was so much I didn't know. The fact that she'd been a tomboy. Her relationships before Grandpa Omar, her traveling Europe and finding love there and her finding Grandpa Omar and how their relationship was growing up raising nine kids. It was funny and beautiful and captured Grandma's humanity perfectly.
After Aunt Carol my cousin Dustin spoke. He is the oldest out of the 38 of us so was chosen to represent us grandkids. He had a wonderful story about how Grandma had let the window open so they could use her hot tub when they were growing up. After he talked about his faith and belief that Grandma had been chosen before for her role as wise women, parent and leader and told a story to illustrate it.
After Dustin finished all of us cousins and the cousins children came up to sing "Teach me to Walk in the Light" which was Grandma's favorite primary song growing up. I hugged some cousins after that since we were all feeling it at that point...in the last hour we'd learned so much about Grandma that we hadn't known and recalled our own memories of her.
After the song my father spoke. Grandma had asked him to speak before she died and he captured her humor and humanity so well. Her fear of the unknown (for I don't think anyone truly knows what happens we die, we have hopes but cannot prove those hopes, no one can bring back evidence if there is something beyond this world, though I do hope there is, if only to see loved ones again and continue the adventure). He recalled his father and mom's relationship and their jokes and recalled his father's laugh. It was a beautiful moment.
After my father and his siblings sang "How Great thou Art" which is another one of Grandma's favorite songs. It was a beautiful performance.
After my Dad the bishop spoke and sadly got a bit defensive. He said that it was known and Grandma would say she knew about what comes next. It struck me as unnecessary, if she's out there (and the other side in whatever form exists) she knows what is going on and doesn't need her faith defended. I don't know of anyone who doesn't fear for their mortality in some way. It is part of what makes human. That was the one part of the funeral that felt a bit off. His advocacy of his own faith wasn't going to convince us who left the church or who didn't believe (like myself) and the believers there already believed it and didn't need a defense of their faith, we just wanted to honor Grandma and remember her.
The last part was a song called "Homeward Bound" which was sung by a classically trained singer. It was beautiful and captured our hopes and memories so vividly. After my Aunt Wendy did the final prayer honoring Grandma before we went the cemetery for the final closing.
I was one of the pallbearers and helped carry the casket the car and later to the burial site. It was an honor to so with the other first born cousins. At the cemetery my Uncle Dave did the final prayer and blessing before we all left. It was there I honored Grandma for a final time and began to take in fully all that happened today. I think she'll always be with me in my memories and how she influenced me. I'm grateful that I got to be here the last few days to honor and remember her. If there is an afterlife and some benevolant force or thing out there, I think it is probably looking out of her. I don't know what happens after death or if anything happens at all, but I do know that her life will inspire me for the rest of mine.
I love you Grandma Claire, thank you for the life you lived.
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