My grandma was an amazing woman, and she lived a wonderful life. She was a woman who loved God and loved her family. I am so lucky to be her granddaughter. I would like to take some time to share some photographs and record a few of my memories.
Here is my grandma as a baby with her mother, father, and older brother. Her little sister hadn't been born when this picture was taken.
When my grandmother was born her brother ran up to her and proclaimed, "My dear little, Dearildee!" That was her nickname from that point on. She was quite upset when she entered school and her teachers did not call her Dearildee. Mother grandmother would tell us this story often, especially after he passed away a few years ago. She loved him so dearly, or should I say dearildee.
My grandmother was such a cute little girl. Isn't she picture perfect?
Here is my grandmother with her brother and little sister. She also had a brother, named Wesley who died from pneumonia when he was an infant.
Here is my grandmother as a college student. She is stunning.
This is my grandfather.
I love the story of how they met. I loved when Grandma would share it. Her expressions and laughter showed how much she loved my grandfather.
She was studying in the library and noticed the people around her laughing. When she looked up there was my grandfather drawing a picture of her.
Here is my Grandma B with her family. Look at how cute my dad was.
My grandmother was a school teacher for children with special needs for many years. In fact at one point she worked at the elementary school I attended. Ooo, I loved hearing about that as a kid.
She retired when we were very young, and my sister told everyone that my grandma stopped working because she was "real tired."
I loved going to Lagoon with my grandma, and I loved dressing up like pioneers to take pictures.
Can you tell which one is me? My husband couldn't. I am the blonde just to the right on my grandmother.
Here is one a few years later. (I am at the far left of this one.)
My grandmother took my sister and I to a fancy tea party at the Lion House. Notice my elegant gloves and purse? Oh, this was one of my favorite childhood memories. A special day with my Grandma B.
I remember spending hours in my grandmother's yard. She had a large tree in the west side of the yard that we would climb and make tree houses in. There was also two twisted branches on the same tree that a swing hung from. That tree was one of my dearest childhood friends.
There was several wonderful places to play in her yard. She had baby's breath that grew in her yard and she would let us pick some to put in our hair.
She would take us on walks to look and the sand pit.
She had cool things to make huts with including a changing screen, and she let us turn her living room into wonderful places.
For our birthdays should would give us one penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar for every year we were. It was so exciting!
My grandma was always there to support us and made us feel so special and loved.
This is a picture of my Grandma Bishop at 80.
It was difficult for Grandma as she started to loose her sight and hearing. She was such a strong self reliant woman that it was a trial to loose her abilities. When asked has she was, she would laughingly respond, "old." Even as the years robbed her physically, she continued strong in her faith and love.
My grandmother would enjoy when I would play the piano for her. Surprised to hear I can play the piano. Well, I can't very well at all. I slowly stumble through hymns. But she enjoyed it so I stumbled my way through.
My grandmother was very happy when I married my husband in the temple. She would grasp his hands and state, "I like this man."
Whenever she would see Wesley she would ask, "Now is he a boy? He's so beautiful he could be a girl."
My grandmother and aunt who lived with her moved in with my father and step-mother summer of 2009. Although it was hard for her to leave the home she lived in for 50 years, it was a very good thing for her. She seemed to be reverse aging for much of that year. The love and care that my step-mother gave my grandma gave me a deeper love and appreciation for her.
The last little while she was starting to go down hill. She fell in the middle of August pretty hard and ended up in the hospital. (Both my grandmother's took hard falls within a couple of weeks of each other.) Things kept looking worse and worse. Wesley and I went down to visit her in the hospital August 17th. She was asleep for most of it, but when the nurses came and moved her she would cry/yell out in pain during and after. It was so hard to see her in so much pain. I am so grateful that Wesley was so good. He only whimpered once when the crying scared him, and I was able to calm him quickly. Because he was so good I was able to stroke my grandmothers forehead and try to comfort her.
My father and aunt decided to put my grandmother on Hospice so she could spend the little time she had left on this earth at home. While my father and step-mother stayed with her at the hospital to get ready to move her, I went and got tacos, pizza, and other treats. I made a snack table, and it reminded me of how my grandmother would always have snacks arranged on the table.
Once my grandmother was at home I could tell that she was much more at peace. Tuesday night my mother and siblings gathered at my fathers home to be with my grandmother.
My sister called me the next day to let me know my grandmother had passed away. We all gathered went to my father's home.
I am sad for myself to lose her, but I am happy for her. She is back with a loving Heavenly Father, and she has been reunited with my grandfather who passed away 37 years ago. She is able to see and hear, and feels no more pain. D&C 42:46, "And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;"
I want to be spoken of at my funeral the way my grandmother was. She is remembered as a loving mother and grandmother, and honorable woman, and a true servant of the Lord.
Love you, Grandma!
I think I might be turning into a crazy cat lady, but this picture makes me laugh so much. How can I not share it?
Getting ready for bed after a hard day of work. So cozy and cuddly!
After a big day it's nice to unwind with a bath and story time with Daddy.
