my grandma, Melva Kunzler, passed away today. it was windy and rainy all morning, and now the sun is out starting to shine through and look beautiful. i can't help but think of her and that she is happy looking down on us and reacquainting herself with all of her family who went ahead...especially her special grandma, Eliza Taylor, her father, and her little boy, Tracy. i am so happy for her! and so glad that she didn't have to suffer long at all, but she will be sorely missed.
i've thought of some special memories of her and wanted everyone in my family to be able to add comments and thoughts. please feel free! the words of the talk of elder ballard yesterday and an article in this month's ensign come to my mind over and over of the way we should all be 'mothering' for it is only 1/10th of a child's life when those special memories are made that help form who we will be! grandma kunzler did such a wonderful job 'grandmothering'. she was fun, active, hard working, great to visit, liked to laugh...it has only been in these last couple of years that, like lisa said, she became 'frustrated' with the condition of her physical body and wasn't quite herself anymore. now she is free!
everyone's memories are different, but i wanted to share some of my most, memorable ones:
*coming shopping with us atleast 3 or 4 times a year to twin falls. we would 'shop til we dropped' and try on everything! grandma would be right there helping us find good deals and we'd even have enough energy afterwards to hit costco on the way home.
*branding and easter are highlights of younger years. what fun we had as cousins branding cows and dying easter eggs! grandma made a delicious, working meal with the chili and rb sandwiches. she'd take us out on the lawn or the steps to watch the cows and calves get driven by in front of the house.
*even as a young, grandma, she had one leg that gave her trouble. when she'd play with us, one leg was always outstretched. oh and the games and toys she had! the basement was full of fun stuff...not to mention, hidden treats and chips!
*grandma would take us on walks, especially in the spring and fall. she would help us listen for the meadowlark to say 'utah is a pretty little place'
*picnics in the canyon or at the shearing corrals...even in the last, few years, she loved to get out and enjoy being with us outdoors! we'd often have bbq's under the big, willow tree in the yard, carrying all the dishes out onto the picnic table and enjoying a sunday afternoon together.
*grandma kept us all together and informed...she made it to nearly, every family event! since our family lived close, i don't think there a was a bday that went by growing up that we didn't have her and grandpa as guests! we loved it! she always brought a special gift and we'd often run some errands with her before dinner started. even now, she was still giving calls and sending out cards. bentley received a bday card just last month that really touched me! and while i was on my mission, i got the yummiest cookies in a care package from her...i still remember the frosting! (maybe they were store bought (?), but they were not fried!):)
*running the vacuum nonstop, wearing her housecoat to prepare breakfast and clean up the dishes, always having clothes and sheets out on the line...and stiff, towels under the sink to take a bath with! with pretty flowers in the yard and even in the last few years, a garden to tend to.
*going on trips to see aunt cheryl and family or getting to go home with her and spend a few days as a kid. we had many rides her big cars as we traveled to family events and to spend time with her. she liked to drive and always wore her 'dark' glasses. events could not be missed...especially fairs to watch all of us 4-Hers, rodeos, and of course, mission farewells, graduations, etc. plus we'd visit gravesites or old homes in yost, or go on a one-day excursion to see something of interest! remember when the dual, wheel fell of the ton truck with us as passengers?!
*especially as a kid, she was an awesome cook. who could cook roast beef better than her? no one! and that gravy....i am still at a loss on how to do that properly! her breakfasts with all the fixings, and then there was the cereal cabinet and the treat drawer for snacking! as teenagers, lisa and i started getting her to help us make jelly. she had the knack...i think it all started the first time i tried myself and it truly was jelled. we needed some assistance! over the years, each summer she would bring her spoon and pot and we'd cook away!
*now don't tell me you don't remember spinning cookies in the old, brown buick with her as the driver?! we were sliding all over each other on those leather...or was it vinyl, bench seats! i think every cousin was in there!
i know i'll think of more things...i'll add them later! and i have several pictures i'd like to share. please feel free to comment! these are the memories that made my childhood a happy one. and even as a young adult and mother and wife, there are many more. i felt so blessed to have both grandma and grandpa at ben and i's wedding. the last time we came out as a family, grandpa took us christmas tree hunting and grandma stayed back and made us the most delicious clam chowder. ben about foundered on it! she was always interested in what ben, bentley, and i were up to and i know she looked forward to the letters we sent every few weeks. i love you grandma! till we meet again...pick out a beautiful baby girl or boy to send me!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Celebration of Life: Grandma Kunzler
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6 comments:
I remember watching Grandma get ready for church, especially doing her hair and putting on her panty hose-ha. Her hair always looked good. Yesterday, in the hospital, she only said a couple of things and one thing was that she was concerned that her hair was a mess. She enjoyed getting her hair done at Leslie's!
I also remember my first year showing a steer at the fair. She was there watching, of course, and I ended up being in the finals of the Fitting and Showing. I came in 2nd to an older FFA boy and I was a little sad. Grandma came over and told me that I really did the better job, but they just gave it to him because he was older and it was my first year. I will never forget her cheering me on.
I will never forget how good it smelled when I woke up at her house. The smell of breakfast cooking--and I agree, that cereal cupboard was amazing. We didn't get cereal like that at my house!
Yesterday, at the hospital your mom and my mom and my sisters and I were all gathered in a circle talking. Just shooting the breeze really. I just thought how much Grandma liked to talk with the girls. I remember sitting on her spotless kitchen floor.(you could perform surgery on that floor) I think it was the Moncur cousins and our moms and grandma having a greatchat! I loved those chats!
Sorry to take so much space. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I love the tributes so far. It has been a fun trip down memory lane. I can just see Grandma now, being greeted by family members past and future. She must be having such a good time visiting, something she is awfully good at.
In these last few years I remember calling Grandma and Grandpa and laughing at the banter that took place when the phones were exchanged. If it was Grandma telling Grandpa that I was on the phone and to pick up, there was a lot of racket involved! At the top of her lungs she would yell, "Dee, pick up the phone!" Sometimes, this did not cause a stir and then more intense efforts were then employeed to get him to pick up the phone, usually followed by the word "Gad", her favorite expression. It always made me smile.
In earlier years, spending time with Grandma during Potato Harvest was a grand experience. We cooked and cleaned and went to town. One year, there was a rather large fire involving the hay stack. Many men came from Park Valley to help put it out. In her very hospitible way, Grandma decided that the men needed dinner. So, we went to the basement and picked out several cans of chili and cooked them. All the men thought it was homemade! I was instructed not to inform them otherwise! Her cooking was truly a marvel, even on those rare occasions that it all came from a can.
The garden, yard work, and laundry come to mind when I think of Grandma. She kept those fritzers in check and could grow flowers in the rocky soil that would have died under anyone else's care. I remember planting her garden and flowers with her and wondering how it would ever grow among the rocks. It usually did grow, only to be snacked on by the deer. But, without fail, she would grow another garden the next year. That is what I call perserverance. What fond memories and good experiences.
That is a lovely tribute to your grandmother. I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I understand the feeling that it's a blessing for her to be free of the struggles that come with old age, but it's so easy to miss grandmas and all the wonderful things they do for us. Even now it makes me tear up to think of my grandma and how special it was to grow up so close to her.
I've been thinking of the memories I have of grandma-just the two of us. She took me to get my ears pierced on my 7th birthday. We went to some shop on main street in Burley. She held my hand and told everyone how brave I was. I wore my gold studs proudly!
I often went with her to run errands when she came to Burley. Riding in the front seat of her big car she would always remind me that she had never gotten a traffic ticket. (If only I could have lived up to her legacy!) She also told me that if you drive just below the speed limit (35MPH) you could hit every green light through town. I also enjoyed riding with her to take a meal to grandpa--I loved that the Buick started without any keys! She would let me sit or stand on the bench seat next to her and speed over the hills to make my ride exciting!
We did a lot of shopping together. She would have me try on everything and say "don't buy it yet, we might find a better price somewhere else!" Consequently if I find a great deal on something I like--I purchase it immediately! Mom & Maria had more stamina with shopping than grandma & I. After a while you could find the two of us sitting on the bench of the mall outside Shopko, people watching. She told me that the first thing she notices about people is their nose.
When I stayed at her house I usually got to sleep on the couch upstairs because I was younger than most everyone and grandma thought I would get cold in her basement. I would wake up in the morning to the sound of banging pots and pans. Because I was the first one up we would sit and talk while she cooked breakfast. She was always wearing a house coat and canvas slippers and had two or three pink and yellow curlers in her hair. Even with such a good cereal selection I was never one to pass up her hashbrowns (with lots of pepper) and scrambled eggs. I was always a good "eater" (with the figure to prove it) and she made sure I did not leave the table hungry!
Well, I could go on and on. Grandma is a very special person to me!
One more thing--since I have lived in Tremonton, Grandma has been my sole meat supplier. She would call in advance of their trip to town and ask if I needed any meat. She would then send a grocery sack full of frozen beef with grandpa while she got her hair done at Leslie's. Grandpa would fall asleep reading the paper while I kept track of the time and called Leslie to see when they would be done. Grandma never wanted to "bother" me so I think bringing me meat was a great excuse to visit! I'm sad to say my next grocery trip will include my first ground beef purchase. Wish me luck! I miss you grandma!
Okay, one LAST thing--
The only time I have ever ridden in a police car was with grandma. We were on our way to Tremonton when the Mercury died on us! A man in a Blazer stopped (actually turned around across the freeway!) and offered to give us a ride. He had a big black dog in the back and he was wearing "joggers" and slippers. He insisted that we ride with him, but grandma was not going anywhere with him. Luckily a policeman came along and stopped to see if he could help. We rode in the back of his car like hardened criminals all the way to Tremonton where we spent the day at Jerry's (I think that was his name) waiting for a tow truck.
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