Mostly Caleb...and a few other random thoughts: Memories of Grandma D.

Earla Marie Dunlap

June 9, 1927 - March 16, 2008

Grandma D. passed away on Sunday morning after a long, hard battle with dimentia. I saw her last Friday before she died and said a final goodbye and kissed her head (there was a slight twitch of her eyes in response), and then went to hear the choir I accompany perform the Mozart Requiem. As I sat there and realized the irony of listening to a death mass as my Grandma lay there taking her final breaths in the nursing home, I was carried away by the etherealness of it all and tears came to my eyes. As the translation of the Communio states "Let light eternal shine on them, O Lord, and be with you forever. Amen."

I have many memories of times spent with Grandma. We would often spend days and nights at her house on the lake. Many, many summers were spent swimming there; she was an excellent and beautiful swimmer! Unfortunately, I did not get that talent! In the fall, we were over there raking all those leaves in that giant yard - ugh! And in the winter we would go ice skating on the lake and enjoy hot chocolate afterwards.

She let us kids be kids. We would often get into things that we weren't supposed to but she never got irate about it. We would spend hours and hours in her basement (especially when it was cold or rainy outside) and she wouldn't mind that it got a little messy or that we were loud and running around like crazy animals!

She had an innate "motherly-ness" and loved when the whole family was there and would make wonderful meals and delicious desserts. She had the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know and would never miss dessert at any meal! I would always tease her at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and reading her mind would announce, "Grandma will have a sliver of each pie!"

She had a great sense of humor and loved to have fun and her laugh was infectious. If you really got her going, she would laugh until she cried.

Often when the whole family was over there we would play board games and I remember watching a game of Trivial Pursuit (when it first came out) and being mad that I was too young to play. But I remember thinking how smart Grandma was because she knew all the answers! Despite never attending college, she was an incredibly smart lady - I would daresay the smartest in our family. She had an incredible vocabulary (that she would put to use in her crossword puzzles) and would always teach me new words. She and I would often play this word game she had and I think she would let me win.

She loved people and animals. Her cat, Tigger, was her best friend during her last years. She had the kindest heart and would do anything for anyone. Her doors were open to anyone. I often took friends with me over to her house on the lake and she never minded one bit.

Though not a musician herself, she always was a big supporter of my music and attended almost every concert in which I played. I have heard that she was a good singer, though I have no recollection of hearing her sing. As with her other talents, she was very modest and never wanted to "show off."

Always the perfect picture of a lady, Grandma was the most elegant and sophisticated person I know, though without an ounce of snobbishness. She always said she and I would have a tea party with her Grandmother's china and while I was never a "tea-party" kind of kid, the fact that it would have been time spent with Grandma made it appealing. We never got to do that though...

I am very grateful that Grandma got to become a Great-Grandma in her lifetime and meet her Great-Grandson, Caleb! She loved him and even when she could not remember his name, she always talked about the "little guy" and tears of happiness would come to her eyes upon sight of him.

Grandma loved the things of God and had a personal relationship with Christ as was evident in her words and actions. She loved her church family and told us she prayed for her family every day!

So, Thank you, Grandma! Thank you for your cheekbones! Thank you for your thyroid issues (this is sarcastic)! Thank you for supporting me musically! Thank you for letting me be a kid! Thank you for instilling in me that sense of family that you had! Thank you for passing along that drive you had to always learn and to be your best! Thank you for your prayers! Thank you for always being there! And most of all thank you for your love!!!

Grandma & Grandpa on their wedding day - I love this picture!

Meeting her Great-Grandson for the first time!

Grandma and her daughters

Last picture of four generations