Gran

Today I stopped at a friend's house for her grandmother's memorial. Granny, or Gran, lived to be 101 years old. She died two days short of her 102nd birthday. To put that into perspective, Gran was born the same year that Greta Garbo was born and Teddy Roosevelt was President. Yowza!

My friend showed me the funeral arrangements Gran had requested on a sheet of lined yellow paper. It had been written in 1991. She instructed two of her grandchildren (one being my friend) to NOT hold a service when she died and to put the notice in the paper two days AFTER her burial. She asked to be cremated and buried with Daddy. She asked that her ashes be placed over Daddy's grave and the pastor to say a few prayers. She said "do not let the undertaker talk you out of it."

My friend has always been close to Gran and spent a lot of time interviewing Gran about her life and all she'd seen. Gran's first memory was how her mother's face tuned white when the Great San Francisco earthquake hit. She was probably too young to remember it, but she swore she did. Besides, you just didn't argue with Gran. When asked about the greatest invention to come along in her lifetime, Gran claimed getting electricity in the house was the BEST. Indoor plumbing was up on her list as well but ladies don't talk about such things.

Gran lived to see so much. I didn't know her particularly well but whenever there was a family event I'd sit with her and talk. Her matter-of-fact way always made me laugh. Gran got dressed to the nines every day. I don't think I ever saw her out of a Channel suit. I loved her!

The world has lost a cool lady. I'm glad my friend has worked so hard to preserve her memory.