Tribute to an Elegant Lady 1935-2007

Keep checking...I'm going to post a wonderful tribute to Mrs. G later, written by her granddaughter. It says it all.

I'm off to get dressed for the funeral. Don't know what time I'll get this posted today, so I'll leave it up for tomorrow as well.

Still waiting for the letter to hit my inbox, so here's a loving tribute from her 4 kids.

Our Mom most assuredly had the gift of giving. And we were the constant recipients of her and Dad's self-sacrifice. We'll never forget the memories she and Dad created through their generosity: great family vacations in Florida, rich holiday traditions, birthday parties, dinners they would never let us pay for, and the lasting investments of time and energy made in their grandchildren.

But Mom's generosity wasn't limited to her family. She loved to find needs and meet them, whether for a missionary on the other side of the world or a friend nearby who needed encouragement. She understood that it is truly "more blessed to give than receive." She made generosity a way of life. God's kingdom is surely advanced because of her giving spirit.

If there is one common family trait that we all received, it was her sense of humor. She led the way and showed us how to laugh with one another and at ourselves. She found a great balance between the serious and the lighter sides of life. She loved to 'ham it up', play jokes on others, do impersonations, and told funny stories in a way only she could do. Even in her last days when her physical health was so diminished and frail and the discomfort greater than ever, her humor never ceased.

Because of her cheerful disposition, most people have only a small understanding of how much she suffered most of her adult life. But she bore this cross with such immense courage, rarily drawing attention to her pain and constantly thinking about others. The path of suffering, though it often seems to make no sense, is not without purpose. God's ways are perfect despite our inability to fully understand. Even now, we don't understand why she had to walk this path, but one day we will. But now, as she stands in the presence of her Savior, she knows His purpose in all of this. She knows now what Paul meant when he said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." She ran the race that was set before her with endurance and perseverance. And we are all the richer for her example.

If she were here, she would want you to know her faith is what sustained her through it all. When she was in the hospital for the last time, she recounted at least 19 surgeries that she endured over the years. Of all those, none was as significant or as life-altering as the surgery God performed in her heart 30 years ago when she chose to turn her life over to Him. That is what enabled her to never lose hope amid such great adversity.

Today we celebrate her life, both past and future. There is so much more that can be said. It is both sad and joyful at the same time. For today, she is in the presence of her Maker to worship and enjoy Him forever and ever...which was what she was made to do.

We thank God that he chose to give our Mom to us and for making our lives so profoundly meaningful as a result. The lives of many people in this room are also richer because of her. We will miss her terribly, but we will see her again.