Sample Eulogy -- Grandmother
The beauty shop, brunch, church, fashion, elegance, patience, and family. These are all words that make me think of my Grandmother. She was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and a friend. She was a walking piece of history. She grew up during the Great Depression, fell in love and was married to a soldier during WWII. She raised her children during the civil rights movement, and Vietnam War Era. She lived life to the fullest! Her thirst for adventure and love of different cultures led her to travel all over the world. She walked across the Great Wall of China, crossed the English Channel, went to the top of the Eiffel tower, been to Mass at the Vatican in Rome, and traveled to 25 of the 50 states! She was traditional, modern, calm, passionate, social, yet enjoyed her alone time.
She lived in Denver, Colorado her whole life and was married to my Grandpa for over 50 years. After he died, 3 years ago, a piece of my Grandma died as well. She still did her usual trips to the beauty shop, brunch after church with her friends on Sunday, and family gatherings. She had two children with my Grandfather, a son and a daughter. I always loved hearing stories of their trips to the beach growing up, and I especially enjoyed the mischievous stories about my Uncle and Mother.
I think one of the things I enjoyed most about my Granmother was knowing her as an adult. In my late teens, I had a tendency to think she was old-fashioned, and what would she know. It was not until my early 20's when I began to actually open up and share pieces of my life, that I realized, she knew a whole lot. The woman that I saw as old fashioned and out of touch, was just the opposite. She had a lifetime of experience with men, relationships, friends, family, and work. I asked her one time how she knew so much, and she said at my age, I've seen everything at least once. She said, "after a while, people just start to fit into categories". I would say it was one of her greatest strengths, within a few hours of meeting someone and observing them, she could hit on their strengths and weaknesses.
She lived a full life, complete with laughter and sorrow. As we gather today, although we will miss her physical presence in our lives, let's not just grieve, but also celebrate her life as it was fully lived. As we talk and visit, let us share our memories, as her Spirit continues to live in all of us.
