My most beloved grandmother, you were the strength, the steady force behind everything in our family.  You truly were the Matriarch of the family.  You were always so quiet and serene, never saying much but what you did say had so much meaning that it left an impact that I have never forgotten.  You were the bonding force in our family that held us together and I never realized it until you had departed.

I always thought that it was your deep abiding faith in God and your trust in him to work everything out no matter what it was in every situation.  You always took everything to him, no matter the situation, in prayer.  But as I have researched through your ancestry I have come to know the pain and suffering that you and your family endured that I will never understand.  Never once did I hear you complain or say one word about the tragedies that happened in your life. This must have had an impact on you and gave you a strength and compassion that few people have.

I remember all of the times you took me with you to visit the sick and the elderly.  How you took time to tell people how much you appreciated even the smallest thing they did and to make them feel so very special.  How you always listened to every problem that was brought to you, even if it was something about one of your children, you would listen and never say a word. How you always encouraged, especially your children and grandchildren, to never say unkind words about people but to give encouragement and hope.

My wonderful grandmother you left behind a legacy, a path for me to follow, you taught me well and now I have that path to follow and guide me as I learn to trust in our Heavenly Father as you did. I thank you for this and so much more that you imparted to me while you were here on this earth. You were so very special and so deeply loved by me and always will be.