This past weekend we packed up and headed to Walnut. Unfortunately it wasn't for our usual traditional crazy Linley weekend. This time it was to mourn and celebrate the loss of Grandma Linley. After a weekend of bittersweet time together with our family, we said goodbye with an ache in our hearts to a wonderful Grandmother who left an amazing legacy of love and family values behind her. But...instead of talking too much more myself I just thought I would share the eulogy my husband wrote for her. I am so proud of him and he did an amazing job. This sums up why we are all so sad to see her leave us...but thankful for the time we had with her. Love you Jer. I think your Grandma would be so very proud of you.
Eulogy for Charlotte Virginia Linley (Grandma):
Growing up, I always admired how hard my grandparents worked for everything they had, and the nice things that they had as a result. One day I remember telling my Grandma how “I really want to have a nice car like this one day.” Grandma looked at me and said, “Well one day, if you work really hard, you will be able to have a nice car like this too.” When I asked my Grandma what she did for work, she joked and said, “Well…I am married to Grandpa.” My Grandma always had a pretty great sense of humor. But all joking aside, there are no two harder working people than my Grandma and Grandpa Linley. And this was just the first of many lessons that my Grandma Linley taught me.
Good Morning Everyone, I want to start by thanking you all for being here today to show your love and respect for my grandmother, as well as your support for my family during this time. As you all know, Charlotte Virginia Linley played many roles in this life. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, an aunt, a cousin, a grandmother, a great grandmother, and many other things. Yet most importantly, she was a good friend to us all. Most of you know her as Virginia. But for me, she just went by Grandma. And I’d like to share with you today a little bit about who she was to my family and me.
Loving
When I think of my grandma, there are many words that I could use that best describe her and the joy she brought to all of us. First and foremost, she was a loving person. She was gentle, kind, and always nurturing. When I was younger, my dad often joked that growing up with Grandma was a lot like living with “June Clever.” I guess in saying that, it means that he thought of himself and my Uncle Mark as sort of like Wally and the Beav. And I will let you argue over who’s who. But I think what he meant from that is that she was a mom’s mom, or a trophy mom as he would say. He said she was usually in the kitchen or tending to the household chores, yet somehow always had an eye out the window looking out for her boys, as well as the other children in the neighborhood. Much like June Clever, I believe her style of loving and mothering really personified that time or era. And she continued to teach and raise us grandchildren in much that same style.
Classy
My Grandma was also a very Classy Lady. Whether it was being adorned in her beautiful jewelry, having her hair and make-up perfectly done up, or dressing as fashionable as she did, she always looked the part. I especially recall thinking this during family functions like weddings or holidays with her dressed in a beautiful, colorful outfit just for the occasion, or even cruising in her prized Mustang in the town parade wearing her hip J-Lo sunglasses and scarf. My grandma always looked like a movie star, and she always will be in my book.
Young at Heart
Grandma was also young at heart. It was hard to keep in her one place, or have her sit back and let someone else do something for her. As kids, we often joked that she never slept. When we would visit, she was awake when we went to bed, and awake when we got up, with breakfast ready on the table or waiting to take our order of cheesy-eggs and bacon. But really, who could blame her, having to keep up with seven grandchildren, and even two great grandchildren. Whether it was playing multiple rounds of golf with us when we visited for the week, or staying up late playing games at the kitchen table, grandma never skipped a beat. In fact, when we were younger and would ask how old my grandma was, she would always reply that she was only 17. However, as the years went on and her age did not, we started to get the idea that she had fudged that number just a little bit. To this day, I still don’t believe we ever got an accurate number from her on that subject. But I think that is because in her heart, she always felt a little younger than she really was.
Caring
Caring is also a word that greatly describes my grandma. One of the ways she showed how much she cared was by always making her house feel like home, regardless of the guest or time of day that you were there. This was especially true when it came to dining with her guests. As I hope most of you have experienced, my grandma was an exceptional cook. And when it came to dining at the Linley House, my Grandma was most definitely the hostess with the mostest. At family dinners during the holidays, I don’t think my Grandma ever ate a full meal. She would usually be in the kitchen making sure everyone had everything they needed before she would even consider sitting down at the table. And when she would finally sit down, she’d notice someone who was done with their dinner, and up she was again bringing out the many choices of desserts there always were to offer.
Cookies and Secret Recipe
And when it comes to desserts, there is nothing that beats my Grandma’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. They were the kind of cookies that one would crave, especially after a 4-hour long trip to visit with Grandma and Grandpa. No matter the time we got into town, there was always a fresh batch made either sitting on the kitchen table or in the snack drawer with a note from grandma telling us to make ourselves at home. And of course, we had to have some as soon as we got in the door, whether it was 10, 12 or 2 in the morning. It was sort of a tradition, I suppose. And we would always joke how the cookies were so good, that they must be some sort of family secret recipe that none of us were privy to just yet. It was only a couple years ago that Grandma had let the cat out of the bag, and revealed it was just a cut out recipe she found one day and taped to the inside her cabinet. Since then a couple of us have tried to recreate her cookies, but always falling just short of the magic that came with Grandma’s cookies.
Strong
My Grandma was also strong, both physically and mentally. For those of you who did not know, she was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia several years back. Though you never would have guessed it if you were around her. She always went along like things were good, and she was blessed in every aspect of her life. And whether it was traveling with my Grandpa, keeping up with her many hobbies, or visiting with us grandkids, she never tried to let things hold her back. And when things were not going well for others close to her, she always made sure that she put them before she put herself, providing words of encouragement and a positive attitude to help motivate them through their struggles and pain.
Passionate
And my grandma was passionate about everything that she worked at, as well. If it was working at the chiropractic office, raising her family, teaching and sharing with her grandchildren, or volunteering her time at church and in the community, she always put her heart and soul in all that she did. And I think that really showed by how much everyone respected, treated, and cared for her in return. When I was younger, we always joked that everyone in town knew grandma and grandpa, and this seemed especially true driving around town with her as a kid. Where we were from, everyone didn’t know each other every place that you went, and we always thought it was a little weird. But now being a little older, I realize she was known because she was involved. Involved in the community, in the schools, at church, and in life.
Hobbies
Grandma also had her fair share of hobbies to keep her life full and fun. For leisure, she often joined her quilting club to work on the plethora of projects she always had going on, one of which we proudly treasure at home given as a gift for our wedding. She also mutually enjoyed golfing, partaking in both league and tournament play during her fabulous career, with even a tournament title or two to her name. And that was one of things I remember most about Grandma was golfing together. My brother and I sort of feel like we learned to golf with Grandma, and treasure that experience with her, when it was just the two of us and Grandma while Grandpa was at work or before he joined us. And it was not until recent years that we were even good enough to beat her, and even then it was not always constant. Grandma also enjoyed volunteering her time at church, working with the multiple groups and activities, as well as playing the organ and singing in the choir. Her musical talents were truly a gift to be shared, and something she enjoyed to do.
I would also like to take sometime today, to say thank you to a few special people.
Our Family – Thank you for sharing in this life with Grandma, and for giving her so much to talk about and be proud of.
Bob Linley, my Grandpa – Thank you for giving Grandma a wonderful life, taking care of her so well, and giving her so much to live for. You and Grandma are the pillars of this family, and the mentors of a lifetime.
And Finally to most of all…I want to say thank you to my Grandma. For teaching me how to golf. Teaching me about working hard. And mostly teaching me about kindness and the importance of loving your family with all your heart.
Earlier I mentioned that my Grandma was devoted to her church. She was a wonderful Christian example for me growing up, both in the way she lived her life and treated others. Some of my first church memories involve coming to this church with my grandparents, watching my Grandma play the organ and my Grandpa sing in the choir. So I thought it would be most appropriate to close with an excerpt from a contemporary mash-up of a traditional hymn:
Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to you
His word our hope secures
He will our shield and portion true
As long as life endures
Yea, when your flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
You shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
Your chains are gone, You’ve been set free
Our God, our Savior has ransomed thee
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace
We love you grandma, and we’ll miss you.
