We headed out around 12:30 on Friday and the girls were ready for a long car ride.
We made it to Ottumwa about 5:30. On Friday night we walked to a Mexican restaurant for dinner (though the girls got lifts from John and Jen)!
We had breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning with Lucy!
We all met at the cemetery at 10am for a memorial service. Grammy’s urn was made by Jenny’s mom, Marti. Uncle Joe did the service. We sang hymns. The weather was lovely. It was a wonderful and personal way to say goodbye.
John was the lucky one who got to put the urn down in the hole. It was a really deep hole. We gathered around and even giggled a little bit because of how deep it was. But we were glad that it was a member of the family that got to put her in her final resting place.
Then we went to Hotel Ottumwa for a time of sharing, music family pictures, and lunch.
It was a wonderful morning remembering Grammy. In preparation for what we wanted to say about Grammy during the time of remembrance, my sisters and I looked at journals and emails from her from long ago. I shared a few examples of her emails (from the spring of 2001 when I was ending my first year of college and she was getting ready to move to Loveland) that showed what a goofy and caring Grammy was. Here are a few examples:
*I will pass on a lovely saying= No truly advanced civilization would include panty hose. arf Love, Grammy
*On my morning walk I received a daisy from a friend so I have a flower on my desk. I like it and I love you. Grammy
*A typist i am not and don't pretend to be but i need to capitalize the I. Come on Carolyn get with the program. Thanks for checking in. Love, Grammy
*The feng shui lady is coming Monday at six thirty and i think J and J are coming back for that. I have an hour and a half appt. so I should learn something. Stay tuned. (spoiler alert, I found out a few emails later she was NOT impressed by the feng shui lady)
*To-night i am going to kick myself out of the house in order to go to the dance at the Sr. center. Much Love and confidence in you Grammy
(I must have been stressed out at the end of my semester, because her messages started getting more encouraging and supportive)
*Be good to yourself. Quote of the day=When down in the mouth remember Jonah-he came out all right. Peace!! Love, Grammy
*SO looking forward to your visit to colorado, i know it seems like a long way away. we both have several rivers to cross, maybe even mountains before that and we will make it. Carry on sweetheart. Love, Grammy
*This too shall pass as the good ole summer time rolls in yet we must live in the present. Boy do I ever have to listen to myself on that one. Love, Grammy
On our way back to the hotel I bribed the girls to take a picture in front of this pretty brick wall. There were some outtakes but I got a money shot too!
That afternoon the girls finally got to go swimming back at our hotel.
A little later, my mom and sisters and I drove around Ottumwa to all the spots Mom remembered going to whenever they visited Ottumwa. We stopped at the drug store for an old fashioned limeade!
Yesterday evening we ended up going to a park, eating takeout at a brewery (where they liked us so much we got to name their new beer- Johnson Wheat!) and then going for ice cream.
This morning we got up and had breakfast (and did a little more swimming) before heading home.
I’m so grateful to have had this weekend to spend time with our Ekeberg/Johnson family and friends. They are a special group of people, from all over the country, who made the trip to honor and remember the life of Carolyn Ekeberg, my Grammy.
I created a picture slideshow for the memorial that you can maybe/hopefully find by clicking here! (I have had a heckuva time trying to figure out how to share this, so I'm not sure if that link will actually work. You might have to type in your name, not sure).
But you can see some fun videos (Lucy almost walking! Singing!) from the weekend by clicking here!
Another busy summer week starts!
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