Lenna Gruver

Grammie, God looked around his garden and found an empty place. He then looked down upon this Earth and saw your tired face. He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest. God's garden must be beautiful. He always takes the best. He saw the road was getting rough and the hills were too hard to climb, so he closed your weary eyelids and whispered "peace be thine". It broke our hearts to lose you, but you didn't go alone, for part of us went with you the day God called you home. My Grammie, Lenna Ilene Wilson was born in Long Beach, California on June 20 1927 to William "Curly " and Pearl Wilson. She told some great stories of surfing, singing Coca-Cola jingles on the radio, and having a pet alligator. Lynn had three sisters and two brothers: Trella, Don, Cookie, Red, and Marcine. She attended schools in California until the age of fourteen when she moved to San Jose' where she met and married Leo Cabral. Lynn and Leo had five children: Michael, Ron, Sherri, my mother Tammy and Teddy. Leo and Lynn were married for twenty-two years. In 1962 Lynn and her children moved to Mills, Wyoming. There she met and married Alvin Gruver, gaining three more children Carol, Barbra and "Lil' Al". My Grandma and Grandpa Al were married for nineteen years. Gram had thirteen Grandkids: Scott, Guy Dean, Cody, AJ, Tressa, Pearl, Josh, Zack, Sara, Dezerae, Megan, Jeremiah, and Michael. In addition to her grandkids, she was blessed with twenty great grandkids each of whom she adored. Lynn was primarily a housewife, mother and grandmother who spent most of her time caring for everyone she loved. Gram spent the last ten years of her life caring for her sister Trella who she loved with all of her being. My Grammie was an amazing woman and the "hub of this operation", the mold that built the family and the heart that kept it going. She enjoyed spending time with her family sharing big holidays at Christmas and Thanksgiving. All week I have heard about a prune cake that could make a baker jealous. All of us grandkids could always count on Candy Apples for Halloween at her old yellow house. Grammie had an enormous love for her grandchildren and was always there for the current family underdog that was in the most need of Gram's hugs and encouraging words to pull us out of our bottom. She had an amazing love for collecting clowns. She spent time outside weeding and watering her rose bed gardens and milk cart flowerbed, Teaching me all about Pansies long before I was ready. She could always be found at Sherry's drinking coffee, visiting and getting her hair done. A job only my Aunt Sherry could perfect, leaving the best hair do for last. You could count on Gram turning the key to the Cadillac at four thirty heading to the Bingo hall for her other passion in life making sure not to miss her marked seat. Sure to yell at the Chinese lady for yelling binga to point Gram thought she did it just to make her mad. Gram could often be found at The Kopper Kettle eating, a restaurant she loved dining at all the up until she passed away. My Gram is going to be greatly missed and will forever be in the hearts and memories of those she loved and all of those whose lives she has touched. And forever heard whistling and humming Patsy Kline's, "Walking After Midnight" and "You Are My Sunshine". I want to thank all of you for coming today to share in the memories that honor my Grams life and the legacy that she has left. She should be proud of the operation that she once started and spent a lifetime building and that which she has left all of us to carry on. I know that some very special people met my Grammie that morning God called her home. I would like to close with a very special poem that was written for a very special Grandma from a very special great grandson. Live, Love, Die So the end is hereOr is it just the beginning? This is only the first stepping-stone Into some place more The first is a hell Finding where and what to belong Striving day in and day out To please what seems to never end What's the second? A place paved in gold Lined in silk and gorged in sweet serenity Only those of faith are exclusively invited The end is terrifying and undying These shadows of death A never ending Abyss But look closely In the dark of midnight There the moon still shines brightly Like the moon, a gleam of light Always exist to co-exist There finding truth Under all the damned of sin & regret Buried is just the embodiment of hope Hope that will break through and live again We all are here for one purpose To live, to love, to die But life is all and more To look to the sky She's made there in the sky I know it. It's no secret Such a hot head would make it, Make it to the great eternal ... I hope in my heart the clouds are as fluffy as they look. Soft enough you could sleep on or sit and play a game of Bingo. I know she would and I wish I could have been there with you all to share this moment of what I have written. I'm sure she'd understand, but I do always wish I could play a last game of Bingo with her even if I had to listen to her yell and cuss because she didn't get the right number. Peace Out Great Grandma I Love You and Always Will Your Great Grandson, Scotty