Grandma Hubbard

I started writing this post earlier this year when my Grandma Hubbard passed away. She would have been 80 years old last month. I love her and I miss her a lot. I wanted to finally post this as a small tribute to her even though my writing is not as good as I'd like it to be.

I did not think that she would go so soon. But she had been dealing with Alzheimer's, arthritis, scoliosis, and a stress fracture in her back. From what I was told, she died from a heart attack and from her organs shutting down. I'm glad that I got to visit her about a week before she died.

Her funeral was difficult because her death really surprised me. The world and I lost a really great lady. Her grandkids sang her favorite hymn "Love at Home" at the service which was hard to get through. I had the privilege of helping to dress her body for her burial. The military honored her with a salute before they laid her body to rest and it was very touching to hear.

I was very close to my grandma--I think I was closer to her than any other relative that I have. I probably felt so close to her because I've always looked up to her. I like to think that I get some traits from her besides my large Hughes ankles. She loved having people over and hosting parties. She often seemed to be puttering around the house organizing and doing little things for people.

She was happy, strong, smart, loving, hard-working, tough, funny, kind, and faithful. She was in the first nursing class at the University of Utah and she was an army nurse in the Korean war. She later held other prestigious and influential nursing positions while creating and raising a beautiful family.

My grandpa said that you knew Bonnie loved you by the way that she treated you. She would always sit by me and hold my hand. She saved magazines, newspapers, and books for me because she knew that I liked to read. Everytime we left her house, she would grab food or some decoration to give me as a gift.

She was a wonderful wife, mom, and grandma. The photos below are from her 50th wedding anniversary and from my wedding. She came from Salt Lake to Chicago to attend my wedding reception and family dinner even though flying gave her problems with her legs.

My grandma was very faithful in our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) She was a Latter-day Saint (or Mormon) her whole life even though my grandpa was not Mormon when they got married. She always attended church and raised my mom and aunt in the church. My grandpa decided to get baptized 2 years ago when he was 76, after he and my grandma had been married for 52 years. The next year they were sealed in the Manti, Utah Temple which means that we believe their marriage does not end at death.

I'm lucky to have been born into her family. I remember that we had a lot of fun with her as kids and I was blessed to get to know her better as an adult as well. I'll cherish the time we spent together and all the funny and interesting stories she told me about her life.

I love you, Bonnie Jean. I'm sure your physical pain is gone and that you have all your memories back now. I hope you watch over us and we'll see you in heaven someday.