Grandma Lila

It's so hard to say goodbye to someone you love and miss tremendously. There never was a better Grandma - of this I'm certain. She always showed so much love and concern for all her family and those she associated with. I will miss being around her and talking with her. When I was a child she taught me so many things. She bought me my first journal and taught me to write in it. She taught me how to crochet and make blankets and of the importance of education. She had a college degree herself. She gave me manicures and pedicures and let me use her jafra makeup. She made me barbie clothes and taught me to use her sewing machine. I loved when she would take us to como swimming pool to swim and sledding when it snowed. I loved trick-or-treating up and down her street in Morgan on Halloween. We had so much fun at Christmas dressing up doing the nativity story at her house. Oh how I loved traveling over the river and through the woods to my sweet Grandma's house. I loved sleeping over. Grandma bathed me and put lotion on me when we were done. She would read to me and tuck me in to bed. She always had evening prayers and knelt down with me to say my prayers.It was great waking up at her house in the mornings to warm breakfast. I had so much fun playing at her house in the chalet and in the water with my barbies when it was her day for water in the irrigation canal. She took me to BYU Aspen Grove Family Camp, a tradition I know enjoy with my own family. I loved taking my children to her house to have waffles and play in the park. I never left Grandma's house without her loading my car up with apples or some other food or books as I left. I have so many wonderful memories of my sweet grandma, for this is am truly blessed and grateful. My Grandma walked for exercise every day, took great care in her appearance, practiced the piano faithfully even in her old age, wrote birthday cards to me and all my children. She made everyone of her great grandchildren a blanket when they were born. Whenever I spoke to her she loved to hear about my children and all my siblings - all of whom she loved dearly. The most important thing she taught me was to love the gospel with all your heart. She always had church books and magazines that she studied. She faithfully attended church and magnified all her callings. She served two full-time missions after she retired as an elementary school librarian. She served in Peru and England. She said she served one for herself and one for my deceased Grandfather Rellus. I loved that she tried to learn Spanish in her old age to serve a mission in Peru. I am sure she was loved dearly by those people as well. When we visited her, she would have us kneel at our chairs around the dinner table to have family prayer and then we would also have a blessing on the food. She was a faithful daughter of our Heavenly Father and never doubted what she believed. She was strong and true and showed us a righteous example of a Christlike life. She worked hard her whole life as a single mother of 5 children (ranging in age of 12 (my father) to 2 years old after the death of her husband. She was a strong amazing woman who raised all her children to be strong in the gospel. She taught by loving example. I loved talking with her and hearing the stories of her childhood and her life. She took in many strangers into her home and fed them and let them stay. She had foreign exchange students and student teachers stay in her home. One exchange student -Jose Sanchez - from Columbia called her mom and considered her his mother. He spoke at her graveside service and recounted how she introduced him to the gospel and that it was because of her sweet influence and testimony that he is a member of the Church. I will miss her. I am sure she is engaged in missionary work still and I am happy to know that she will be with my Grandpa Rellus whom she lost at a very young age. She was very anxious to see him again. When she stayed at my house two months ago for baby William's blessing, she said she was ready to join Grandpa. I told her not to talk that way. She said "don't you think I have been away from him long enough?" Yes you have Grandma Lila, 49 years to be exact and I am happy for their reunion. Thank you grandma for being one of the most influential, sweet, loving and precious people in my life.

The following letter is one I sent to Grandma a while ago.
Dear Grandma, I love you so much. You are the best Grandma anyone could ever hope for. I have so many wonderful memories of the times we spent together. Thanks for always being so interested in every aspect of my life. You are amazing and I am a better person for having you in my life. I love to be with you. You are smart, caring and fun. I loved staying over at your house while young. You would always read to me, bathe me, take me walking and make tasty meals. I loved when you would take us swimming at Como. You would pack us a lunch, get us sunscreened and then we would have such a great time. I loved the Sundays we would visit you for dinner. I can almost smell the food as I think of running up to your door. I was always so excited to be there. You would be in the kitchen with some of my aunts preparing dinner. We would play downstairs with your toys on that same striped carpet my children play on now! I remember you and aunt Brenda calling me a jello lover because I ate so much. Even now I always think of that when I eat jello. I loved to play in your backyard and on the chalet. It was magical when it was lawn flooding day (Wednesday I believe). Oh how I loved to splash around in all that water (my barbies enjoyed it too!). Some of my fondest childhood memories are of going to Aspen Grove Family Camp with you. It was such a great experience that I take my own family there every year (they love it too). You taught me to crochet, write in a journal, hand-stitch quilts, the importance of caring for your skin and appearance, exercising, the value of education and love for the gospel. I loved learning to crochet under your instruction, side by side while you worked on an afghan too. It was so fun to do jafra manicures and pedicures with you. I think of you ever time I put lotion on my children (I used to love when you would put lotion on me after a bath). I remember well one evening (Rowland was being born) sitting at your dining room table writing in my journal for the first time. You bought me my first journal and helped me spell as I needed it. You always set a wonderful example by doing all the things that you taught us. It is amazing that you offered your time and love to serve two missions. I loved hearing about your missions. I was so proud of you and your dedication. You are an inspiration to us all. You are such a sweet, caring and giving woman. It is wonderful that you welcomed foreign exchange students into your home. It was fun to get to know them when we visited you. Thank you for raising such a wonderful son that I am so blessed to call my father. You have been and are a wonderful example to us all! My children and Mark love you too. They have such a great time at your house. They love your waffles and the sweet birthday cards you send them. You are truly amazing. I love you with a deep and tender love. You are a very special Grandma!