To My Dearest Nanny..

Loosing a family member is the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my whole life. This loss within my family was extremely expedited. I was hoping that it didn't come so soon because I feared the pain I felt until yesterday. Yesterday, I received closure on the passing of my Nanny. The heartbreak I once felt has now been replaced with peace. The Lord has His ways of doing things and trusting him means that I trust his plans. So thankful for Jesus' perfect timing. Please continue to pray for my family as we navigate unknown waters and that we continue to feel comforted that her separation from us now is not final. Jesus couldn't have picked a better person to be waiting for us as we enter the pearly white gates of heaven later in life. Today I rejoice in the fact that one day I will be reunited with her. We will miss her so much. We love you Nanny & promise to take care of Pop.

Below is the eulogy I spoke at the funeral. 

Good Morning, my name is Anna Kate and I am the oldest of the 8 great grandchildren. Nanny has 8 great grandchildren- myself and my two sisters, Lily and Megan, and cousins, Trip, Bradley, Eric, Sammie, and Trey and we all love her so dearly.
Today I have the greatest honor of reflecting on the extremely happy life of my Nanny. It has always been and still will be one of my greatest joys to say that I have great grandparents, especially for someone of my age. Although her years outnumbered mine, I will forever cherish the time we have spent together over the past 18 years.

When I reflect on her life, I can’t help but think of the things she loved

Nanny loved our great grandfather, Pop

Nanny was a lover of Christmas and the color yellow

She loved to travel

She loved to plan ahead

And was also a lover of Jesus

Nanny loved to travel and that is a trait that she has passed on to all of her grand children and great grandchildren. It was one of her greatest passions, and she enjoyed it even more when travelling with the Joy Club from Alpharetta First Baptist or her family.  Over the past 8 years, Nanny led our family adventures to many destinations throughout the country on many different cruises. Nanny loved the color yellow and she represented the color well. When I think of yellow, I think something that brightens up a room or immediately makes people smile, and Nanny did exactly that. On a bad day she could make me smile. In some of the most recent times I spent with her and Pop, I would sit across from their recliner chairs asking them about what they had done during the day. Often times it wasn’t much, but on a special occasion she would start telling a story from the past- the lady had an incredible memory for the past! What she didn’t know about her story telling was that it reflected the way she made people smile. She wore yellow all the time, whether it was a yellow top, jacket, or pants. She brightened up any room she was in. She loved yellow so much that he whole formal living room is yellow!!

Nanny was a lover of Christmas. Although she didn’t think they were tacky, she loved wearing tacky Christmas sweaters on Christmas day. I will miss laughing at those sweaters this holiday season. Along with that love, came shopping, which is why I am convinced my shopping love is genetic! She and my mom would go on secretive holiday shopping trips that always ended up in the until this past year, off limits wrapping room that was full of surprises all because everything looked so great she had to buy it all.

Nanny was a great planner. She planned out everything from the meals we shared together as a family to some things that are present today at her funeral. When we visited her in the hospital last week, she told us all about the party she was having on Saturday. She frequently reminded us that we needed 20 rib eye steaks, coincidentally enough for our whole family, mashed potatoes, and salad. She was also very adamant that my dad not worry about the yard, but more importantly the party.
We will miss her this Thanksgiving as Lily tries to fill big shoes and attempts to make Nanny’s classic cornbread straight from “seasoned” caste iron skillet, her Christmas spirit will be missed this holiday season, and I will miss her earthly presence as I graduate this spring.

Nanny was a faithful follower of Jesus and that was extremely evident in the way she loved Alpharetta First Baptist Church. The evident happiness in her life was reflective of the joy Jesus filled her with.  I am so thankful that Nanny’s belief in Jesus grants her a life in heaven and her joyful spirit will continue to be with us.

Nanny will continue to live on in my life. Every time I walk into Nanny and Pop’s, I am reminded of her spirit because of her yellow family room- the room representing the way she lit up our family. Her spirit and kind heart will live on in my life all thanks to the way she loved me and other friends and family.

Thank you all so much for being here with us today as we celebrate Nanny’s life and cherish the memories we all have with her.