Funeral

How do you celebrate such an incredible life? It seems hard to do justice to the vast, complex, incredibly layered life of a person as great as Ramon Walker. I think it's also particularly hard because with both him and Grandma gone it is the end of an era. They were the things that tied us all together and we already feel the massive hole where they should be. As difficult as it is to say goodbye, there are a thousand reasons why we are happy for him. (Sad for us, happy for them.) He couldn't have passed in a better way, living the life he loved on his beloved ranch - being with his children and grandchildren, then having his body shut down and within a week being gone. (They took him to the hospital on the 6th, we visited him on the 8th, and he was gone on the 11th.) No lingering illness and no need to have someone move in with him. The last couple of months (really a year), his memory was fading and it was getting worse and worse - but it never got bad enough that he couldn't care for himself. We are just so grateful for this dignified end to such a powerful life. We will miss him, but we are grateful for the knowledge of eternal families and an understanding of the plan of salvation. 

The display did a great job of capturing his life. Some themes: love of family, daily hard work and dedication, and an adventurous spirit. My grandfather loved his family, that was evident in every picture taken of him with his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the impact was seen in the love that they had for him in return. My grandpa worked all throughout his life to care for his ranch with daily, repetitive, hard work. Even with the hard work, he also had the spirit of adventure. He was well-traveled and enjoyed visiting new places and seeing new things. 47 states: Alaska, Hawaii, a horseback trip through the midwest states. Camping in the mountains, water skiing, and exploring the outdoors was a huge part of his life. That love of adventure didn't stop as he aged. At 73, he climbed Kings Peak (the walking stick he used was part of the funeral display). He went on an ATV adventure with his kids from the Canadian Border all the way to the Mexico border. I like to think that his sense of adventure lives on in my own heart and I can only hope that I can create the same legacy of love and effort that he did. 

The viewing: 

Saying goodbye is hard because the love we have for him is so great. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace where there would only be sorrow and that makes all the difference. 

I remember watching my grandpa stand on this same path during my grandma's funeral and the great sadness in his face as my grandma's casket was loaded into the hearse. It was so tender and sad. I couldn't help but think of that as the rest of us stood and watched the same procession. 

My cousin, Kristie, outfitted one of her horses with Grandpa's overcoat & boots. The riderless horse followed her and Ken from the church to the cemetery. It was really touching. 

"The Last Ride"

One of the things that I love most about Lyman is that when there is a funeral, the police force closes down the main road during the ride from the church to the cemetery and gives a police escort. Each car you pass on the road pulls to the side as a show of respect, and it's just so powerful. I don't know if they do that in other places, but it seems like it would be a hard thing to manage in a bigger city. But here, it's like the whole community can pause their busy lives to acknowledge your loss and bow their heads with you, even for a moment. 

The cemetery was beautiful and the sadness of the funeral seemed to lift a little in the fresh Wyoming air and the promise of grandma and grandpa being together again. 

The grandsons all had boutonnieres that they were wearing as pallbearers and after they laid those on the casket they handed out long-stemmed roses for the granddaughters. I thought it was a beautiful touch and so tender to have my own opportunity to say goodbye and thank my grandpa for all that he did for me and to give him a token of my love. 

After the luncheon back at the church, we visited, reminisced, and felt the strength of a family gathering together. I wanted a picture with my cousins and am so glad that my question posed to my cousin Sarah "Do you think that we could get a picture with all of the cousins?" turned into actually getting a picture. So many childhood memories with these people who are now grown with lives of their own. 

We ended the day back at the house. The kids played with kittens in the backyard and on the tire swing/tree. I took some pictures inside (see next post). 

Dearest Grandpa. We love you and we are grateful for you and your influence on our lives. Thank you for everything.