I know this is really out of sequence...but it has been very busy around here. Our dear Grandma Ione passed away in February. At her funeral her daughter Allison gave a talk that taught us things about Grandma Ione that I didn't ever know. Grandma Lambourne was very smart and got a copy of this talk for us all to have. So...what better place to have a little history of Ione than our family blog.
I have been given the privilege of giving a tribute to my mother. This has been a bit of an overwhelming task. How could I tell you everything that made my mother such a wonderful person? Then I realized that unless you just wandered in here off the street, you already know. So I will just say what is in my heart.
A week ago Wednesday, she was taken to the hospital after a bad night. We arrived at the Emergency Room to find she had a fever of 104 and her heart was beating at 180 beats a minute. This was caused by an infection that had spread to her blood stream. When they gave her the medication to reduce her heart rate, the blood pressure dropped dangerously low. It was decided that she should be moved to the Intensive Care Unit. We immediately called Jim in California and he got on a plane. The doctor in the ICU did not think she would make it through the next couple of hours. Her dear friend and Home Teacher Jake Lambourne arrived to give her a blessing. She made it through those hours and we were all optimistic. With the high fever, she was a little incoherent. We spent a few hours waiting and watching. We could see that her kidneys had failed. After the fever medication and the fluids had done their job, she was again herself and she asked us to stop. We told her she couldn't go, she had a party coming up. She smiled and said, "I don't want to be 90". There were many tears. At this time she was sitting up in her bed and she said, "Let's not be sad, let's make this a celebration." Much of the family was gathered around the bed. She went around and asked each person for a happy memory. When we had told her our memories, she gave her advice for a happy life.
I would like to share some of that advice with you and tell you how she exemplified these things in her own life.
First is make good memories. My mother was always planning something. She packed so far ahead for a Lake Powell trip that we had food boxes in the family room for two weeks. Sh wanted to leave nothing to chance, so that a good time would be assured. She loved to entertain. When the study group dinner party was at our house, the tables were set and decorated for days. Cathi and I loved to horseback ride. When she took us riding, she not only took us, she took all the neighbor kids as well. Last night someone was telling me about the time she took all the neighbor kids to the top of Mount Olympus. One summer she created enormous tents for us under the back patio. Everyone wanted to be at our house and everyone felt welcome there.
Next is Love each other. Be good to each other. Mom was always striving for love and harmony in our home. Cathi and I had frequent battles. When we were fighting, she would begin to sing "Love at Home". I don't know if it was the guilt or annoyance, but soon the two of us would be in tears and begging her to stop. In either case, the fight was over. To have a harmonious vacation, there was a time period when she went to the extreme of letting each of us take a friend on family vacations. And there was always the example to us of how much she loved dad. There were never cross words between them.
Another was get an education. You can't learn too much about good things. She was always learning. She loved to read. She and I were reading a series of WWII novels when reading became difficult for her. She told me I would have to tell her how it turned out, because between her daily scripture reading, reading the Relief Society lesson, the Sunday school lesson, the Ensign, the church news, the biography of Neil Maxwell and the obituaries, she didn't have enough time to get it all in. She was spending the week with us last summer. One night we were out roasting marshmallows by the fire and she decided my kids needed to learn something that she was afraid was going to be lost, so she instructed my children on how to slaughter a hog and dress a chicken.
Keep busy. My mother loved life and always got the most out of each day. She was a hard worker. She worked hard at everything she did and it was never drudgery. She sang or whistled her way through every task. She did more service than anyone I know. She taught cooking at the juvenile detention center for many years. She was always a class room volunteer. She was PTA president. She went out canvassing for every fund drive. She even went out this last fall, up and down the street with her walker. For years we have been planning to have her come and live with us in Alpine. She always had some reason why she couldn't leave yet. Mostly it was because she needed to look after what she called her :"little ladies" many of whom were younger than she. You can look at the ward bulletin board in the hall and see that she was at the activities.
Last is go to church. She loved the gospel, she loved her ward. She loved the Lord. She always served with joy in any calling. And she always have it her all. Amy Cornelius Broadhead reminded me of all the hand painted scrolls she used in calling as a Primry Chorister. When the ward was recently divided, she said she might be ready to come to my house to live. She went to her new ward one Sunday and decided she would stay after all.
When she had finished giving her advice, she spoke on the phone with all of her grandchildren who could not be with her. And told all how much she loved them and we told her the same. When the doctors withdrew the medication, she slowly became unconscious. Every few minutes her eyes would fly open and she would squint hard at the celling. I'm positive she was looking for my father. Last night I was copying some of her papers and I found this poem that she had written after the passing of my father. It is titled "The Words I so Loved To Hear".
"My Darling" was the name that I so loved to hear.
It came oft from his lips (I recall with a tear)
Ere long I can hear it once more on that day
When I've finished my journey and get on my way.
"My Darling", he'll say as he comes forth to meet me.
With both hands outstretched-is the way that he'll greet me.
And I'll hear it again - "My Darling, you've come"
I am grateful for the gospel that teaches this is true. And they are now together forever.
We have definitely missed our Grandma Ione. I am so glad I was able to get to know her more once we moved up here. She was always so interested in the things that we were doing and loved to give her advice on the things in life. I am so glad that Allison shared with us the last pieces of advice that she had to give!
Once we got up and settled we spent the remainder of the evening eating home made cookies and visiting. Saturday turned out to be a fun filled day. We spent the day riding scooters, swimming, fishing and then swimming again.
