My Grandma Gonyou passed away Monday morning this week. 12 days after she had surgery for a broken hip. We had to make the very painful decision that I could not travel for the funeral right now. I've been heartbroken about it.I did write a Eulogy, and my sister read it at the funeral today. I attached it below.
My childhood was filled with trips to my Grandparents farm. We would go 2-3 times a year, traveling from Illinois. We would have about a week at Christmas, Sometimes we would go for Easter, and then we would spend our Summer’s in Ontario between the farm, my mom’s family and camp. I have so many memories of playing with my cousins on the farm, riding horses, playing in the barns, chasing the farm cats. I can remember playing in the closet under the stairs with my cousin Danielle when Grandma would come in to hang up her coat and hat after coming home from working at the hospital. After she retired from work, we got to hang out with Grandma all day.
Grandma would bake pies, butter tarts, there was always some kind of yummy dessert waiting for us. I was always a picky eater, but at Grandma’s house, I would eat pretty much anything. I thought I didn’t like roast, but I would always eat Grandma’s roast. Lots of times I didn’t know what I was eating, which was probably a good thing. At Grandma’s house I would eat Duck, Tongue, Rabbit, all kinds of things that would normally make me mad at my mom for trying to make me eat it. But I never knew the difference and I liked it Grandma also liked pizza and well, Grandpa didn’t. So whenever we would visit, Grandma would use that as an excuse to order pizza, you know for the kids.
When I was at Greenville College in Illinois, I needed somewhere to go for the holidays. So I would often get a ride to Michigan with some friends, meet up with my cousin David, and then spend the week at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Grandma and I would make butter tarts, caramel popcorn, and cakes for me to take back to the dorm. Grandpa would go out and buy packages of my favorite chocolate bar, Crispy Crunch, since I couldn’t get them in the states. I used to love those visits.
As Grandpa and Grandma grew older, the visits changed. Grandma didn’t bake as much and , Grandpa retired from farming. But the farm was still a place we loved to go. When they moved into Dresden, we realized that it wasn’t the farm that was so great to visit, it was Grandpa and Grandma that we loved visiting. Living in Saskatchewan our visits decreased, but when we did get to visit, we treasured the time even more. I can remember bringing my husband to meet my Grandparents for the first time, and how excited they were to meet him. He was a little nervous.
When my husband and I moved from Kentucky back to Saskatchewan, we drove back the long way which took us through Ontario. We spent the first night of our trip at Grandma’s house. This was just a few years ago and Grandma didn’t get to cook much anymore. The first night Grandma ordered pizza as usual. But the next morning I woke up to hear Grandma pulling out pots and pans. I got up and helped her fry some eggs for breakfast, and then we made a roast for lunch. It felt nice to cook with Grandma again.
When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited to tell Grandma myself. I called her at the care home, and told her I had some news. When I told her I was going to have a baby she said “Oh, well that’s good news! Let me get a pencil so I can write this down.” She then proceeded to write down my due date so she wouldn’t forget about it. I was so excited to be able to call her after the baby was born. That and to make a trip out to Wallaceburg for our baby to meet its Great Grandmother. I know that she will be looking down on us from heaven, but I would love to have seen her face.
This past summer Grandma turned 89. Aunt Jane and Aunt Elaine planned a surprise party for her. All of us, all 4 kids and their spouses, all 11 grandkids and their spouses and all 14 great grandkids came. Grandma was so surprised and just kept saying “they’re all here aren’t they?” Looking around the room, it was amazing to see the legacy that Grandpa and Grandma have left behind. Our family has grown and spread out across Canada and the US, yet we all feel like Wallaceburg, Ontario is a bit like home. That’s where our Grandparents farm is, and where so many of our memories are.
So Grandpa and Grandma, although you may not be with us anymore, your memory will live on. We will always talk about our memories of you. The great-grandchildren you have met will have their own memories, the ones who are too young to remember, those who are about to born, and those who haven’t been thought of yet will also learn about their great-grandparents, the magical farm they lived at, and how loved they were by their family. We miss you both.
