Grandmom

(11.19. 1919 — 6.29.2010)

Prior to leaving for Colorado, my grandmom had a major stroke. She had been sick for several years and a year ago I flew home to say a final goodbye since her doctors gave her a few weeks to live. She held on for a year and I had a chance to visit her several times since.

I went to Vail packed for my friend's wedding and the possibility that I would have to re-route to Philly for her funeral. Turns out, I didn't have to and was able to enjoy a relaxing mini-vacation with friends.

I returned to work Monday and had a weird feeling all day. Something felt off. While walking home from work, I talked to my mom and could tell in her voice that the time has come. Grandmom passed shortly after midnight on Tuesday, June 29th. My work was amazingly supportive and my team gave me a beautiful plant. I'm going to do my best to keep it healthy. :)

I flew a red-eye out Wednesday night where my friend Ryan retrieved me from the airport and took me to his favorite lunch spot. Thursday was spent with family and Friday was the services. The funeral was beautiful. There was a huge breeze during mass and Uncle Dave's eulogy was great. My favorite line was the last one where he said we are pretty sure that when mom reached the gates of heaven she said to God, "God, are you hungry?"

In the eulogy, he spoke of grandmom's love for the prayer of the rose. If you pray and see a rose, your prayer is being answered. In Catholic masses, you sit, stand, kneel, stand and are up and down the entire mass. Uncle Dave's told my mom that his communion prayer was that grandpop can go in peace and be with mom. He doesn't want grandpop to be in pain anymore and hopes he can join grandmom soon. When it was time to stand up, Uncle Dave felt something under his foot...it was a rose. Odd coincidence? I'm not religious like my grandmom, but I have very much respect for how faithful she was and don't doubt she can make stuff like a rose appear when needed.

After the funeral, there were two sailors in uniforn near grandmom's grave which confused us. DID THEY GET THE WRONG PERSON. IT WASN'T GRANDPOP (who spent many years in the service), IT'S GRANDMOM. We were totally confused as we drove up to the burial spot. Turns out there was another burial nearby.

The burial was the hardest part for me. Saying that final goodbye. Like I said, I flew home to bid farewell in the past and this was it. No more chances. As I placed a rose on her coffin, I placed my hand on it and whispered "you are beautiful." She was beautiful inside and out and thats something she always said to me, even in the last visits when her mind wasn't the same. I can still see her blue eyes and the smile of enjoyment on her face when I would see her.

After the burial, people gathered at my aunt and uncle's. We had two slideshows repeating in two separate rooms that had grandmom's favorite music and family photos. The weather was amazing. After the masses left, a small group of us enjoyed the night in the backyard, drinking and catching up.

Aunt Cathy has an addiction to ice. She likes A LOT of ice in her cup at all times.

The next few days were spent with the family and visiting Grandpop who is in a lot of pain. I can't write about it right now because it stirs too many emotions. He doesn't deserve this. He should be at peace with his wife.

On a happy note, I spent my last night in PA at the casino with my mom, cousin Peggy, Aunt Cathy and my 84 year old Aunt Claire who LOVES the casino. That was a good pick-me-up from the hard day with my grandpop.

It hasn't phased me that grandmom is It hasn't phased me that grandmom is really gone. She was truly my guardian angel. She always told me she prayed for me and in the years she got sicker and sicker I felt like someone wasn't watching over me as much as my luck wasn't as lucky or just a sense that something was missing.

I got back to town on Monday and the following night is my Tuesday night bowling league. Grandmom was a bowler and though her ball was too big for me, I have my ball in her awesome bag. I love that it still has her Thornridge address in her handwriting. It may sound cheesy but I want to think she helped me bowl a good game that night. I bowled better that night than I have all season and would like to say I owe it to her spirit. I want to believe that she's back to watching over all of us, like she did when she was busy feeding and praying for all her family.

I have started a flickr collection of grandmom and grandpop photos and hope others will email or send me more so we can start a library. That way any relative can check them out and print any photos they want. I'm also trying to get the slideshows up there so relatives who could not attend the funeral can see them.

Below is her obituary.

Catherine A. (Gerrity) Haeussler of Levittown passed away Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at Wood River Village in Bensalem. She was 90. She was the loving wife of 62 years to Francis F. Haeussler. Born in Scranton, Catherine was a former original Levittown resident. She enjoyed volunteering at church and being a homemaker. She was the mother of David Haeussler (Monica), Claire Hossler (Ralph), Cathy Lessard (Moe), and Loretta Cameron (Howard); grandmother of David, Fran, and Andrew Haeussler, Faith Short (Cody), Aimee Hossler, Jenna Churchray (Tim), Bob Howard (Catherine), James Marshall, Jeannie Paulson (Mike), and Kenny Marshall (Kim). She also is survived by 13 great-grandchildren; two sisters, and many nieces, nephews and friends. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. Friday at St. Ephrein Church, 5400 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem, where friends will be received from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass. A Rite of Interment will be in Our Lady of Grace Cemetery, Langhorne. (Faust Funeral Home, Hulmeville PA)