Grandma Hess

August25th

8 Comments

Posted in: Uncategorized

I want to be like my Grandma Hess–patient, loving, fun, kind, willing to endure all things to the very end . . .

I doubt that I will ever be able to completely fill her size 9 shoes (Naturalizer seemed to be her favorite brand), but I take pride in the fact that I am like my grandma in a few ways. She was a worrywart just like me, and we both love inspirational quotes, poems and stories.

One of my favorite memories of Grandma Hess is sitting on her bed with her while she watched Lawrence Welk and I culled through some of the spiral-bound volumes of treasures she had collected over the years.

Separated by the miles between CA and UT or CA and AU (while she and Grandpa Hess served in the Sidney Temple), she was so diligent in writing me (even weekly while I attended BYU), and she would frequently close her letters with a quote or two selected just for me based on challenges or experiences I may have been going through at the time. Now, separated by the thin veil between here and eternity, I may not get letters from her, but once in a while, I feel her influence in my life and pause to contemplate how I can be more like her. I had one such experience yesterday . . .

During Sunday School yesterday, our fabulous instructor (Katie Morphew) shared this quote that really hit home and reminded me of my grandma.

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.

He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.

Whoever will lose his life to God will find he has eternal life.”

Ezra Taft Benson

(Thank you, Lindsay, for providing the pictures!)

8 Comments

Comment by Lindsay — August 25, 2008 @ 5:21 pm

That is a beautiful quote. I love Grandma Hess! I love hearing more about her. What a great lady. I’ll have to show this to grandpa, I bet he’d love to hear it. He’s been staying with us for the past week and is going home today.
Comment by Brenda — August 26, 2008 @ 10:41 pm

Hi Lori,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, it’s interesting how little I knew about Grandma. I was 19 when she passed away, and I guess it was for about 4 years before that when she wasn’t able to talk as much.

I told Grandpa I miss her and I wish I knew her more as a person than just a grandma. Thankfully, there will be opportunities for that to come.

These pictures are beautiful! I love the first one. And the last one is taken in 1974 at my parent’s wedding.

I have a question for you, for my Master’s Program I have to begin a blog. For your blog did you have to pay a registration fee, or any other fee? I would like to have a blog that ends with .org so that I can add to it at school. The blogspot one’s are blocked in my district.

Thanks so much!
~Brenda
Comment by Brenda — August 26, 2008 @ 10:50 pm

One of my most tender memories of Grandma is also a memory of you. The Hess family were gathered at Aunt Anne’s for your bridal shower. At this time, Grandma was bedridden and unable to talk. You were going through the temple and she was not able to attend.

My mom stayed with Grandma each week while Grandpa golfed. On one of these visits my mom asked Grandma if she would like to give you one of her hankies so that you could take it with you to the Temple.

“Blink once if yes,” my mom said. Grandma blinked. Then she asked if she would like to give a hankie to each of her granddaughters. Again she blinked.

I remember this account being told and there was not a dry eye in the room. Oh how we loved and do love our Grandma Hess.

And so it was, at your shower we all received one of Grandma’s hankies. The hankie is a tangible reminder of her love for me, and all her granddaughters. It is a reminder to me of the love she has for the Temple of the Lord.
Comment by Shauna Hess Kohl — August 27, 2008 @ 2:20 pm

Hi Lori,
I like you have moments in my busy mom life where I feel the influence of Grandma Hess. She was such an example for all of us. I laughed when you wrote about watching Lawrence Welk with Grandma because I also have fond memories of doing that with her and thinking it was the coolest show in the world. 🙂 What a great example we have to follow and hopefully be like one day. Thanks for sharing such a great post. I love the pictures!
Comment by Rachel — August 28, 2008 @ 11:24 am

I love these pictures! I was up at the cabin at Bear Lake this last week and thought a lot about Grandma Hess. I too laughed at your comment about the Lawrence Welk show because I use to get in the middle of Grandpa and Grandma while they watched it in bed, followed by the news (Grandpa Hess never like Mark Eubank, the weather man, because he was too cheesey). I can’t wait to see Grandma again and enjoy her happy, kind personality.
Comment by Cousin Melanie — August 31, 2008 @ 8:51 pm

I was going to write in complaint that I never got a hankie, but then I remembered I have at least one amongst the needlework supplies and samples she gave me. Besides, I think I was the last to have her present when I received my endowment–well, at least on this side of the veil! And I thought I was the only one who ever watched Lawrence Welk with Grandma. In my moments of discouragement and, yes, depression I envision her in heaven cheering me on. I love her because she had struggles, too, and she endured so well. As a teen-ager I knew I could never disappoint my grandma, and that motivated me to choose the right. Thanks cousins–especially Lori–for sharing your sweet feelings for our blessed Grandma!
Comment by Marilyn — September 10, 2008 @ 3:31 pm

This was such a beautiful tribute to your grandmother.
I wanted to leave a short comment but after reading what your sweet cousins hae written about her and realizing even more fully what an incredible woman she must have been, I feel that I am imposing.
I will leave my thought though and if you want to delete it, you can.
As I look at the photos of your grandma, I see YOU in her. You must already possess quite a few of her traits already.
Comment by Lisa (Sister) — September 11, 2008 @ 10:30 am

Grandma,

I really appreciate this blog. I never watched Lawrence Welk with Grandma. And I honestly couldn’t tell you who that is. But I want to share one of my favorite memories of grandma.

I was pretty young and Grandma and Grandpa were visiting us in California. Brent and I were playing and I accidently hurt him. Grandma got mad at me and punished me for hurting him even though I tried to explain it was an accident. Later Brent went to Grandma and told her it was an accident and I didn’t mean to hurt him.

Grandma came to my room where I was laying on my bed and hugged me and kissed my forehead and told me she was sorry and asked me to forgive her. She then told me how much she loved me. I have always felt that grandma had a way to see straight through me. She had such a kind heart and a great love for us. How I miss her.