Celebrating Grandma Ruth

This past Saturday we traveled to Kennewick to celebrate my Grandma and her amazing 99 year life! About a year ago I asked my Mom if I could write the eulogy for Grandma's funeral. She blessed my life in so many ways and I wanted to share my love and appreciation for her. The weekend was the perfect way to remember my Grandma. Amelia told my Mom that we were going to have a party for Grandma and celebrate all the great times and fun memories we have of her, because that is what it is all about. I wanted to make sure that for Amelia and Milo that was what it was about! So we swam (a lot), rode the carousel that we went to when we visited Grandma, spent time with our family and drank some Crown Royal (you will understand why when you read the eulogy). We had pie, cake, cookies, Hershey kisses and pineapple gummy bears (both per Amelia's request because Grandma loved them) at the reception because clearly Grandma loved her sweets! There were tears but there were lots of smiles and new memories made. We will continue to share Grandma's stories and our memories with her will live forever! Below is my Grandma's eulogy, I hope you get to know my Grandma a little, she was pretty incredible!

Thank you. Thank you for being here to celebrate Ruth Archer! I am Christy Aguirre, the youngest of Ruth’s grand kids. Ruth was born to Claude and Mary Galloway on June 11, 1919 in Las Animas, Colorado. She grew up a farm girl who would much rather be outside riding horses or playing with piglets than inside cleaning. She married John Archer, in 1938. They had two children, Robert and Connie. She had 6 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

-A smile that would light up any room.

-A cup of coffee that would chase away a bad day.

-A story that would bring fits of laughter.

-A special dessert just because it would make you happy.

These are a few of the things that many of us remember about Grandma. As soon as you walked into her home, you knew you were safe. It was as if the world around you disappeared, any problems, any worries, just faded away. Things at Grandma’s house were simple. Eat some pot roast, drink a little Crown Royal or a small glass of beer, watch a game and just be with each other. She would tell stories from her childhood about the things she did on the farm, or about the grocery stores her family owned, or about the crazy things her kids did (like luring a squirrel into her house), or how funny she thought it was that her Great Granddaughter called her Woofie…but one of my favorites is about the first date she had with Grandpa. She told it better, but here goes: “Your Grandpa asked me out on a date to go roller skating and when he picked me up, he had another girl in the car! I still went because he was paying.”  Fast forward through the evening, “I told John I was ready to go, so he took me home and left the other girl there. I guess I was something special! Plus, that other girl wasn’t as pretty as me.”

There was definitely something special about Grandma. Maybe it was her impeccable hair and nails, her beautiful jewelry, the fact that she was more hip and stylish than any of us or her spotless home. I don’t think I know anybody else who can keep a dust free house in Eastern Washington.  Grandma took pride in her home and her beautiful rose garden but most of all she took pride in her husband, her kids, her grandkids and her great grandkids. As soon as she started talking about her family, there came that smile, that beautiful smile. Two of the people Grandma was most proud of were her children. She may not have told the two of you how proud she was of you, probably because you didn’t need your Mom to tell you because you could feel it and see it. I know for a fact she told her friends, her hairdresser and anybody that would listen, about all of your accomplishments: raising beautiful families, winning countless baseball games and titles, changing the lives of hundreds of children, but most of all for supporting her and being there for her amidst all you had going on in your own lives. Her pride for the two of you was endless.

We all know that Grandma was fiercely independent, a tad stubborn and game for anything! Grandma drove until she was 95 and if anybody tried to tell her she shouldn’t, her response was usually, “I know my limits and you can’t tell me when to drive my own car.” And if you told her that somebody was going to be mad about what she was doing, she quickly told you, “Well, they can just get glad in the same pants they got mad in!”

Did you know that Grandma learned to water ski even though she couldn’t swim, or that she made Grandpa go white water rafting, or that she broke the wild horses for her Dad on their farm? Grandma had a fire inside of her. There was no extinguishing it. That fire, along with so many other things, made her the woman she was for 99 years!

A lot of people say they see their loved ones in a sunset, or a certain song or smell. Not to say that those things won’t make you think of Grandma, but as I look out at all of you, I see Grandma’s smile as you think about the things she has done specifically for you to make you feel loved. I see Grandma’s genuine spirit as you reconnect with family and friends. I see Grandma’s love for life as you step out into new adventures. I see Grandma’s independence as you all pursue your passions. Who Grandma was…is exactly who we, her family, are.
Although her life was long, and I was blessed to experience a little over a third of her life as her granddaughter, I am still sad that no new memories will be made. One thing I found comfort in was my faith. John 14:1-3 tells us, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." Jesus has fulfilled the Easter Promise and brought Grandma to a perfect place with no tears, no dementia, no darkness or confusion. God makes and keeps his promises. Grandma is rejoicing with her family and friends who have gone before her, she is home.