Dear Bradleykins (Bradley has about 6 months left in London on his mission.),
I want
to let you know that your Great Grandma Prediger died last Tuesday. She had
congestive heart failure, but that doesn’t kill a person right off. Monday
morning in the wee hours, 2 AM, GGrandma got up and fell hitting her head
really hard. Steve was sleeping and didn’t know she had fallen until he
received a call. GGrandma must have fallen on or triggered the monitor she
wears around her neck. She seemed lucid until later that afternoon when Uncle
Steve called my mom, Grandma Hillyard to come over. GGma didn’t recognize
Carol, my mom. She had black and blue spots from the fall. My mom stayed with her till she died at 5AM
the next morning.
We believe a bleed in her brain
caused her death. The nurse advised my mom and Uncle Steve to simply let her
die naturally, rather than rushing her to the emergency room. My mom really
appreciates that advice, now, looking back on the situation. As a close,
loved-one you can be racked with guilt making a decision like that, although
it’s for the best. I’ll attach the
eulogy I wrote for GGma. I read it at the grave side service we held for her.
It was like a mini funeral. Although there was a temperature inversion in
Murrary, UT that afternoon at 1PM, the sun shone brilliantly down upon us. We
miss GGma, but we knew her body was failing. I was pleased to meet Grandma
& pa Hillyard’s bishop, Bis. John Stowell. My dad worked with him for
several years as his ward clerk. Bis. Stowell conducted the grave side service
because GGma’s bishop had jury duty. This bishop was released from jury duty,
rather rejectedJ,
and he hurried to GGma’s graveside. These men are amazing. The service they
provide is so important.
A funny
part of the service actually occurred afterwards conversing around the grave.
Shannon, Whitney, Daniel and I had practiced the Primary song, A Child’s
Prayer, which we were scheduled to perform while we were in the car headed to
the graveside. Paul, Janelle and their boys were scheduled to sing, as well as,
two darling little girls, Ari and Bella Triafon sp? who visited GGma Prediger
with their mother as volunteers. Dear Bis. Stowell closed the program after
Paul’s family sang—YES!!!—but before the Smith family had sung. I was not about
to inform him of his mistake. There had been enough singing. The funny part was Aunt Janelle. She came up
to me immediately afterwards and said, “How did you draw that Get-Out
of Singing card. NO FAIR!” I
smiled, and smiled, and smiled. They didn’t know how lucky they all were
because I didn’t sing. While earlier the Smith family practiced in the car,
Bob, sweet man that he is, kept quietly singing in-tune for me as I
practiced the descant part of “A Child’s Prayer.” Do you remember what a hard
time Bob/Dad had teaching me the Cougar fight song as we drove from Kimberly,
ID to our Lindon home? It’s hilarious to remember, but not so funny as its
happening.
Dad and
I are going to visit Grandpa Smith at the University of Utah hospital. At a
doctor’s check up this past Friday the nurse discovered that GSmith had an
extremely low hematocrit level. After much consternation trying to admit GSmith
to the hospital, 6 hours later at 1AM, he was IN! There must be a “bleed”
somewhere, but the hospital must perform testing and, of course, no testing
will happen on the weekend; however, GSmith received a couple of blood
transfusion and is in ICU. Dad and I are going to encourage Kirma and Anita to
get him hospice care which is provided in your own home. GGma Prediger was in hospice care and it was
a life saver. Hum, is that a bad pun
in the last sentence?
Dad and
I had a very good visit with Anita, GpaSmith and GmaSmith at the University of
Utah hospital. I’ll let Dad tell you about it. After we returned home I texted
Mariah and we delivered her birthday cake with traditional song included. I
covered the top of her cake with M&M’s because her name is Mariah Moody—her
initials. Now, I’m off to watch Sherlock. I’ve got a date with Benedict
Cumberbatch, one of the homeliest UK actors out there, but I love Sherlock.
Love your guts, my BOY,
MOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOM
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