Memorial

As I mentioned before, my Uncle Tim was out at EskDale last week to install Grandma's headstone and the memorial bench for my Grandparent's.

A lot of people helped Tim out, John Hansen came over and helped Tim dig holes the second time. (Tim dug the holes in the wrong spot the first time because my dad gave him bad info. Heh.)

Have I mentioned there was 2 feet of snow on the ground and the temperature didn't get above 15 degrees that week? Some days not even getting warmer than 5 degrees and dropping down to -20.

Cary and Kenneth helped Tim with mixing concrete, pouring and everything else.

After the headstone and bench were in place, Tim wanted to show Grandpa the finished product so a bunch of us went down to see it too.

It looks really nice!

Memories and a cool story...

Since my grandma passed away a few weeks ago, it of course brings up a lot of memories and you want to remember all the good things about that person. Grandma wasn't perfect and that was probably what drew more people to her because she was human but she was always trying so hard to be a better person and I'm grateful for that legacy. Out of all the grand-kids (all 60 of us or however many there are. ☺) Grandma and I probably butt heads the most, but I was stubborn and not living up to expectations so that was to be expected, we went on to have a great relationship though. ;o) Now that I'm older I can fully appreciate how blessed I was to grow up in a place with all of my grandparents within walking distance and active participants in my daily life. Every afternoon at 3:00 was snack-time at "Grandma Conrad's" and all of us cousins and our friends would go over there and hang out in the afternoons eating, coloring, playing the piano, reading, or just visiting.  Think about it now, that's truly a special thing to be able to have in your childhood.

 I titled my post on Grandma's graveside as "Final Goodbye" and that's because really, I said "my goodbye" when I was a senior in high school a few months before we put Grandma in the nursing home (1999). Grandpa had gone somewhere for the day so us grand kids that were around would check on Grandma on our way to and from school and during breaks. I stopped at their house to see what she was doing on my way home from school and Grandma said some really awful horrible things, of which I'm thankful I don't remember. I went home in tears thinking that Grandma hated me and wondered if that's how she felt about me all those years, but then after some time I finally realized that it wasn't "her" saying all those things and so then I cried again knowing that Grandma would never be herself again.

My Grandpa and Grandpa on their wedding day. (1943)

My uncle Tim posted this story on Facebook and I thought it was really neat so I wanted to share.

I guess this story is out and many of you have asked that I post it so you can review these events. You may all take the following message anyway you like, but I believe my mother reached out to me from heaven to let me know she's still looking out for me. You cannot believe how this message impacted me. Goosebumps are still pricking the back of my neck. What follows are some messages I received from a man on Facebook.




Nick Nicholson February 21 at 1:52am



I have found a bible in a Salt Lake City rental car lost and found closet, given to Tim Conrad from his parents on his birthday in 1974, with a prologue written from them. It includes his date of birth. If this sounds like it might be yours, let me know your birthdate and I'll confirm and get it to you.


-Nick






Tim Conrad February 21 at 2:40pm



Nick,

I lost a bible years ago, I'm not sure if it's the one, but my birthday is June 12, 1955

Thanks,


Tim



Nick Nicholson February 21 at 3:19pm
Hi Tim -
This is profound.


160 Tim Conrad’s on Facebook, I'm just now half way through posting to them; I can only post 3 per hour, else Facebook sees the duplicative post as a web bot and tries to lock my account... Nevertheless, you are the one!

More profound is the story of this bible. Between 1973 and 1976, I managed American International Rent A Car in Salt Lake City. Upon my departure, I was given a box of Lost & Found items that were never claimed. I recall at the time trying to reconcile your name (on the front of the bible) with rental contract names, but couldn't find a match... anyway, the box went into my storage unit, and then another when I moved to Colorado in the 80s. I took the box out of storage last week and had an unbelievably powerful and compelling urge to use the technologies that have evolved since packing that box away, in order to find you...



I have an esoteric spiritual connection to source and believed that the energy driving me to find you last week was associated with Valentine’s Day… now that I read your Facebook “wall,” I see that 2/14/2010 was more than just a typical Valentine’s Day in your life. For the loss of your Mother, I am profoundly sorry and can only hope that the story of this Bible, and the angelic impetus, karmic energies and divine inspiration for its final return, will have a higher connection for you than is otherwise worldly possible.



Please let me know where to send it.



To authenticate, here is the inscription:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






“-With Joy shall ye draw water out of the Wells of Salvation”


Isaiah 12:3



This Bible is an inexhaustible source of the heavenly water; - draw from it often –



To Tim Conrad on his birthday – June 12, 1974



From Dad and Mom

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Truly profound.


-Nick



To give full clarification about this event. Mom and Dad purchased me a very expensive NIV Study Bible for my Birthday in 1974. In 1975 we went on a trip to SLC to perform "Worthy is the Lamb" a cantata written by James and Lois. We were put up in some of the church member's homes. I was given a ride to the house by one of the congregation. When I got home from the trip a realized I was missing my bible. I called the people I stayed with as well as the church we performed in to find it but to no avail. I figured the bible had been stolen. I had no idea the car I got a ride in was a rental.



Anyway, that was 35 years ago. I was so upset about losing that bible, but after a couple of years I gave up hope of ever seeing it again. It's hard to believe that this timing is coincidence

Grandma's Memorial Continued...

After Grandma's memorial service we had a meal. There was a table that had all the treats that most people remember Grandma making--her whole wheat bread and cheese, fudge, and candied popcorn. I did manage to not get a picture of that.

Janille and Sharon just may kill me for that picture. ☺

Taking pictures of Conrad's is worse than taking pictures of kids! No one can stop talking, I know, I suffer from the same affliction.

I did manage to get TWO pictures where everyone had a decent expression on their face

and this picture just cracked me up since this is how it usually was

Tim's family...I apparently missed out when they took pictures of the other families?

It was great seeing everybody, but of course the time goes by too fast.

If you are interested in seeing pretty much every picture I took relating to the graveside and memorial service, go here.

Grandma's Memorial

Grandpa looking at all the flowers

I saw a lot of pointing ☺I guess that's what happens when you let so many years go by without seeing old friends.

There was some family that I didn't know too. Heh.

Dad playing the piano

Kara, Kayli, and Jenna singing "Jesus Loves Me"

Gordon, grandma's cousin, played a number as well and wrote this

Aileen was my first real violin teacher, taking me as a student when I was in the 6th grade, and working with me until December of my 8th grade when she gave me a Christmas present of a lesson with her teacher, John Hilgendorf of Provo, with whom I then studied for the next six years. She was a student at Brigham Young University at the time and was concertmaster of the BYU symphony for part of her school years there. 

My uncle James made us all cry

Sharon and Rosaleen playing a violin duet

Erika sang a song

Kiah sang a song that Grandma wrote

and then the eight of the siblings sang "No Other Song"

Christy accompanied on the piano

there's cute little Beck

Grandpa got up and talked and it was a mixture of emotional and hilarious. I wish I would have thought to get video of it.

The place was packed and after 3.5 hours there were still people wanting to get up and talk about how Grandma impacted their lives.

It was a sad time, but also a happy time of seeing lots of family and friends, knowing that Grandma is no longer imprisoned in her body and now reunited with all those that we know in heaven.