November was an eventful month of sickness and heavy sorrows in our household. We started off the month with terrible colds after the sugar rush of Halloween candy (I think sugar definitely lowered our immune systems). Anyway, John had a sinus infection, baby brother had an ear infection in addition to teething pain, I was sick with a sinus head cold, and little sister caught some cootie too. Luckily, big sister dodged the sickness by loading up on vitamin C and keeping her distance from the rest of us. Next, we found out some heart wrenching news about my Mother in-law. Since May after my mother in-law's thyroid cancer treatments, she struggled to eat due to inflamed vocal chords and had to breath through a tracheotomy. To say she was discouraged was the least of her feelings, she suffered with horrible pain and anxiety of fear of suffocating and chocking to death every day. She lost several pounds over the period of six months. To our surprise, some other tumors were discovered in her throat and sadly spread to her lobes of her lungs in October 2013. After many prayers and mediating, she and my Father in-law decided to fight the cancer with another round of radiation and chemotherapy. After a week of intense cancer treatments and unexpectedly as a result of her pain drugs, she hallucinated and tumbled down a large flight of stairs on November 12, 2013 a day after her 79th birthday. She suffered with a crack skull and a lot of internal brain bleeding. She was unconscious. So her loving husband and all eight children gathered beside her hospital bed to express their love and say their good byes. The family made a very heartbreaking and difficult decision to place her in hospice care, which she died peacefully with dignity and pain free surrounded by her loved ones.
On November 19,2013, my Facebook status said the following: Heaven has welcomed home an incredible, courageous, humble, beautiful, and strong woman. Our lives will never be the same without her radiant smile and tender hugs. It was a marvelous privilege and blessing to know her. She was a wonderful example to all and touched many lives. I especially admired her faith, love, determination, and fierce strength during her final days on earth. I will always remember and love you sweet Isabel Free my dear Mother in-law, friend, Grandmother, and Mother to my husband John.
She had a viewing in Mesa Arizona on November 21, 2013 and the funeral, burial, and luncheon was on Saturday November 23, 2013 in Panaca, Nevada. Since John had three days of bereavement pay from work, we checked the girls out early from school on Thursday and drove down to southern Utah to stay in Cedar City for a few nights. We planned on seeing Zion's National Park before meeting up with other family members on Friday afternoon at a Cabin and Condo in Brian Head, Utah. We got a hotel room at the Comfort Inn, which is pet friendly. The first night we went swimming and watched TV in our room. As we slumbered, it snowed a huge blanket of snow. Our plans of exploring Zions was cancelled instead we went shopping for winter gear. The next day we met up with tons of family members for dinner and everyone checked in with us at the same hotel due to the snowstorms. Due to the heavy snow, those without four wheel drive wouldn't make it up the canyon and we were all worried about not making it to the funeral in time the next morning.
The following is Audrey's talk, which she read at the funeral:
Grandma Free had many talents. She was deadly at any dice games, great at puzzles, loved to bake, crotchet, played music, served others, and always had faith. As a result of all her many talents, she loved to teach her grandchildren many things.
Even though I am not a huge fan of playing games Grandma has taught me and my sister Savannah how to play Chinese checkers, Mormon bridge, and Uno. As far as putting puzzles together that takes patience, which Grandma had and I am still working on.
One of the many things grandma has taught me is that you can never have enough food to eat. I'm kidding but she did teach me that. For example, whenever I was at her house she always offered me food because she teased me saying I looked like a stick of bones. She always had the best homemade baked goodies such bread, Cinnamon rolls, cookies, etc. I hope someday I will bake just like Grandma did!
She taught me how to crotchet and play the piano, but I unfortunately forgot how to do those things. However, I enjoyed listening to her play church hymns on the piano and will always cherish my baby blanket, which she made for me.
Some of my favorite memories of grandma were when we served others. I loved how whenever we have big family reunions we were always doing service. For example, we have tied quilts, painted fences, made special packages for missionaries, etc. A couple years ago while visiting grandma and grandpa in Paragonah, my family went on a Sunday drive with them. We ended up at a dusty desert area where two trailer homes were located. We saw little kids, dogs, and cats everywhere. Grandma and grandpa got out of their truck and started talking to them. We all talked for a while and grandpa introduced them to us and I learned that they were people in their ward who recently moved in. We then gave them some dinner and desserts. Grandma taught me how to serve and love one another.
I have always admired grandma's faith. She set a good example to me by reading scriptures, attending the temple, serving missions, and always having faith that everything will be okay. She also taught me to have Faith in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Faith in myself. She has inspired me in so many ways.
The last most important thing grandma has taught me is gratitude. She taught me to be so grateful for all the wonderful blessings that I have in my life. I apply this to my own life by having faith, doing service for others, loving one another, and being grateful. I am so glad that I learned so much from grandma and I hope to teach others the same things. I feel so comforted to have the knowledge that she will always be watching over us and we will see her again.
After the funeral the whole family about 72 of us went to Brian Head, which was a winter wonderland to stay at a family member's cabin or Condo. We had a lovely time together. The women and children honored Granny by wearing her moo moo dresses!
It was truly a celebration honoring such an amazing woman who left behind a wonderful legacy, which we will never forget and will try each day to follow her great example! We love you, Grandma!
