In the Sweet By and By

This past week, my sweet Great-Grandma, back in Missouri, went to be with Jesus.
It is sad when someone dear to you passes away.
Sad you can't be with your loved ones to grieve.
Sad to return home and they're just not there.  Life is but a vapor.

So this post is to reminisce about my sweet Grandma and record these thoughts for my daughters.

Back in Missouri my {very large} family gathered to celebrate the life of Mona Chrisman.  She was the mother of 8, grandmother of 25, great-grandma to 52, and great-great grandma to 20.

I have the highest respect for my Grandma, whom I lovingly called Lil' Grandma.  And rightly so when she stood 4 foot 8 beside my 5 foot 9 frame.  Lil' Grandma didn't grow up in a Christian home.  She wasn't saved until she was in her 20's, but Grandma was a lady who lived her beliefs.  She stood up for them, and her close walk with the Lord would put many a preacher to shame.

Lee and Mona Chrisman early after they were first married

(My Brynlee is named after her Great-Great-Grandpa Lee)

Grandma Mona was sweet sixteen.

This picture shows the 5 generations.  

Mona Chrisman, Grace Starbuck, Paula McNamar, Maria Wesley (me), and Moriah and Alexis

I stole this picture off of my cousin's fb.  It is just adorable!

Me, my sisters, and my cousins visiting our Great-Grandma

My sister Rachel hasn't changed much....guess which one she is?

headed to church

My mom told me that Grandma Mona could tell "the best" Bible stories.  

She used flannel graph and she had so many tiny details that elaborated her stories.

 This picture is taken on the farm that my Great-Grandparents lived on since 1933.  This was their home where they were farmers.  Except for when WW2 started, they moved to Kansas City and my Great-Grandfather worked at Sunflower Ordinance Plant (where they made explosives).  Then he went to work at the North American Bomber Plant.  They returned home right before the war was over because Grandpa's health was not good.

This is the  same farm, in the beautiful hills of Missouri, that Grandma Mona lived on until the day she died, 78 years later.

1973 (I think this is their 40th wedding anniversary)

Isn't that mustache just adorable?

music is very special to my family

As a {young} girl, my favorite thing at family reunions was to listen to my Great-uncles and cousins 

get out all their instruments.  Christmas Eve (when everyone would crowd into Grandma's little house) and sing carols and listen to the instruments was one of the best things about the holiday to me.

I have a very vivid memory of Lil' Grandma singing "Oh, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem Shine On."  It will always be one of my favorites because she loved that song.  {tears}

Music was very important to my Great-Grandparents and they shared that love with their children.  Grandpa Lee played the fiddle, Grandma Mona played the accordion, and all of their 5 sons played a stringed instrument.  My Grandma Grace, was the oldest child, and she played the guitar and the mandolin.  My Grandma could also play the piano and organ.  Aunt Chris was another daughter and she used to play the accordion also.  

this is the Great-Great-Grandma that my girls remember.  They knew who she was right away.

The princesses were sad to hear of their Great-Great Grandma, but they have a few sweet memories of her.  And actually we were talking about her the very morning she passed away.

A sweet memory my girls have of lil' Grandma is our last Christmas.  While in the States, to have Baby Brynlee, we spent Christmas day at her house.

Princess Moriah and Princess Eden outside their Great-Great Grandma's backdoor.

What a heritage, God has been so good to me.