Tuesday, August 24, 2010

My Grandmother, A Woman of Valor






Clara Frank 11/10/17- 8/20/10


I haven't been able to dedicate much time to my blog lately as I've been focused on spending every moment with family. My grandmother Clara was an amazing lady, she lived a long and wonderful life and she passed away last week at the age of 92. This is a beautiful picture of her with my son Andrew at her 90th birthday celebration, less than 2 years ago. We celebrated her life at her funeral yesterday, it was sad and bittersweet as we miss her tremendously but treasure the memories that we have of her. She was an amazing lady and one that we are proud to call a Woman of Valor. The scripture from Proverbs 31 describes A Woman of Valor and my grandmother exemplified these traits beautifully:


I spoke during her eulogy yesterday at her funeral and wanted to share some of my thoughts in remembrance and honor of my wonderful Grandmother:



It would be impossible to express the depth of who my grandmother was in just a few words. She was the glue that held the family together, there was nothing more important to her than family. She set the foundation for us all and gave us unconditional love so that we could have strength to find our own ways in life. As a child I felt her warmth and love and as an adult I grew to understand the depth of her love and caring spirit. And when I finally became a mother it was then that I began to understand the many facets of my grandmother‘s character.



She was proud of her family, always there for them in so many ways, she would go out of her way to spend time with everyone. She was there when my son Andrew was born and when he was in the hospital the first week of his life. There was nothing that would take her away from being by our side.

My grandmother showed me the importance of staying strong even in tough times. She shared with us how she grew up through the depression, her mother made her clothes, her brothers showed her how to line her shoes with cardboard so that they would last longer as their parents could not afford new shoes for 7 children. She let us know that her parents showed their children great love even when they didn’t have much financially. My grandmother gave from the heart and with great love. As she got older and moved back from Florida, we spent a lot of time with her as she loved getting out going to lunch, shopping and wanting to know what was going on in our lives. My son Andrew was blessed with a beautiful relationship with his great grandmother or “GG” as the great grandchildren liked to call her.



I will forever treasure the memories I have of growing up with a special grandmother who was always there for me and understanding. Clara was a woman of strength, courage and determination. When she made up her mind she would do something she found a way to accomplish it. She surprised us all over the years as she endured health problems and continued to remain independent. No matter what, she would find a way to get her hair done, her clothes washed and iron even when she was getting around using a walker. Her doctor in the nursing home she lived in referred to her as the Phoenix, she was able to rise above the ashes and persevere. Her strength and tenacity were amazing to all of those who were touched by her life and fortunate to know her. She was an amazing woman and there is no other like Clara Nagel Allenick Frank. I am honored to call her my grandmother and blessed to have had her in my life for so long. I will miss her and treasure the moments that I had with her.



I read this poem in her honor:




You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

~Anonymous

I love you Grandma and will miss you,




23 comments:

  1. What a lovely tribute to your grandmother, Bonnie. My condolences to you and the rest of Clara's loved ones. She sounds like a fantastic lady who left a wonderful legacy. ((hugs))

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sending my deepest condolences and (((BIGGEST HUGS)))

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a beautiful tribute. It sounds like your grandmother was a very special lady.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a wonderful lady. Such a nice tribute too. I never had a grandma growing up but when I got married to The Hub, his grandparents were fabulous and allowed me to experience what everyone else was experiencing... the pure love of a grandparent. There's nothing like it.

    Sadly, they are no more so I can relate to the sense of bittersweet that you mentioned. So sad to see wonderful people like this go but what a wonderful life we've lived because of them.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a beautiful tribute, Bonnie. Our grandparents were around the same age. What a lovely generation they were. Thank you so much for sharing about her. The two of us, we're blessed!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, Bonnie... I'm so sorry for your loss. Your tribute to your grandmother is beautiful and touching.

    Big hugs to you in your time of sorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, Bonnie. Condolences on your lost. May her memory be for a blessing -- and I can see that it is. She was special, indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Bonnie, what a lovely tribute to your grandmother-you made me cry! She sounded like such a lovely person and I'm glad she was your grandmother! You have my deepest condolences, hugs, prayers and thoughts. My grandparents meant the world to me also and I miss them immensely every day! HUGS to you!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bonnie, that was a wonderful tribute to your sweet grandmother. The picture is perfect and I thank you for sharing her with us. Hugs to you and your family. I know you will feel her loss, but what a rich legacy she has left.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My deepest sympathies for the lost of your grandmother. 92 years is nothing to sneeze at, and it sounds like you had a wonderful relationship with her. What a lovely tribute.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bonnie-What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman. HUGS!!! My deepest sympathy to all of you. Thinking of you and your family.

    Cassie-BT

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds like she was a great lady. My sympathies to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is extremely interesting for me to read this post. Thanx for it. I like such topics and anything connected to them. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.

    Bella Swenson

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Your grandmother obviously was a wonderful woman, and I think you've written a beautiful tribute to her.

    ReplyDelete
  15. After reading this I'm sitting here trying to type through my tears. She sounds like a beautiful person inside and out. It reminds me of how important my grandparents were to me too and how lucky I feel I was to have had them for so long. Sending you a huge hug and keeping your close in my prayers!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Very well written. I felt your deep love and respect for her in your writting. May Hashem be with you in this time of need. Warmest regards, Love, Todd

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bonnie this is a beautiful tribute to your grandmother. WHat an amazing, strong and wonderful woman she was. It's heart-warming to know that your son was able to experience the person his great-grandmother was. Your family is very fortunate to have your grandmother in their lives for 92 years. I am so very sorry for your loss. I will be keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

    ~ Amy

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm so sorry for your loss, Bonnie. Knowing they lived a long, full life doesn't make losing your grandparents any easier but having so many special memories will mean she will never really leave you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. {{HUGS}} You and your family are in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This was beautiful, Bonnie. She seems to have been quite a treasure and how great it is to have such precious memories. Hugs to you, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm so sorry for your loss. This is a lovely tribute to your grandmother.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm so sorry to read about your grandmother. It sounds like you were blessed to have her in your life for as long as you did. You're in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Pretty nice place you've got here. Thanks for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more soon.

    Julia Swenson

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and sharing a comment!