Evelyn Bates

Grandmom would have been 90 years old today.  In honor of her birthday and her life, I would like to share the eulogy that I was honored to present at her funeral.  Rest easy Grandmom, we miss you every day.

Good morning everyone and thank you for coming.  If you do not know, my name is Blinn and Evelyn was my Grandmom.  Although it’s impossible to encapsulate the life of someone so very special in a few short minutes, I’m going try my very best.

In addition to being known as Evelyn and Grandmom, she was known as Mom, Ev Baby, and most recently Grammy.  

As far back as I can remember Grandmom was the most joyous, grateful, and humble person I have ever met.  She loved her family dearly.  There was never a time that her face did not light up with delight when she saw us.  And if you thought her grandchildren were special, you should have seen the joy her GREAT grandchildren brought her. 

She often reminded me that the great-grandchildren were some of the most perfect things she had ever seen.  I promptly reminded her of my presence, to which she usually responded “OH BLINN.”

She genuinely and truly cared about every person she ever came into contact with.  Her positivity and joy for living were unending.  This was her “bubble” as I sometimes called it.  Cynicism was simply not in her nature.

She loved her friends, and although it doesn’t take much, her social calendar was more booked than mine, by far.  The past few years, it was her great joy to spend time going to dinner with friends, or visiting them, or just chatting.  We sometimes had to call her a week in advance to get on her calendar for dinner.

She always had a kind word for someone’s attire, even if it was nothing special, it was “a great color on you.”  Being in her presence always made you feel better about yourself.  She just had that effect on people.

Her plants and her animals were like children to her.  She was very concerned about her plants when she fell recently.  As we sat in the O.R., surrounded by nurses, waiting on the orthopedic surgeon, I shared with her that Uncle Soup, in his typical heroic fashion, had volunteered he and Aunt Jean to water while Grandmom recovered.  “What a relief” she said,  “I have been just worried sick about my plants.”

She overcame a lot of obstacles during her lifetime, and always came out positive on the other side.  She was born right before the Great Depression, suffered the loss of a child, the loss of my Grandfather after decades of marriage, lived through never before seen technological advances, the list goes on.  She would always adapt, she never complained, and she would move on. 

Maybe she forgot to hit the send button on an email from time to time or forgot her password. I blame not taking those vitamins she misplaced when we were younger that were supposed to help bolster her memory. She didn’t like getting beaten by her grand-kids at Words with Friends because they “made up words.”  She never quite figured out that cell phone, but she did pretty darn well.  And she always did it with a smile and a kind word. 

She had some bumps and bruises along the way, and I joked with her that she was going to be bionic before it was all said and done.  But, she was strong.

If Grandmom had any weakness at all, it was her sweet tooth.  She loved all things chocolate, and she wanted to make sure everyone else had plenty too.  One of my favorites was a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and raspberry jelly in the middle.  My mouth is starting to water just thinking about it.  

Although Grammy was always a stickler for manners and proper etiquette, she did profess that there was one exception, and that was that you were allowed to wipe chocolate off of your plate with your finger and lick it.  That will always be an exception at my dinner table.   

She was a deeply religious woman, and her empathy for others was unmatched.  The cynic I can sometimes be, she would often get a sigh or an eye roll from me when she was being overly empathetic.  But, Grammy was a true servant of the Lord, and she set the example for all of us. 

I am so very grateful that I got to enjoy the time I had with her on this Earth and that 

my children were privileged to meet such an incredible person.  Although she will 

certainly be missed, she will be remembered fondly until we see her again.  God 

Bless.