The World Needs More Ninjas

My great-grandmother, Eunice Evelyn Keown, passed away this past Monday at the ripe old age of 96. Kaelyn and I were able to make the trip to SC to attend the funeral services. It was such an honor to know my great-grandmother as long as I did and to be able to celebrate in her life with all of my family this week. She was an amazing woman. She had 10 kids (all of whom are still living), 26 grandkids, 55 great-grandkids, and 7 great-great-grandkids (including Kaelyn)! The very last time I saw my Nanny was last September when Kaelyn was about 3 weeks old. We made the trip to SC especially to visit Nanny so that we could have a five-generation picture made. During our visit Nanny, with her typical sense of humor and forgetfulness, asked me repeatedly if I wanted to do that [have kids] nine more times like her. HA!

Nanny was orphaned at the age of 6 and grew up in an orphanage. She outlived 2 husbands – my great-grandfather who died when I was 2 and then another wonderful man she married when she was in her 80′s. Despite life’s difficulties she was the epitome of a Godly woman. At her funeral it was said she truly displayed all of the fruits of the Spirit which is very true. How many people can honestly say that? She was strong, loving, caring, giving, thrifty, wise, funny, and the list goes on. I remember during her last years how they said she would fall asleep each night with her open Bible on her chest. What a role model! Above all else she absolutely loved her family more than life itself. In fact, her last words on this earth were, “Who is going to take care of my babies?”

Of course all of her family will miss her here, but I am happy at the thought of Nanny reuniting with her mother, her husband, and Christ all in heaven. As we were leaving the cemetery yesterday we laughed as we thought of Nanny and Papa having a fun night of finally getting to sleep next to each other again after all these years. Nanny would have laughed at that too.

One of my favorite parts of the funeral were the flowers. There were these amazing purple irises draped on top of the casket and purple irises in many of the flower arrangements at the funeral home. All of these flowers came from Nanny’s garden. They have been around for years and were first planted on the family’s farm where all of her 10 children were raised. Now most of the kids all have off-springs of the irises in each of their yards as well. I’m hoping to get some for my yard next time we visit.

After the funeral the entire family (there were lots!) went back to the church where I grew up and where my Nanny last attended. The church had cooked a wonderful, southern meal for us all. “Funeral green beans” as my Mom called it. I really do love the loving nature of the south. It was nice to have that extra time to spend with extended family who we don’t often see. As I thought about it, at first it seemed sad that it took such an occasion for the entire family to get together, but then I realized that’s exactly what Nanny would have wanted – all the family simply being together and loving on each other especially while being well fed. I’m sure she was looking down on us with a big grin from above.