Vera Esplin Ballard 10/9/1915- 9/23/2008

This past week was bitter sweet for my family. My Grandma Vera Ballard passed away September 23, 2008 after many months of bad health- just 2 weeks prior to her 93rd birthday.

My family was able to visit Grandma up in Oregon for the last time this past Easter, and the above picture is the last picture I have of her and me (along with my girls). It was a great visit, and though my Grandma had periods of forgetfulness and confusion, when I saw her for the last time, she was totally lucent and mentally with it. I was pretty sure that when we left that day, it would be the last time I saw Grandma. One week after our visit, she broke her hip and never fully recovered after that.
My Grandpa Ballard is still alive (he is almost 95 years old himself). While Grandma was in the hospital and later a nursing home, Grandpa would take a bus/shuttle everyday to visit her and just sit with Grandma and hold her hand (many times missing meals just to be with her). Grandma would cry and beg my Grandpa to take her home, not understanding why they couldn't live together. She lost over 60 pounds these past couple months because she pretty much stopped eating. As sad as it was to have my Grandmother pass away, it is nice to know she doesn't have to go through that trial anymore.
My grandparents were married for almost 69 years, so Grandma's passing has been very hard on all of us, but especially on Grandpa- emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is sad to sit with him and see him tear up because of loneliness. I pray that the Lord can comfort him during this time to make this transition in his life easier.
I received the news of my Grandma's passing while I was working. I stayed for the rest of my shift (since there wasn't much I could do), and the next day my dad, my sister Michelle (and her baby Andrew), and I drove to Corvallis, Oregon. My mom and brother Eric flew up there, and the rest of my siblings (Rick, Monique, Brian, and Jannette) drove up on another day. Everyone in my immediate family was there (except Scott who is still serving in Afghanistan). It was kind of strange for all my siblings to be together without our spouses or kids (something that will most likely never happen again). It felt like one of our family trips that we took when I was a child.
It was a nice family reunion (considering the circumstances), and I was able to see many cousins and family members that I hadn't seen in years.

Top: Jolene, Jannette, Michelle
Bottom: Monique, Eric, Brian, Rick

This picture has way to many people to name, but consists of my Grandpa Ballard, his children Diann (my mom), Julia, and Val and all their families.

I will probably try to do a slide show at a later time of all the many pictures of my trip and another posting about Grandma, but for now some of the memories I want to remember about Grandma include the wonderful smell of her house (a combination of her good foods, clean laundry, and woodwork throughout the house); always having baked apples, fresh applesauce, and homemade bread; Grandma's wonderful little laugh and crooked smile; playing games like Pangandrum, Rook, Uno, and Skipbo (and Grandma cheating); many hikes to Salamander pond and the surrounding forests; and of course going to the coast (Seal Rock) and visiting tide pools and eating clam chowder. It makes me sad to think of all those wonderful memories, because now everything is changed, and the magic that we all felt whenever we visited Oregon is now gone. We love you Grandma!!!