Grandma Snow

Last Wednesday, Andrew’s Grandma Snow died very unexpectedly.  She spent the day doing family history work and talking to her daughter.  As she was preparing  to leave for a temple recommend interview, she began feeling sick and had a hard time breathing.  She passed out, briefly regained consciousness, and passed out again.  She was taken to the hospital in an ambulance but never recovered, dying less than an hour after not feeling well.

I met Grandma Snow about a year and a half ago.  It was at one of the monthly family dinners and I felt welcomed into the family from my first moments with her.  She was always interested in what Andrew and I were doing, asking specific questions about school and our life.  She loved to joke and be surrounded by her family.  She wrote her personal autobiography called I Remember which proved to be a wonderful guidebook to the Snow family and to life.  Just hours before she died I was talking to my mom about a principle she taught me about moving.  When she was newly married, she and Grandpa Snow moved around a bit.  She said that moving was like checking a good book out of the library – you read it, enjoy it, and return it for yet another good read.  That perspective as done wonders for my current outlook on life in so many ways, not just moving.

Grandma Snow’s death came as a shock to the entire family, but we quickly began to feel and see of the miracles of love that surrounded this tragic event.  First is the knowledge that we are sealed together as a family and will see Grandma Snow again.  Her death is not the end of our relationship with her.  Before she died, one daughter was prompted to go and spend the day with her on Tuesday.  Another called her just hours before she died.  And after her death, some children and grandchildren felt her comforting presence.  We didn’t know Grandma Snow was going to die, but the Lord did, and provided beautiful memories.

Another miracle is that all of her descendants, minus the three young men on missions, were all able to make it to Provo, UT to be at her funeral.  This means 6 children and their spouses, 30 grandchildren and 6 spouses (and 2 wonderful girlfriends), and 4 great-grandchildren.  To be together as a family was a great strength and joy, as well as absolutely amazing with all the flying and driving that occurred this weekend to get here.  Grandma Snow loved family reunions and made sure they happened every year.  A comment was made at her funeral yesterday that she would be happy that the best attended family reunion happened on such short notice to be at her funeral.  The grandchildren and great-grandchildren sang at her funeral and it was such a powerful experience to be part of that musical number.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to know her in this life and  look forward to seeing her once again.