The Rasmussen Rag: Remembering Grandma

Funerals are a great time to come together and remember loved ones.

My father's family is spread throughout the United States and we don't see them that often. As a result, its a real treat when we can get together. I believe my grandmother would be pleased with her funeral and the efforts made on her behalf.

I was asked to create what I call a "Tribute Table" of my Grandmother. I am the oldest grandchild and I feel very close to her. I was able to record my grandmother sharing stories of her life a few months before she passed, and during that visit she gave me some of her journals to read through. That meant that I had most of the pictures of her and I was honored to be asked to help.

I worked diligently to find accessories that would help tell the story of the various chapters of her life. She lived in a couple of places on the East Coast, and then around the world in places including Australia, the Philippines, Malaysia and then the Philippines again. I displayed photos and copies of her scrapbooks, clustered in specific areas to represent this places.

Grandma loves flowers. She loved the seasons and the beauty each season brought.

As a tribute to her I ordered flowers and told the florist to arrange them in a sequence from Spring to Summer and then Fall to Winter. I wanted to flowers to represent every season. It turned out beautifully.

In addition, to the flowers and the Tribute Table, I wanted each person who came to take something that would remind them of my Grandmother. She loved an inspiring thought. Her journal is full of thoughts. It just made sense to share some of her quotes. To do so I had Aimee Ence of Paper Celebrations make 200 individual quote cards that people could take home as a remembrance of Grandma and her funeral.

Grandma is buried next to her husband in a mausoleum in Salt Lake City, Utah. When I think of her spunk, her hard work, and her determination to the very in, I just have to smile. What a woman. She left us an incredible legacy.