Jeff and Lindsey: Grandpa Wright's Funeral

My Grandpa Wright passed away sometime in the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 23rd. My dad drove my mom half way and my cousin Megan went to pick her up so she could be down in Ogden with the family that night.

Wednesday afternoon Shad and I headed up to Ogden to help out and give my mom moral support.

(Chilly evening walk)

In the day or two before the funeral, we spent a lot of time looking through boxes of pictures for the slideshow. It was so fun to reminisce and hear my mom, Kathy, and Grandma talk about various pictures and tell stories. I'm so glad my Grandma has a scanner so I could save some of my favorites!

A viewing was held Friday night at Lindquist Mortuary in North Ogden, from 6-8pm. There was a big turnout and long line, it was awesome to see how many people knew and loved my Grandpa.

(Right: Grankid flower spray Nessa and I picked out)

After the viewing a few of my Miller cousins and Jeff and I went out to eat at Chili's. It was nice to be able to just sit and chat with them.

The funeral was held Saturday morning at 11am, with another viewing beforehand.

I loved Megan's "Grandkid" talk, as I call it. She talked to each of us and mentioned various memories we all had collectively and individually. He was such a fun grandpa. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears. I loved her talk so much I had to get a copy and include it here so I can read it anywhere, anytime:

"My grandpa was awesome. He was fun, he was kind, he was forgiving, and he was patient. He was a teacher, an example, and a friend. I’ve always felt so lucky to call him my grandpa and even though speaking today is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done—I feel lucky that I have the chance to talk about a man that has been such a big part of my life and someone I love so much.

As I’ve thought about grandpa over the past few days and talked about him with my siblings and cousins it’s obvious that he has been a big part of all our lives, and there are things about each of us that are how they are because of the influence of our grandpa.

From my earliest memories I always knew that grandpa loved being a grandpa. Both he and grandma have told me many times that my birth, which made them grandparents, changed their lives. And I think that each grandkid born after me has felt just how special they are to grandpa and grandma. Grandpa was the type of man that didn’t just say he loved you; he showed that he loved you. With the things he did for and with each of his grandkids, we each knew that we had a grandpa that loved us. He loved having us around, he loved taking us places, and he loved teaching us things.

My grandma asked me to share some memories of grandpa from each of the grandkids. There were a few things that most all of us remember:

Grandpa and grandma’s Easter egg hunts. Grandpa would hide the eggs all over the yard, the pasture, and down by his farm equipment. I know he had just as much fun watching us search for the eggs as we did finding them.

Another memory most of us share is going boating with grandpa. I bet grandpa spent two summers stopping and starting all over Willard Bay trying to get my brother Jared and me up on water skis. I think the best boating memories for most of us was when grandpa had the water weenie. We’d get as many as we could on it—including grandma—and grandpa would pull us around. We think grandpa must have liked watching us more than he liked watching where he was going—which led to some pretty circular bumpy rides. We had such a great time. It’s fun now to watch the video of those times and hear grandma screaming at the top of her lungs as she tried to hold on while grandpa pulled us around. Whatever wild and crazy thing the grandkids wanted to do, grandpa and grandma were always game.

"Several of us remember how much grandpa loved scaring us. I remember playing No Bears Are out Tonight with grandpa. For those of you who don’t know what it is, we’d all hold hands and skip around grandpa and grandma’s house chanting “No bears are out tonight, grandpa killed them all last night” Grandpa would be hiding somewhere in the bushes or around a corner and when he’d hear us getting close he’d jump out and scare us. Of course grandpa was always a willing participant in the Wright family tradition of taking the little kids to the Bennington cemetery late at night to scare them. Grandpa liked to tease Lindsey, Jenessa, and Mandie by pretending he was going to dump them out of the bucket of the tractor and into the canal. (And here's proof:)

And I don’t know how many times Grandpa would do something as simple as come down the hall in the basement and scare whoever happened to be standing there. Mandie says she attributes being a 22 year old who is afraid of the dark to grandpa. Once when she was a kid and they were up at the farm in Idaho grandpa told her he had to work late but instead hid in the barn and scared her so bad she wouldn’t talk to him for 3 days.

We’ll all remember sleepovers and ice cream at grandpa and grandma’s, watching movies like “The Man From Snowy River” and “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” with him, we’ll remember him telling us that the M on the hill in Montpelier stands for “Mike’s Town”, and working alongside him in Pleasant View and in Idaho, and of course his big bear hugs that always made us feel loved and special.

I’d like to share some specific thought and memories that each of the grandkids have of grandpa.

Hailee shared, “It’s like I’m sitting there now just spending time with the family, watching grandpa poke fun of Nana. Every time Nana seemed to be sitting alone, quietly to herself, not minding that her hearing aid wasn’t seeming to be working well, grandpa would come up to her and shout out loud into her ear to say something funny, most of the time saying things just to poke fun of her. I remember grandpa’s laugh very well but it’s a beautiful thought to have Nana’s laugh solid in my mind only because grandpa made her laugh so much. He really noticed everyone and knew how to use his humor and heart to make sure everyone felt special.

Shae said, “There are two things that will always remind me of grandpa since the first time I rode with him in the truck to Idaho, Neil Diamond and Simon & Garfunkel, on repeat for hours. I loved it!”

Tanner said, “When we would visit and go to Smith & Edwards when I was really little, I would carry candy bars around the store hoping grandpa would offer to get it for me because I was too scared to ask him to buy it for me. He was always generous and would take it from me and put in on the counter up front.”

Nate shared, “I don’t know whether to mention Grandpa ordering 40 orders breadsticks on accident at the last Christmas party or 2 other memories….I’ll always remember when I was young grandpa and grandma would come visit. Grandpa would always give me a hat. It became tradition, and he’d take me in his office and let me choose one off his wall. The other one is when we went up and white washed the fence at the farm, He was always giving us opportunities to work and make a little money. On this trip he took us down to the river to shoot 20 inch carp that swam with their backs above the water. We probably shot 20-30 fish. I’ll always remember the memories we made.”

Lindsey said, “Every time I think of or smell Old Spice after shave or those bathroom scented matches I think of grandpa. Those scents will forever remind me of him. When I first got my driver’s license Grandpa took me in my first car to a car wash and paid for me to get it all cleaned, inside and out. It was fun and cute of him to want to take me to do that. One of my favorite memories is of him teaching me how to bridle and saddle the horses, and how to care for them after riding. I attribute my love for horses and all things western to grandpa along with my mom. I also will always remember Grandpa driving me, Ness, and Mandie around in the bucket of the tractor, riding on the tailgate of his truck down to the grove, riding horses and 4-wheelers at the farm, and helping grandpa white wash the fence”.

Mandie shared, “I loved singing songs with grandpa while we drove to the farm. I will always see his smile when I say the tongue twister, “Theofilis Thistle” that he taught me when I was 10 years old. Grandpa made the best beef jerky. Grandpa taught me how to work—by having me pick up rocks and he taught me how to play poker. I’ll always remember his blue coveralls, and how he used to shoot bebe’s at the Maycock’s dog Annie. I always knew grandpa loved his grandkids because he always learned to use whatever new technology there was for communication, whether it was MSN chat, Facebook, or texting.”

Mandie and Jenessa must have spent a lot of time together with grandpa because they had a couple of the same memories. They both remember how we would make his dentures chatter and how he could stick a buffalo wing in his mouth and pull it out a few seconds later clean to the bone.

Jenessa said, “I remember the rides up to Idaho with grandpa, we’d listen to ABBA and he’d teach us songs like Bill Grogan’s goat and tongue twisters. I remember him always trying to get us to let him lick our eyeball. I remember working with him up at the farm. There was one time that we were up putting new siding. Grandpa and I would get up and start working around 7, and Mandie and Hailee would come out around 1030 when they finally woke up. I loved working with my grandpa and will always love the memories I have with him up at the farm.”

Matt said, “I still remember how excited I was when Grandpa drove Jared and me to Smith & Edwards and bought us our very first fishing poles. Grandpa loved fishing, and we loved how much he enjoyed taking us along with him. I remember one particular camping trip our family went on with grandpa and grandma, when our campsite was just uphill from a lake. Grandpa had taught me the basics of fishing, and that was all I wanted to do. One morning, I woke up before everyone else, grabbed my pole, and headed down to the shore. I cast in my line, and to my great surprise, caught a fish in no time! I must have been very young, because though I was able to reel it in on my own the way Grandpa had taught me, I had absolutely no idea what to do once I got it out of the water. But I knew that Grandpa would know, so I marched straight up the hill to his tent, dragging my fish along the way, to wake him up and show him what I had done. He immediately got out of bed, helped me clean the fish, and cooked it for me to eat for breakfast, all it seemed before anyone else had even begun stirring in their tents. Even though I was just a young boy, I distinctly remember the way grandpa made me feel, knowing that he cared about me, and how proud he was of me. That's the type of Grandpa that he was. Whether it was something as small as catching what was likely a very mediocre fish, or achievements of far greater significance, Grandpa was always so genuinely thrilled to see his grandchildren succeed, and he had a wonderful way of ensuring that we knew the way he felt about us.

Jared shared, “Grandpa Wright was an incredible man and an amazing grandfather. I will always cherish the times I spent with him and the lessons I learned from him. I’m thankful for the countless hours I spent working by his side around his home in pleasant view and on the farm in Idaho. I remember one occasion when we were taking down a fence in the field behind the home. We were working on digging out a railroad tie that was standing upright. He walks over to it, wraps his arms around it, and pulls it straight out of the ground. As a young boy I stood in amazement and thought to myself, who is this guy? I mean who lifts a railroad tie straight out of the ground like that? Well, Grandpa Wright did! I was so proud to have a grandpa with such strength. I have always admired his work ethic and his ability to accomplish the project at hand. He taught me how to drive a tractor, use a chainsaw, ride a horse and drink Fresca like a man. He loved to play as well. We’d go hunting, camping, boating at Willard Bay, on fishing trips to Flaming Gorge, long drives to Idaho listening to Alabama, and scary nights at the Bennington cemetery. He loved to be with us grandkids and I always knew he loved me. I will always be grateful for his example, his generosity, and the effort he put into being a grandpa. I will always treasure the relationship I developed with him over so many years of working and playing together.

I have always thought my grandpa was cool. I remember being very young and going to Weber High basketball games with him. I remember thinking “everyone knows my grandpa!” The adults talked to him, the kids talked to him. I could tell even then that he was a special guy who a lot of people liked. It always made me feel extra special that I was Mike Wright’s granddaughter, I felt like I had a special claim to him. My grandpa’s cool factor continued on as we both got older. When I was in my 20s I’d be on dates and tell the guy “hey we should go visit my grandpa and grandma”. I’d randomly show up with some dude when they were in their pjs and watching the news and they’d always welcome us in and get us ice cream and talk with us. My grandpa was never shy about later telling me that they guy was no good—but they guy always agreed with me that my grandpa and grandma were awesome. Grandpa was an amazing man. He knew how to work and he knew how to play and he loved to include me and my siblings and cousins in both. I credit pretty much all my abilities in the manual labor field to him. I loved working with my grandpa whether it was in the fields in Pleasant View picking all those yellow weeds, or painting and repainting sheds and fences at the farm. I think maybe half the time we were up painting things it was more about spending time with us or helping us earn some money more than it was about a need for a new paint job. My grandpa taught me how to work hard, and the benefits of a job well done, and for that I will be forever grateful. My grandpa taught me so many things. He taught me how to drive a tractor and he was the first person to show me how to drive a stick shift. He let me drive his truck around in the fields with him so I could practice. Of course there were so many good times with grandpa, family vacations to Disneyland and Disney World, family campouts with all of us sleeping together in his big tent, family parties down in the grove, family reunions, and boating, But, the thing I will miss most about grandpa is how me made me feel. I ALWAYS knew my grandpa loved me. Even when I was a kid and somehow managed to pull the soap dish off the wall in his bathroom I knew he loved me. Like matt said, grandpa just had a way of ensuring that we knew how he felt about us. This past year of my life my grandpa’s big bear hugs have meant the world to me. I’m not sure I’m ready to not have access to them anymore. Every time I saw my grandpa he would tell me he loved me and that he was glad I got braces cause he really loved my smile. I will definitely miss his hugs and talking to him about what’s going on in my life. I will always feel so blessed that I had him as my grandpa.

I did want to mention how much grandpa has loved each person that has married into the family. Cody, Jacqueline, Kristen, Neil, Colby, Jeff, and Brooke. As I’ve seen grandpa interact with each of them and had them tell me the things that grandpa has said to them or done for them I know that they know how much grandpa loved them, and I know that each of them has loved and appreciated the man that grandpa has been in their lives.

To close, I’d just like to share that I know my grandpa had a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know he had faith in his Savior and in the Atonement. How grateful I am for his testimony and example. For the things he did in his life to ensure that we are sealed as an eternal family. I’m grateful for the knowledge that I have that I will see my grandpa again. I am so thankful for the man that he was in my life."

I also enjoyed listening to my aunt Kathy's talked about his life and told stories of their childhood, some of which I hadn't heard before. It was a very beautiful service. I didn't want it to end, and I don't know that I've ever felt that way about a funeral before. Shad did surprisingly well, which helped. I loved all the memories and nostalgic reminiscing.

We followed my grandpa to the cemetery afterward for the grave site dedication. Doug, Drew, my Dad, and all the grandsons were pallbearers. In-laws and great-grandsons were honorary pallbearers.

Even though we weren't ready for my grandpa to go, we find some comfort in knowing he gets to see his parents, brother, and especially his daughter Angie again.

I loved that they put my grandpa's work gloves in the flower spray. It was very fitting. He worked hard his entire life.

I don't remember the last time every grandkid was in the same place at the same time. I love this picture.

These are the only other family/cousin pictures I could find:

Not all the in-laws were there, but almost.

Gretchen and Shad playing at the luncheon. I just had to include how cute they were.

We wound down after the funeral with music performed by Hailee and Tanner. They sang my grandma a song called, "Distance" by Jason Mraz and Christina Perri. They did a great job, especially for not really practicing much.