Tribute to Grandma

This is the short speech that James wrote about Grandma, and which Jamie delivered at her funeral, adapted slightly to refer to her as “Grandma” rather than “Mum.” James was dreading giving the speech and Jamie very kindly offered to deliver it instead. I am posting it here because I think that it is worth remembering. The minister made a longer speech about Grandma’s life, of which my favourite anecdote was one that she used to tell the boys; that when she was a little girl she enjoyed dancing down the steps in her school playground, pretending to be Ginger Rogers.
Here is the speech that Jamie gave:

Thank you to everyone for coming along this morning to celebrate the life of my Grandmother, Jean Anderson. I know that some of you have travelled long distances to be here.
Thank you also, for all your cards and messages which have been a great comfort to both Uncle Forrest, my Dad James and the whole family.
Grandma always seemed to be the person who stepped forward when help was required.
While Forrest and Dad were both still very young, their grandmother moved in with them and Grandma became her carer for the next 13 years as well as bringing up her boys.
When my Grandpa, Jimmy, had heart surgery, it was Grandma who nursed him back to health, and when he required kidney dialysis she was the one who got up to make sure he had his breakfast before he set off to the hospital at 7 a.m. and over the years she was a kind and helpful friend to many people and a loving Grandma to the six of us.
However, following the fall 2 years ago in which she broke her hip, Grandma’s mobility became restricted and she in turn needed help. For someone who always liked to help others, this was difficult, but she still found ways to be there for us and was always ready for a chat.
Just last summer my when my Dad fell off his bike, it was Grandma who provided cotton wool and Dettol and made sure that his wounds were cleaned properly.
So she was looking after her family right to the end of her life.
I would like to express our thanks to the staff of South Lanarkshire Council Social Work and, in particular, the Home Carers from Constance Care. Without the support from the Home Carers, Grandma would not have been able to maintain her independence and stay at home for the last two years.Thanks also to the friends who visited her faithfully.
Finally, we are very grateful to the staff at Abbeyfield Extra Care in Rutherglen who welcomed Grandma in when she was no longer able to manage at home and provided a place of comfort and safety for her. It was such a relief to Forrest and my Dad to know that she was being so well looked after in her final few weeks and they tell me that they will miss the home baking from their visits!
I hope that many of you can join us after the service at The Burnside Hotel to share your memories of Grandma.