Losing someone you love is never easy...
...but knowing that they are with the Lord and in no more pain is encouraging. "Oma" is Iain's grandmother from Germany and what a feisty firecracker she was. I first met her at Iain's brother's wedding 3 years ago. Iain brought me as a "friend." Oma was much smarter than that, she eyed me from a distance and made sure to inquire about me and find out if I was suitable to be a "friend" to Iain.
A few weeks ago, we got a phone call from my father-in-law letting us know that Oma probably didn't have long left and that she was in the hospital and it would be a good idea for us to come see her. We quickly packed up our stuff and rushed to Virginia Beach. It's not easy seeing someone you love go from feisty to quiet. We made a few trips down to Virginia Beach to spend as much time with her as we could. On Saturday, July 2, we got the phone call that she had just passed away. We packed our stuff and made it to Virginia Beach around midnight. These past days have not been easy as we prepared the funeral and handled details concerning her passing.
The memorial service for Oma was yesterday and it was absolutely beautiful. Each grandkid (Iain is 1 of 5) shared something special about her. Oma was in several work camps in Germany and was a teletypist in World War II. She experienced bombs going off close by her, saw people killed, and became a POW (prisoner of war) by the Americans. The U.S. offered her the chance to come to America on a ship and start over, so she did. She started from scratch and slowly learned English. She got married and the legacy extended through the birth of their daughter, Arlene, Iain's mom. Each grandkid had the privilege of growing up near by to her and learned so much from the life Oma lived. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to know this amazing woman and I will be proud to share her story to my own children about their great-grandmother.
We will miss you, Oma.
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