Remembering a Woman of Virtuous Character
On Wednesday May 21, 2003, my family laid the body of my grandmother to rest. She was granted 92 years of grace and was blessed with four children, nine grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. Had she lived another two months, she would have celebrated a 93rd. birthday.
As it was, maybe she looked forward to eternity. She died on the day before the eighth anniversary of grandpa's death. It's an irony or coincidence.
I am writing this because at its heart the Lutheran church is a collection of people such as my grandmother. While we often study about the lives and works and teachings of Luther and Bugenhagen and Agricola and Bucer and Melanchthon, it is the people living their lives, training their children, worshiping their Lord on a regular basis that make up the church. It is simple people with simple faiths and devoted lives, such as grandma, that are the bedrock of the Lutheran church. This is a celebration of a virtuous woman in the Lutheran Church.
Grandma and grandpa married late. Who knew they would enjoy each other's company on earth for over 62 years? Grandma had health problems. At my parents' wedding she told my mother that their wedding would probably be the only time she'd see any of her children marry. At the end she saw each child marry, two re-marry, and seven of her grandchildren marry. She would also live to see nine great-grandchildren enter the family and bring sunshine to her home. Just this last March my family and I visited and she was fascinated as my son Matthew explored great-grandma's new apartment. A great-great-grandchild is also on the way into life on earth.
The fact that throughout the family one finds church-going people of faith is also a sign of this virtuous woman's faith. Her church was at the center of her life. Up until last October she was in church every Sunday. Her sons and grandsons have served on church councils. Her daughters and granddaughters served in many capacities in the church. She was proud as I advanced in my studies for the ministry, and even more heartbroken when my studies ceased. But to the end she was happy that I helped at Salem, came with my parents to hear me preach, and was proud when I baptized my son.
As a virtuous woman my grandmother helped on the family farm. A farm struggling to make ends meet became profitable once grandma took control of things. Grandpa wasn't allowed an education beyond the eighth grade and felt he couldn't handle finances as well as grandma. She milked cows, raised and butchered chickens, sewed, knit, crocheted and many other things necessary to raise a family and run a farm. I believe even in retirement she was the master negotiator at car lots and in real estate. Certainly her children call her "blessed."
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