Grandma Gallagher 1929 - 2017

A wonderful woman, Joan Shirley Greer Gallagher, returned back home to her Heavenly Father on 30 August 2017.  We got to celebrate her life well-lived at her funeral on 2 September.  It was definitely a tender time for her children and grandchildren, but it was also a joyful time sharing stories of her life and adventures, and also a chance to meet/see family who we haven't been around for a long time.  A few things that impress me about this amazing grandma of Gregg's (ours):

• she was a world traveler - from moving around many states in the West as a young girl, to working in the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Alaska, and Washington D.C. as a young woman, to serving a mission in the Eastern States (while engaged!), to visiting Europe (and bringing home a brand new Volkswagen Beetle from the plant in Germany), to teaching English in Japan and Lithuania, she was always up for an adventure!
• she worked hard to support her young family of five kids after her divorce
• she loved genealogy and provided thousands of ancestors and others with the chance for temple ordinances because of her thorough work
• she loved to read and would have stacks of books on her bedside table at all times - many books were the "most amazing book!"
• I only knew her in her last few years, when years of illnesses (diabetes, cancer, multiple knee replacements, stroke, badly broken shoulder/arm from a fall on Christmas Eve, and general old age) had had their way with her, yet she always had a smile on her face and was so pleasant to visit with.  Kim said that she was kind and gracious and grateful even to the end with the nurses and others who cared for her at the care center.

We love her and will miss her.  But we're happy to know she she happy and at peace and out of pain.

Some (recent) memories with Grandma Gallagher:

August 2010 - with Sarah and Lori Bird and Cheyanne and Reif
Blanchard (Gregg's cousins and aunt) at my bridal shower.

November 2012 - A Thanksgiving/birthday
celebration for Grandma Gallagher at Paul and Kim's,
a combo we celebrated many times.

March 2013 - Blanchard Family Staycation Day #1 lunch with
Grandma at Mimi's.

November 2013 - Callie meets her Great Grandma, wearing
a cupcake shirt to celebrate her birthday.

November 2014 - Thanksgiving dinner with the Blanchards.

November 2014 - Happy birthday to Grandma!
85 years strong.

November 2014 - Four generations.

November 2014

June 2015 - We got to spend Callie's birthday running
errands and eating lunch with Great Grandma Gallagher.

May 2015 - Kim and her mom at a Mother's Day lunch.  I think
this is such a great picture of both of them.

November 2015 - Sam meets his Great Grandma.

November 2015 - Another fabulous feast for Thanksgiving.

February 2016 - Callie, Sam and I got to tour the Provo City
Center Temple with Paul and Kim and Grandma.

February 2016 - Group shot at the open house.

February 2016 - Lunch after the temple at Grandma's favorite
spot, Mimi's Diner.

November 2016 - At her birthday lunch with Kim (at yes, Mimi's).

March 2017 - celebrating the doctor giving her permission to
use her arm again at BYU creamery with her daughter Kim.
(I just really think this is a cute pic of her, so I swiped it
 from Kim's post)

The funeral highlights:

The foyer of the church in Orem had two nice display tables
full of pictures and items describing Grandma.

The five children of Joan: Kim, Eric, Craig, Shawn, and Lori
at the viewing on Friday evening.

The Blanchard family (minus Paul who stayed on his mission
in Ohio, and Laurel's family who had barely moved to CT
and couldn't make the trip back).

A portion of her posterity.

We all picked a rose to remind us of Grandma.

Yummy lunch at the church afterwards.

We went to Heather's house to lounge and play and visit and
be together after the funeral.  That evening, we got to eat at
Charlie Chow's (Kim's favorite restaurant) for dinner before
heading our separate ways again.  Fun to see Ryan and Kim
for a day!