Celebrating the Life of my Grandma...
On Monday, January 23rd (one week ago today), our family lost a great love. My grandmother, Annie Renigar, died at the age of 89. It is a loss that has been extremely hard on my family. She was the only grandparent my siblings and I have ever known & was one whom we loved dearly. There was no one quite like her - she was as smart as a whip... even in her old age... and loved us more than life itself! I flew home on Tuesday to be with my family and stayed all week. Her visitation was held on Wednesday evening & her funeral services were Thursday (both at Oak Hill Church of God in Forrest City, AR). On the evening of her visitation we pulled as many photos of her as we could get our hands on so that during her service we could remember her life as it was - full of joy!
Her funeral was the most beautiful service I have ever seen. She planned her own funeral! She even picked out her own dress. She chose her songs & even prepared a letter for her children and grandchildren. Ive never really considered my grandmother to be a "godly" lady. I knew that she knew the Lord & she read her bible on occasion - but we rarely talked about the Lord. Her entire letter was filled with Jesus! She shared some fond memories and charged her family to cling to one another.... and to the Lord. She was very descriptive in her writings and wrote from the point of view as if she were in heaven... the things she was experiencing.. but mostly her desire for us to see her again one day. At the end of her letter she challenged my family to accept Jesus as their Savior so that they could see her again one day. It was the most beautiful thing she's ever done. She shared the gospel with our family... at her own funeral!!
AND PRAISE THE LORD A FEW WERE SAVED that day!!!
The service concluded with a gospel song called "Aint No Grave Gonna Hold This Body Down" - and I was sure that the roof was going to blow off of that building! It was a perfect celebration of her life!
My grandma was a special part of my life... and I will miss her even more than what I know. I am so thankful to have had her as my only grandparent....
Annie Louise Renigar
October 16, 1922 -
January 23, 2012
Her funeral was the most beautiful service I have ever seen. She planned her own funeral! She even picked out her own dress. She chose her songs & even prepared a letter for her children and grandchildren. Ive never really considered my grandmother to be a "godly" lady. I knew that she knew the Lord & she read her bible on occasion - but we rarely talked about the Lord. Her entire letter was filled with Jesus! She shared some fond memories and charged her family to cling to one another.... and to the Lord. She was very descriptive in her writings and wrote from the point of view as if she were in heaven... the things she was experiencing.. but mostly her desire for us to see her again one day. At the end of her letter she challenged my family to accept Jesus as their Savior so that they could see her again one day. It was the most beautiful thing she's ever done. She shared the gospel with our family... at her own funeral!!
AND PRAISE THE LORD A FEW WERE SAVED that day!!!
The service concluded with a gospel song called "Aint No Grave Gonna Hold This Body Down" - and I was sure that the roof was going to blow off of that building! It was a perfect celebration of her life!
My grandma was a special part of my life... and I will miss her even more than what I know. I am so thankful to have had her as my only grandparent....
Annie Louise Renigar
October 16, 1922 -
January 23, 2012
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