Grandpa John's funeral

My Grandpa John passed away on the morning of November 15th.  He had been ready to die for some time because he felt like a burden on those taking care of him.  I wrote him a long letter a few months ago that explained how much I have loved and admired him my whole life.  Although it's always a sad occasion when a family member passes away, it was comforting to know that he was at peace with moving on to the next life.  As soon as I heard of his passing I got online to book a ticket to Washington state.  I wanted my Grandpa to know that he was important enough for me to drop everything and go say goodbye.  I also wanted to spend time with my Grandma, because I hadn't seen her in EIGHT years.  Living far away from family is just sad sometimes.  My parents drove to Washington, as well as all my siblings.  It was the first time we were together as a family in 4 years, and the first time we actually had time to interact in forever.  None of us had our spouse with us, and only Kara brought a child (Lauryn) so we had hours of uninterrupted bonding and laughing.  Although the trip was only three short days, I think there were many healing moments that made it completely worth the expense and time.

This is the obituary that appeared in the papers after my Grandpa's death.  

John Charles Palmer was born on April 18, 1926 in Chelan, Washington to parents John E. and Claudia Beugnot Palmer. He died at home of leukemia November 15, 2012 in Moses Lake.

John graduated from Chelan High School in 1944, then served a three year enlistment in the U.S. Navy. After his Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Navy he attended Perry Institute in Yakima and became certified in auto body and fender repair. He owned a business in Wenatchee, also worked in Ephrata and 24 years in Moses Lake. John and Doyne retired in 1988.

John and Doyne Bailey Infanger married June 18, 1965. The family became a blended family with the addition of Doyne's four children, Craig Infanger of Gilbert, Arizona, Tamara Springer of Draper, Utah, Krista Robinson (deceased), and Hollis Moos (Holly) of Moses Lake. John and Cora Hayes married in 1952 and became parents to Joni Smith of St. Helens, Oregon and Len Templin of Scapoose, Oregon.

John is survived by his wife, five children, 18 grandchildren, 47 great grandchildren with three on the way, and one brother Myron (Bill) Palmer of Moses Lake.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Clara DeRosa and Anita Mendonca and daughter, Krista Robinson.

John was a man of many and varied interests. He took piano lessons for several years and owned a well-used metal detector. He collected geology books, Lionel trains and visited several ghost towns. The computer was his joy and in his later years he worked on family history research.

At his request, a short Graveside Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, November 18, 2012 in Pioneer Memorial Gardens in Moses Lake with military honors.

The family very much appreciates the loving care of Hospice during these trying times. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Assured Hospice, 1417 S. Pioneer Way, Moses Lake.

I always love attending funerals that have military honors.  It's such a neat tradition for those who have served our country.  I hope Grandpa was pleased with the graveside service.  He really admired the Chaplain that spoke.  I appreciated the Chaplain's words, but was left feeling empty when the service didn't seem very personal. However then I overheard my Grandma telling the Chaplain afterward that it was exactly what John wanted, which made me feel better.  Although my camera is quickly dying, it held up long enough for me to capture some tender moments at the funeral.