Today Dave is in upstate New York for the funeral of his Grandpa Killian. This is the first of our grandparents to die. Dave was very close to his Grandpa; it has been very emotional to say goodbye. Dave and his Grandpa communicated quite regularly through phone calls and email. Grandpa Killian's death was very sudden and surprising. One day he went to the hospital with a bad stomach-ache and 4 days later he had passed on.
We had been praying everyday for him while he was in the hospital and when he died, I told the kids. I said it was a sad-happy day. Sad because grandpa had died. I asked them if they could think of any reasons why it was happy. Molly said "Well at least his stomach doesn't hurt anymore." I was so proud of her for being so thoughtful. Elliot said "Because we still have Grandma." True, we are all very grateful for Grandma Killian.
I told the kids that it was a happy day, because of our faith in God and his eternal plan for us. We believe that there is life beyond death, where families are central, just like they are here. We believe that through ordinances performed in temples, families can be sealed together forever. Grandpa Killian believed it too. He and his wife were the first and only (besides their posterity) members of their families to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
(This picture is them visiting with one of their missionaries, nearly 40 years after their baptism.) They were sealed in the temple, and later both of their children were also married in the temple. But for Grandpa Killian, that was not enough. He spent tremendous amounts of time and energy searching for his kindred dead. He built a huge database of names and then sent them to a temple to have their ordinance work done by proxy. To me, this is one of the great principles of my religion. We believe that all people have the same opportunity for God's choicest blessings. Members of the church worldwide are busy doing temple work for people who have already died and never had a chance to hear the gospel preached or enter a temple in their life time.
Right now it is hard for those of us that are left. We will miss him so much. But we know that he is in a happier place, surrounded by other family members. I like to think that there is a long line of people waiting to shake his hand and thank him for the blessings he bestowed upon them while he was alive. That's why it's still a happy day, too.
We love you Grandpa Killian!
Today Dave is in upstate New York for the funeral of his Grandpa Killian. This is the first of our grandparents to die. Dave was very close to his Grandpa; it has been very emotional to say goodbye. Dave and his Grandpa communicated quite regularly through phone calls and email. Grandpa Killian's death was very sudden and surprising. One day he went to the hospital with a bad stomach-ache and 4 days later he had passed on.
We had been praying everyday for him while he was in the hospital and when he died, I told the kids. I said it was a sad-happy day. Sad because grandpa had died. I asked them if they could think of any reasons why it was happy. Molly said "Well at least his stomach doesn't hurt anymore." I was so proud of her for being so thoughtful. Elliot said "Because we still have Grandma." True, we are all very grateful for Grandma Killian.
I told the kids that it was a happy day, because of our faith in God and his eternal plan for us. We believe that there is life beyond death, where families are central, just like they are here. We believe that through ordinances performed in temples, families can be sealed together forever. Grandpa Killian believed it too. He and his wife were the first and only (besides their posterity) members of their families to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
(This picture is them visiting with one of their missionaries, nearly 40 years after their baptism.) They were sealed in the temple, and later both of their children were also married in the temple. But for Grandpa Killian, that was not enough. He spent tremendous amounts of time and energy searching for his kindred dead. He built a huge database of names and then sent them to a temple to have their ordinance work done by proxy. To me, this is one of the great principles of my religion. We believe that all people have the same opportunity for God's choicest blessings. Members of the church worldwide are busy doing temple work for people who have already died and never had a chance to hear the gospel preached or enter a temple in their life time.
Right now it is hard for those of us that are left. We will miss him so much. But we know that he is in a happier place, surrounded by other family members. I like to think that there is a long line of people waiting to shake his hand and thank him for the blessings he bestowed upon them while he was alive. That's why it's still a happy day, too.
We love you Grandpa Killian!
