Memorial Day is to...

My Grandma Forsberg: 

cooked the most amazing all from scratch meals 

hated leaving her house 

wore these HUGE funky eyeglasses so she could watch all her TV shows

made porcelain dolls 

hid ridiculous amounts of chocolate in her house even though she was a serious diabetic

hated when i straightened my natural curls

once told my heavy set Brother-in-law as he drank a 70 ounce that "Pop makes you fat"

sang Silent Night with my husband and i the night she died

My Grandma Croft:

took pictures of everything and anything- even napkins at family events

would call on our birthdays and play a "happy happy birthday song" and then hang up

would recycle used bacon oil into homemade brownies (serious)

had the most beautiful white hair

My Grandpa Forsberg: 

was the worlds best gardener

was the worlds best carpenter

made my grandma worry like a wort

broke his hip falling off a ladder which led to a million surgeries 

wore the cutest blue mechanic zip-up jumpers for as long as i can remember

muttered swedish prayers the night he passed away

My Grandpa Croft: 

was a world champ wrestler

taught drivers ed at Highland High for years

drove himself to the temple when he was way too old to be driving

was the worlds best genealogy keeper

spent enormous amounts of time volunteering at the temple- (I still never got to see him play Satan)

LOVED to fish 

always wore a suit to Chuck-a-rama

My Aunt Kim: 

frequently brought me (inappropriate) hand-me-down clothing out of the goodness of her heart

had her lips tattooed way too far above their natural line

would randomly send home-made cards made from junk mail 

had an incredibly challenging life 

once was a drug dealer

ended up taking her own life

My Great Grandma Josephine: 

gave up her career as a successful Opera Singer to have a family

who i never met, but i know i studied music with in the period after she died and before i was born

later had a tacky statue named after her (see below) at my grandma Croft's house for years 

Warren's step Grandpa Lee: 

was a kind man 

made beautiful Indian type jewelry

was Grandma B's 3rd husband who she was later sealed to

spent the last years of his life in an Alzheimer's hospital, which he later passed away in

Grandpa Lee is in the white shirt and blue tie