Grace Mckenna's Funeral Expenses
Donation protected
Pictures of Grandma
Update 10-10-21
I spent about 3 hours at grandma's house today. I was there looking through decades of paperwork, photos, envelopes, cabinets, closets, shoe boxes, and filing cabinets. The house my grandmother moved into in the 50's. I grew up there. I spent my summers there. I remember the last days of school before summer looking forward to endless time in the pool, endless time in the garage, and growing up. I used to have water balloon fights and build water balloon catapults there. I also lived there for a time after my mother passed away. I spent years living in the basement there. My wife and I lived there for a time as a young couple. I was suddenly tasked with throwing away years worth of possessions. Dishes that will never be used again. Meals that will never be cooked there again. My grandmother used to cook hundreds of Christmas cookies. It's been 4 years since my grandfather passed away. He kept every legal document they ever had. As I went through their possessions... A lifetime of possessions... a family's possession... I thought about my mother growing up in this house... I thought about my time there... The friday nights I'd spend there to have a sleepover because I thought it was so fun to have a night with my grandma. She'd cook homemade pizza and always have tea at 9pm. We'd watch the evening news and then wheel of fortune and jeopardy. An entire lifetime of memories in an empty house, taken by time I was looking through folders and paperwork trying to find life insurance policies. I was trying to look for a magical envelop of 100 dollar bills. I found pictures of my mother on her wedding day. I found pictures of my mother as a child. I found all the markings of a family time left behind. My grandmother had outlived them all. Nothing is left now but to lay her to rest and lay to rest an entire family's memories. Thank you all for your help in doing that.
I've reached out to a lot of the people of have donated to grandma's funeral expenses directly, but for the few that I don't have contact info for, I just wanted to thank you. I want to thank everyone who has donated thus far. Your kindness is getting me through this and reminding me of the good in the world.
A good friend of mine pointed out that my story seemed a little too much about me and not enough about my grandmother. My heart sank. I didn't want this to come off as about me, I've just been in a dark place. I left my original summary below.
Grace McKenna was born in 1934. She would go on to be a professional butcher. She was extremely proud of this and talk about her years cutting meat for the rest of her life. She'd often joke she "knew how to get rid of a body." Grandma was married twice. Her first husband died tragically in a fire, and her second husband she was with for decades until his passing in 2017. My grandmother only had one daughter, my mother.. whom she lost in 2007. I was there with grandma when she lost her only daughter and it was painful but inspirational to see my grandmother continue on with resolve that she'd see her daughter again. Grandma has out lived her daughter, husband, and brother and sister. She was ready to go home.
Grandma loved baking. She loved gardening. She was extremely proud of her house which she lived in for 60 years. Even into her 80's she'd be on her hands and knees pulling weeds. You couldn't stop her from mowing her own lawn as recently as 2015 until she fell and broke her hip doing so. My grandmother was kind, but also a firecracker. Sometimes I truly think she loved to fight with people just for the entertainment. There were the fights with her neighbors, the fights with me. She loved to lie and make up extravagant stories.
Grandma used to watch my brother and I as children during the summer. I remember every summer at grandmas as mom would drop us off before going to work. There was the mac and cheese lunches, salami sandwiches, watching "The Price is Right" every morning. I remember endless hours in the pool. I remember how your garage had a screen on it and we'd spend our days watching power rangers and mr rogers while working on puzzles. My entire childhood was spent there with grandma. I'll never forget it.
In her final years it was just her and some friends at the VFW. I tried my best to keep her happy and be there for her. Dementia started on its way in and she began forgetting the most important parts of her life. Even through the fog she was still grandma to me. I am happy you are at peace and your passing is not a burden. I hope you're up there with mom.
*Original Summary
Here I am. I am at my complete rock bottom. I am doing something I never thought I'd have to do. I am asking for help in paying for my grandmother's funeral expenses. My grandmother passed away this morning. I got the call at 5am. I am glad she is finally at peace and able to be with my mother, but I am burdened with trying to pay for her funeral. In life things don't always go as planned and things you thought were possible aren't. I have no money. I am a month late on my mortgage. I do not know what will happen to grandma if I cannot raise the funds. I have arranged the bare minimum of a funeral... no wake, cheapest coffin... I am even having a closed casket to bring the cost of the funeral down. This is the lowest point in my life. The funeral home expects to be paid in full before the services this week. The funeral is planned for Thursday... If I can come up with the money. I have nowhere else to turn. I've spent the day begging for money and scrambling instead of mourning. I haven't even begun to grieve. I can't start until I know I can lay her to rest.
Update 10-10-21
I spent about 3 hours at grandma's house today. I was there looking through decades of paperwork, photos, envelopes, cabinets, closets, shoe boxes, and filing cabinets. The house my grandmother moved into in the 50's. I grew up there. I spent my summers there. I remember the last days of school before summer looking forward to endless time in the pool, endless time in the garage, and growing up. I used to have water balloon fights and build water balloon catapults there. I also lived there for a time after my mother passed away. I spent years living in the basement there. My wife and I lived there for a time as a young couple. I was suddenly tasked with throwing away years worth of possessions. Dishes that will never be used again. Meals that will never be cooked there again. My grandmother used to cook hundreds of Christmas cookies. It's been 4 years since my grandfather passed away. He kept every legal document they ever had. As I went through their possessions... A lifetime of possessions... a family's possession... I thought about my mother growing up in this house... I thought about my time there... The friday nights I'd spend there to have a sleepover because I thought it was so fun to have a night with my grandma. She'd cook homemade pizza and always have tea at 9pm. We'd watch the evening news and then wheel of fortune and jeopardy. An entire lifetime of memories in an empty house, taken by time I was looking through folders and paperwork trying to find life insurance policies. I was trying to look for a magical envelop of 100 dollar bills. I found pictures of my mother on her wedding day. I found pictures of my mother as a child. I found all the markings of a family time left behind. My grandmother had outlived them all. Nothing is left now but to lay her to rest and lay to rest an entire family's memories. Thank you all for your help in doing that.
I've reached out to a lot of the people of have donated to grandma's funeral expenses directly, but for the few that I don't have contact info for, I just wanted to thank you. I want to thank everyone who has donated thus far. Your kindness is getting me through this and reminding me of the good in the world.
A good friend of mine pointed out that my story seemed a little too much about me and not enough about my grandmother. My heart sank. I didn't want this to come off as about me, I've just been in a dark place. I left my original summary below.
Grace McKenna was born in 1934. She would go on to be a professional butcher. She was extremely proud of this and talk about her years cutting meat for the rest of her life. She'd often joke she "knew how to get rid of a body." Grandma was married twice. Her first husband died tragically in a fire, and her second husband she was with for decades until his passing in 2017. My grandmother only had one daughter, my mother.. whom she lost in 2007. I was there with grandma when she lost her only daughter and it was painful but inspirational to see my grandmother continue on with resolve that she'd see her daughter again. Grandma has out lived her daughter, husband, and brother and sister. She was ready to go home.
Grandma loved baking. She loved gardening. She was extremely proud of her house which she lived in for 60 years. Even into her 80's she'd be on her hands and knees pulling weeds. You couldn't stop her from mowing her own lawn as recently as 2015 until she fell and broke her hip doing so. My grandmother was kind, but also a firecracker. Sometimes I truly think she loved to fight with people just for the entertainment. There were the fights with her neighbors, the fights with me. She loved to lie and make up extravagant stories.
Grandma used to watch my brother and I as children during the summer. I remember every summer at grandmas as mom would drop us off before going to work. There was the mac and cheese lunches, salami sandwiches, watching "The Price is Right" every morning. I remember endless hours in the pool. I remember how your garage had a screen on it and we'd spend our days watching power rangers and mr rogers while working on puzzles. My entire childhood was spent there with grandma. I'll never forget it.
In her final years it was just her and some friends at the VFW. I tried my best to keep her happy and be there for her. Dementia started on its way in and she began forgetting the most important parts of her life. Even through the fog she was still grandma to me. I am happy you are at peace and your passing is not a burden. I hope you're up there with mom.
*Original Summary
Here I am. I am at my complete rock bottom. I am doing something I never thought I'd have to do. I am asking for help in paying for my grandmother's funeral expenses. My grandmother passed away this morning. I got the call at 5am. I am glad she is finally at peace and able to be with my mother, but I am burdened with trying to pay for her funeral. In life things don't always go as planned and things you thought were possible aren't. I have no money. I am a month late on my mortgage. I do not know what will happen to grandma if I cannot raise the funds. I have arranged the bare minimum of a funeral... no wake, cheapest coffin... I am even having a closed casket to bring the cost of the funeral down. This is the lowest point in my life. The funeral home expects to be paid in full before the services this week. The funeral is planned for Thursday... If I can come up with the money. I have nowhere else to turn. I've spent the day begging for money and scrambling instead of mourning. I haven't even begun to grieve. I can't start until I know I can lay her to rest.
Organizer
Ryan Boldt
Organizer
Addison, IL