Chrissy Renae

My dear grandmother, Marjorie Call Barnes, died on Friday. It feels weird to type it out like that because it still doesn’t seem quite real. I don’t mean to be any sort of drama queen about it (she would hate all the fuss), but I’ve been thinking about her all weekend and feel like I have to try to express myself how remarkable she is.

I was lucky enough to grow up right next door to my Grandma. Until I was 16, I never lived more than a block or two away from she and Grandpa, out at Deer Lake. My attachment to that place is mostly due to the times that we had together out there as a family—lots of cousins, my family (back in the Jeff and Sheri + 5 kids days), all under the tutelage of Grandma and Grandpa in the brown house on Wanakiwin corner. Every Sunday my Grandma made a big roast dinner for everyone, and always treated us to Texas Sheet Cake and homemade chocolate sauce afterwards.

When I was younger she baked bread every week and invited us over for warm slices with her special hot chocolate after school. She taught me how to sew and helped me make my first pair of pajama pants. She came to all of my assemblies, plays, award nights, and band concerts, always there to show her support with a big smile and her newest camera. She was even at my BYU college graduation, all the way down in Utah, where she had graduated over 50 years earlier. She always lead by example- by getting an education, by being a great mother and grandmother, by volunteering in the community, and by dedicating herself to church service without a grumble.

Whenever I threw a fit or tried to pout in a family picture, she always tried to con me into cheering up with her beloved happy pills— Smarties. She was the candy queen! The night before she passed away I was at her house cleaning and visiting, and she reminded me over and over that there was “plenty of candy in the office, so you better help yourself!”

I’m incredibly grateful that I was able to spend a bit more time with her again this summer. Last Sunday, I went up with my Dad and the kids to visit for the afternoon since the kids were in town. Since she was laid up with a broken leg, we cooked dinner and I was put in charge of the Texas Sheet Cake. It was my first attempt, and of course it didn’t turn out quite right and the frosting was lumpy and an odd color. A very weak appearance compared to the practiced perfection of Grandma’s. Yet she reassured me over and over that it was just perfect and I had done a great job. She was always my cheerleader and I don’t think I ever fully appreciated that facet about her until just this week. Grandma is incredibly optimist, uniquely blunt, and never afraid to stand up for whatever causes she decides to fuel. So softly feminine, yet valiantly strong spirited and independent.

As I left the house that night before she died, I gave her a big hug because it was going to be the last time I saw her before Korea. We exchanged the usual goodbyes, and then she choked up and said, “We sure do love you Chrissy, you’re one of our bestest.” I think that unique and precious moment will help motivate me to really BE the bestest I can for the rest of my life.

I know she’s not Grandma to most of you, so I’m sorry about all the depth and details. I guess this is kind of more for me, because there are so many things about her I never want to forget. What an incredible woman. Life just won’t be quite the same without Grandma Barnes.