My Grandma Bagley

~dad, mom and grandma~

December 2009

~ The bracelet she made~

~ her and Mady~

December 2009

~ Thanksgiving 2009~




***deep breath*** This is what has caused my writers block. I know that I need to write this blog but I also know how hard it's going to be so I've put it off for this long. I suppose it's time.




My grandma Bagley left this earth on June 15th, 2010 to be reunited with my grandpa Bagley. She had not been well for a short while before she passed away. She was living at the nursing home in Twin and I was able to go visit her as often as I could. It was nice to have her that close. The area around her lungs kept filling up with fluid and it would cause her to be short of breath so they would admit her to the hospital and drain it and then she would feel better for awhile. Well, these episodes began to happen closer and closer to the next. The doctor told my mom that she probably had 3-6 months left. As hard as that news was to hear, grandma was OK with it. She knew her time was near and she knew that she would never go back to her home again, but she was OK with it. She was at peace. We knew that our time with her was limited so we enjoyed her as much as we could in what time we had left. Oh how I wish the doctor would have been right about the time frame he gave us. Grandma left us just 3 weeks later.


She started having trouble breathing and so they took her to the hospital again. They drained the fluid off of her and she looked great. Charles and his family and Donna and Duane came down and we all went to the hospital that day and visited her. I can still see the smile on her face as she laid back and watched us all visit around her. I can still see her smile as Charles held her hand and told her how much he loved her. I can still see her smile as she watched his kids wander around her hospital room. I can still see her smile as I kissed her and told her i loved her as I left her room that evening, telling her I would see her tomorrow.


The next morning her lungs began to fill again. Already. The doctor told my mom that they would just continue to drain it for as long as grandma wanted them to. Well, an hour or so later things took a turn. Grandma started to suffer. Not much, but a little. She was in pain and she hadn't had any pain up until this point. They decided to give her some medicine for the pain and anxiety and so it was this that calmed her enough to take her last breath. She passed from this earth with her daughters by her side.


Lisa and I went to clean out her nursing home room the day she passed. I thought I could tough it out, but man that was hard!!! The staff was so kind and they all told us how much they loved grandma and what an amazing lady that she was and that she would be missed. Putting all of her things in a box and knowing that we would never go back there and sit with her and put a puzzle together with her was so hard. My grandma was such a talented woman and made so many wonderful things for so many people over her time. The last things that she made were 2 beaded bracelets that she made in physical therapy at the nursing home. Lisa and I found them when we were cleaning up and we decided grandma would have wanted us to have them. To this day we both still wear them, every day. I love to look at it and remember her.

The funeral was beautiful. There were so many people there and Brett Thompson gave the most amazing talk about her. I would really like to have a copy of that! Grandma had made over 300 white temple ties. She made for the missionaries, her family, her friends and she sold some. She even sent some to the first presidency of the church and they sent her a hand written thank you note. Her temple ties are all over the world! For her funeral, all of the pall bearers wore one of her white ties. It was awesome. At one point in his talk, Brett had everyone stand who had a hand-made tie from my grandma and I was amazed at how many people stood. She loved to make them and she thought that everyone needed one. I will forever treasure that white tie that Bryan had the privilege of wearing as one of her pall bearers.


My grandma was an amazing, kind, loving, faithful woman. She has always been such an example to me, and to everyone, and her examples will forever live on in us. And for that I am so thankful. I am so happy that she has been reunited with the love of her life. They were apart for way too long. I'm so happy that she is with her parents and siblings that passed before her too. I just miss her so much. I miss her funny little smile when we teased her. I miss her telling stories to my kids. I miss putting puzzles together with her. I miss being able to call her whenever we have a get together to come along with us. I just miss her.


I am thankful for the 32 years that I had with her. I am thankful for the 86 years that He gave her here on this earth. I am thankful for everything she taught me and everything that she was. And now I am thankful to have an angel watching over me.