Mildred Rose Parker Hackwell 1923 ~ 2008 On December 13, 2008 our sweet, loving mother, Mildred Rose Parker Hackwell, quietly passed into the waiting arms of her husband, son, mother, and father. Mildred was born in Salt Lake City on September 26, 1923 to Clyde and Rose E. Swenson Parker. On March 28, 1942 she married Vernon Eugene Hackwell. Mom loved to crochet, spending many hours working on her doilies and tablecloths that she so generously shared with everyone. She was a very hard worker and worked at the Lunt Motel for many years. Mildred leaves a legacy of love and devotion to her children and grandchildren and a lifetime of memories and love. She leaves behind three children, Barbara (John) Pestana, Vern Jr. (Sherri Nelson) and Susan (John) Davis; 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Preceding her in death, her husband; son, David; son-in-law, John Pestana; mother and father; brother, Clyde Parker and sister, Lucille Wright. Services are Wednesday, December 17th, 11:00 a.m. at Lake Hills Memorial Mortuary, 10055 S. State Street. Friends and family may call one hour prior to services. A special thanks to the staff at the Clearfield Beehive House for the tender love and care they so freely gave to our mother and to our family.

My grandma passed away this past week. It was a week full of mixed emotions. Though the past few years were difficult ones for her and I did not see her much, it does not make it any easier. In fact that makes it harder. I was lucky enough to speak at her funeral. I thought I would post it:

I could not pass up the opportunity to stand and share my thoughts about grandma. When I received the phone call from my parents telling me about her passing, many memories, feelings, and images rushed through me. I was racked with all emotions, the first being surprised, followed obviously by sadness, and soon after the realization of her new found happiness. I feel as if the days of being at grandma and grandpas house have been long gone, though they will not be long forgotten. I know as grandkids we all have similar and probably some of the same memories. Not to say they are not individually special. They are. Treasure them.
One of my brightest memories is taking walks with grandma. This is due to the lack of driving she did. Grandma didn’t know how to drive. Which as a small child I found peculiar, and as a teenager, and now through adult hood I find funny, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because she was so reluctant to give up grandpas car after he died, maybe it’s because I can envision her sitting in the passenger side without him, starting that car and rolling down the windows just to say that she still used it.
My favorite thing about grandma was that she was a storyteller. Maybe all grandparents are. But I could listen to those stories about her and grandpa in their early years for a very long time. In fact I would often ask her the same questions. She used to tell me that grandpa was gone at war for 3 years, and she knew down to how many months, weeks, and days. Unfortunately I don’t remember.
Grandma is gone, but we are all living her legacy. Grandpa’s too. I would like to think that the history of OUR grandparents is not remembered by fancy things or material items but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children’s children. It is in us where the lives of our grandparents have gone. It is in us that their history becomes a future.

December 17th 2008