My grandma was funny. She always put a smile on my face with her funny jokes.  She always wanted us to pet her dog.  She dressed to impress.  She never went anywhere without her heels.  As sweet as she was, we all picked up a few of her swear words.  Rest in peace.  Love you grandma!  
Jacob

Loving, caring, laughter, always there, protector, considerate.   Yep, that totally describes my mother-in-law.  Mom, as I called her, was all those things to anyone she met. And anyone she met would always walk away with the thought ‘what a beautiful loving human being she is’. I have had the wonderful opportunity of being part of this family for many years (55 to be exact) as I am married to her son, Jack.  He, I might add, has all the adjectives mentioned of her in the beginning of this memory.  ‘Mom’ and this family have always made me feel very special.
Mom has been very put together; hair and nails always in place, and of course, her high heel shoes.  She loved to bowl and I used to tease her I was going to find her bowling shoes that included high heels. 
She was the strength of this remarkable family.  She would be at any family function and loved hearing updates from all family members.  She was a good listener and everyone knew she cared.
Thank you, mom, for always being there for me and being the best mother-in-law in the world.  
I will always think of you and will miss you so much.
I love you forever,
Love Linda

My Grandma-she always looked like a million bucks, hair and nails always done and always a bright smile on her face. She was a beautiful lady who many of us adored. When my grandma came over when I was younger, I was always so happy to see her. I really felt a calm when she was around. She really was such a bright light in my life. She was such an angel to my mom-always taking care of her and us.  When I would call her on the phone the first thing she would ask is "how are the kids?" Always wanting to know what they were up to and how I was. She genuinely cared about me and my family and I will miss this tremendously. When I had my babies, she was always one of my first visitors.  I have so many great stories about her. One of my favorites is when we went to Hollywood Park together. It was just me and her and I was about 19 years old and I just remember having to go thru kind of a rough neighborhood to get there but I felt pretty safe with her. She had a horse racing this particular day and he was the long shot but of course we put all our money on him. The horse won-came in first-we had so much money-we were laughing so hard and were so happy. We got to go down in the winners circle and get our picture taken and it was just so much fun. There are so many things that will forever remind me of my grandma; See's candies (she always brought it to us on special occasions), birthday cakes (she would always bring me a cake on my birthday when I was younger and also did this for my kids),  BINGO (many times I went with her and my mom to a new Bingo),  Santa Anita Ave (I always knew how to get to where my grandma lived since I was little) and bowling (I always say I got my great bowling skills from her). I really feel like she taught me so much in this life and I am so blessed she was my Grandma. I will miss her so very much. 

Dear Mom -
 I hope you know how much you are loved by all of us.  Your faith, beauty, love, and strength carried us all through the tough times.  You were an inspiration to your family in many ways.  I am still meeting your friends daily that you have helped and cared for.  They kid me about how much fun you had playing Bingo.  Thank you for always keeping our family together.  Your love and prayers guided our way.  You are always in our hearts and I find peace and comfort in my warm memories of you.  
Mom was always "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" and "Our Lady of the Highway".  These were my nicknames for her.  She loved Elvis Presley songs.  Some of her favorites were "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You," "Hound Dog," and "Love Me Tender."  She also loved the words to  "Amazing Grace."   This is a prayer that reminds me of my mom: "Bless our house as we come and go.  Bless the children as they grow.  Bless our family as we gather, and bless us all with love and laughter."  
Mom's appearance meant a lot to her.  She always looked nice.  Her hair, nails, and clothes always kept her spirits high.  She loved going out to dinner and she was always ready to play Bingo or take a short trip to Las Vegas or State Line.  
Mom also had another special friend.  He was our dog Beau.  He was also her companion day and night and did not leave her side.  I can still see them sitting together in her chair.  They were inseparable.  
She loved Holy Angels Church and the many friendships she made there.  She was a Eucharistic Minister and lector there.  She also helped with weddings and funerals.  
She took pride in the Arcadia community where she spent most of her life.  She talked to others there about putting in sidewalks and making sure street lights worked.  She made friends with ministers, council members, mayors, and anyone who had a caring job and could help others.  She would ask for their help in passing on her caring to others.  (Please continue under Part 2)


(Part 2)
I know her grandchildren and great grandchildren were an important part of her life.  Her house was always filled with their pictures and much love abided there.  She took such good care of her roses in her yard and they bloomed beautifully.  Mom was always grateful for all the blessings our Lord had given her.  Not the gold or silver, but the blessings which helped her communicate with her brothers and sisters to share His love.  I will always keep you close to my heart. 
I love you, Mom.
Dianne (and Beau)


Everybody that knew my mom knew her as a gracious, caring, independent woman.  She was always looking out to help someone or some animal. Mom grew up in the 1920’s with three sisters and a brother being raised by a single mom in Detroit.  Her mom would make homemade candy for the kids to sell in downtown businesses. At age 16, she was too young to get a job in the factories, so she used her older sister Laura’s identification to get a job at Bower Roller Bearings. It had to be a rough life but I never heard her complain about her childhood. She married, had two children, Dianne and Jack.  Was divorced and ended up a single mom raising two children. Again this could not have been an easy life for her but I never heard her complain. In fact, all I remember about my childhood are the good times. Looking back I know how much she must have sacrificed to provide for us. But that was the woman she was - always taking care of her loved ones. She always saw to it that we always had loving family around us. Just about every week, aunts, uncles, and cousins would all get together. The adults would play poker and the kids would go off and play. During the summer, the families would get together and search for big company picnics and then join in. There would be food, drinks, dancing, and games. Since we went out every other week, we were very good at the games and would win prizes. We always did this as one big family. In the late 1950’s we moved to California with her husband, Bill Grayson. Mom and Bill loved horse racing and ended up meeting and buying a horse with Vic Tayback. They loved to go to Vegas.  My mom and her sister, Laura, loved to bet on football. Mom would go to Bingos every chance she got, at least twice a week. Mom felt like her car gave her independence.

Please continue to Part 2

Part 2

In 1990, her husband Bill Grayson died,  and mom turned to the church.  She volunteered for twenty some years as a Bereavement Minister, weddings, and became a Eucharistic Minister.  She would go twice a week to the ‘sick’ to give communion, say the rosary, or accompany a priest to say a mass.  She did this until dementia started to affect her life.  The hardest day in my life was when I had to take her car away.  She felt like it took away her independence.  I want to thank my sister, Dianne, for first, moving in with my mom, then taking her into her home for her final days.  I want to thank my wife, Linda, for her time and effort for taking care of my mom.  I don’t know what I would have done without her.  We were very fortunate; Dianne, Linda, and myself were with mom when she passed. We know she is in a better place now. Linda and I both know she is still looking out for us.  Last weekend we went to a casino and we started to win.  We looked at each other and said, ‘mom is looking out for us!’  I will miss her but I know she will be there for me when I need her. We all love and miss you, mom.

You will always be in my heart,

Love,
Your son Jack

My great-grandmother. Dorothy Marie Grayson. Me, her first great-grandchild, giving her the title. The one who I was named after - being the fourth generation with the middle name Marie. 
My earliest childhood memory is her coming over to our Walnut house. I remember her walking through the front door saying hello and bending down to give me a teddy bear that was way bigger than I was. I ran up and hugged it - she smiled.
She had the kindest heart, but was so stubborn. Once she made up her mind, there was absolutely no changing it. I think I liked that quality even better than her kind heart. She was a strong woman. I like to think my mom, sister and I got that quality from her. 
She was gorgeous and always well put together. Never going anywhere without her hair and make up done as well as her nails painted. She was the definition of class.  I will miss her laugh the most and hope that I will always be able to remember what it sounded like. 
I feel so blessed to have had a great-grandmother until the age of 28.  Her legacy will always live on in those she loved. I love you and miss you my cute lil grandma. 

My great grandma, this beautiful woman was the queen of our family and somebody we all looked up to. She was so kind hearted, but was never afraid to speak her mind! The most stubborn person I ever met, but it’s because she knew exactly what she wanted. I could talk to her forever she was so funny, honest, respectful, and truly beautiful inside and out. Rest In Peace Grandma Grayson! I love you always and forever!

My sweet grandma.  My family loved her deeply and we miss her already.  She had a way of getting us all together for parties, mostly happening at Aunt Linda and Uncle Jack's house.  It was always a good time with the house echoing with loudness and laughter.  I hope all of the great grandkids will always remember the fun times had with all of us together.  She loved to play cards and go to bingo.  She was a passionate bingo player frequenting the bingo halls many times during each week and driving far and wide to go to her favorite ones with the largest payouts.  She started her day with morning Mass and was very involved in her church.  She was a eucharistic minister who took communion to the sick and aged on Fridays.  She also helped the families in her parish coordinate funerals and weddings.  She was always so well put together with her hair and nails always fixed nicely and her lovely wardrobe.  She loved wearing heels well into her 70's I believe.  She was sweet, strong, independent, stubborn, and beautiful all at the same time.  She had the cutest giggle that I will never forget.  She gave great advice and loved others.  She was a wonderful servant of God and so strong in her faith.  I will always see many of grandma's characteristics in her grandkids and great grandkids, especially my own sweet, strong, independent, stubborn, and beautiful daughters.  Rest peacefully sweet grandma.  I will love you always.

OBITUARY

Dorothy Marie Grayson

18 April, 1924 – 5 November, 2018

Oakdale Mortuary & Memorial Park

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