Elizabeth Geiser

As I sit to write this, I realize it was 1 week ago this morning that I went into her room with her ice cream to find that she had passed in the night.

Born Dec.l8th 1920. To hear her tell it, a predominate family, one of the first to have a telephone.Everyone in their little town needed to borrow it. It was provided by the railroad her father worked for.Quite a big deal having a phone in the early 1900s. How much we take for granted over the course ofone lifetime. She talked a lot about how her parents would have loved to have seen the television.

At age 10 her mother passed away, she had had a fall at home, some internal injury that could not behelped at the time. I can't even imagine losing my mother at that age. She must have had to suddenly depend upon herself a great deal at a very young age. Making her very strong willed indeed.

The love of her life, aside from her father, Thomas King, was Verian Geiser, my father. High School sweethearts, life partners, 5 children. Tamara, Timothy, Terry, Wenonah, and King. Tim and Terry both served with honor during the Vietnam War. I grew up with their pictures in uniform on our coffee table. No mother, ( or father for that matter), was more proud of her sons than she was of Tim and Terry ... and I must say, I'm proud of them too.

She loved all her children, I think in her own way she wanted to teach us that life is not always as fair as we would like, and at times took it onto herself to make the point. Sugar coating reality was not a good way to teach the hard lessons of life. Success comes from hard work, a lifetime of it. And at the same time, make the best of what you have, and be happy with what you have, and be proud of what you have, and don't squander what you have, and share what you have, sometimes anonymously. Somewhere she learned that a truly charitable act must remain anonymous.

It's been nearly 8 years since mom came to live with us. She injured her back and that almost took herout. Then a kidney procedure nearly got her. Then fought her way back from a stroke. Never giving up, even during this last couple of months. She is clearly one of the toughest people I am ever likely to know. I hope a can be as strong as she was, for as long as she was.

Many of you may not know that l have 3 sons now, Robert and Cameron, they're grown men now, on their own. Mom loved them both and they both went on vacations with her in their teens, making her the talk of the stewards wherever she went, so impressed with these young men watching over their grandmother while traveling. Now she has new grandson, Aiden, my youngest son with my wife AnnMarye. Mom loved Aiden, and thought he was so smart that,."he will be teaching the teacher" .l have to agree. Amazing the similarities of caring for a 4 year old and a 94 year old. As they say "once a man, twice a child".

She would want me to thank any and all who have taken time out of their busy lives for remembering her for a while and to truly celebrate her life. It is a life worth celebrating. Long, healthy, full of love, and any emotional swing of fate you can imagine. For all the hardships that she faced, especially the loss of Dad, she remained hopeful, strong, never giving up on life and what it has to offer. I am grateful to have had her here at home with us during this time.

Everyday .... "I have to go to work now mom, I'll be back as soon as l can". "How many horses do you have today." "Five or six, I'm not sure, I'll be in Norco all day". "Everybody likes you don't they" "I don't know mom, I hope so, are you okay" "I'll be fine, you be careful" "I will mom" "I love

you" "I love you too mom" "I'll see you as soon as I can" ..To anyone who might want to add to this it would be greatly appreciated by me, as I don't really have all the words to express the loss that we are all feeling in the privacy of our own thoughts. So much to tell, this short narrative doesn't even approach anything that could be called "closure". But I'm overwhelmed right now thinking about all of it. Her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, even great great I think. So many children, an amazing legacy of life and times. So please feel free to pass it along.

God bless all of you, King