A visitation for Wilma will be held Sunday, February 5, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery, 401 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257. A funeral service will occur Sunday, February 5, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, 401 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257. A committal service will occur Sunday, February 5, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 401 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257.
Karen Henderson - Welcome:
We've come for a Celebration of Life to give honor to the life and memory of Wilma Grannan devoted wife, sister, mother, grandmother, trusted friend and most importantly a faithful servant to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thank you all so much for being here to share in this time together.
You bring a storehouse of memories with you today. Memories of joy, happiness, good times, tough times and everything in between and no one can take those memories away.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly father we thank you for your promise of eternal life with you in heaven and your comfort during this time. Thank you for mom’s life and her dedication to helping others know Christ. We ask that you give us all strength to carry forward to the day that we can be reunited with our loved ones
God, we thank you for your deep, immeasurable love. We thank you that your love covers us in its fullness, leading us to Heaven Bless this gathering to honor mom. And now, dear Savior, may she reach heaven’s glories and see you face to face. Amen.
Abby smith to read these scriptures:
John 14: 1-4 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
In the book of Revelation John describes the heaven that has now called Dad home :
Revelation 21 :3-4
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Abby: and now my moms friend Robin Meeks will be sharing a short story about Grandma:
Wilma Grannan, born on a beautiful spring day on April 3, 1932, in Knox Co Indiana to Nellie & Wilbert Armes, She had three siblings, brother Robert or “Bobby”and sisters Anna Lou and Susie.
She played a lot with her siblings, doing things like cutting out pictures from a catalog of people, furniture and clothes pretending they were their own. They would play ball throwing it over a little house. One time their corncribs was empty so their Mom made a playhouse where they would pretend for hours.
They worked hard on the farm. The river was a cause of great frustration and fear which made the threat of storms frightening. The swollen river would cause the garden and corn crop to be ruined. They would do things like bring the chickens into the barn, dig up potatoes before they were ready and swept the yard because the river would rise up to their house. One time they had move out of their home and took a boat to their Grandma Byrd’s home.
Her paternal grandparents needed to sell their farm in Glendale Indiana, so Wilma’s parents bought it, which was a great relief to be out of the river bottoms and into a better living on a hill.
In 1939 during a revival at Wheatland Christian Church, Wilma invited Jesus into her heart at age 7.
Wilma attended a small school of 32 whom all graduated in 1950. They had a small basketball team and one year they elected her their Basketball Queen. She was given a cardboard crown, spray painted gold and had to borrow a dress to wear to the celebration.
After graduating Wilma worked at the US Rubber Company in Washington Indiana. She lived in a room at the home of Mrs. Kate Mischler A co-worker of hers, Kathleen Todd introduced Wilma to Gus on a blind date. They were married in June of 1954. In 1957 they moved from Washington Indiana to Clarksville Indiana which was near Louisville Kentucky. Gus went to barber school and cut hair for a while and then worked for the US Census Bureau for many years.
Wilma’s Work life was primary dedicated as the church secretary supporting numerous senior and youth group ministers over the years. One of the ministers, Gary Rollins' quote was that she was the rock behind his growth in the ministry at Clifton Christian Church in Louisville
Her dedication reached beyond her role as secretary to include Church plays, youth group activities. mother and daughter banquets, and organizing and participating in the church hand bells choir, and teaching Bible school classes and Vacation Bible school.
Wilma and Gus’s dedication to do family vacations was important whether they could afford it or not. The family camped out, went to Santa Claus land, ate many picnics, went to Washington DC with her parents, went to California to see family and Minnesota to see family friends. Trips were always driving and once drove all the way to California with 3 in the front, 3 in the back with Wilma’s parents included. The family played password all the way there and got humor from getting trucks to blow their horns and playing “I spy”. There were numerous trips to the family farm in Indiana enjoying family farm life together.
Wilma and Gus were always there to support Mike and Karen through their younger years. with Mike in Little League baseball and Karen in Girl scouts and piano lessons. Supporting them to obtain a college education.
After the empty nesting they enjoyed trips to Myrtle Beach with friends and loved to play cards. She enjoyed counted cross stitching. She loved all things basketball especially every Indiana University games. She was huge Hoosier fan.
They were there for their children’s marriages and birth of grandchildren. She was even present in the labor and delivery room for Abby’s birth. Aaron and abby spent countless times with them over the summer. They would enjoy time together eating Wilma’s famous French toast, going bowling, giving them money for the ice cream truck, going to Steak and Shake, teaching them to play Golf, Old maid, 7 up and 7 down, and Uno. They loved time spent on the swing in the backyard. They also enjoyed many great years living close to Mike and his wife Ann including Ann’s parent Ralph and Alene in trips to the family farm.
Wilma and Gus lived in their home for 45 + years and then moved into Assisted Living in Louisville. Wilma and Gus were able to be present at Karen and Jason's wedding at the beach in Florida in 2014 and even renewed their own vows at that same ceremony. After 7 years they moved to Arizona in 2017 to Fountain view village. After Gus’s passing in 2018 Wilma later moved into Karen’s home in 2020. During the last couple of years of her life she enjoyed the loving care of Jason and Karen along with Judy Esch and Carol Flake. Surrounded by her grandchildren and 6 grand puppies along with visits from family and friends
She died peacefully on February 1st 2023 with family by her side with the full assurance of her eternal salvation.
Robin close in prayer
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
o Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Graveside:
In Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth we read :
1st Corinthians 15: 50-57
50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Group Prayer – Our Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer –
Amazing Grace
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
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