My great-grandmother Stinky's funeral was on Sunday.  Being here in Alaska, I wasn't able to attend the funeral.  My sister sent me the life history that they read at her funeral.  There's so many great stories in here, I had to copy it here, for others to enjoy.  Whether you knew her or not, I think you'll agree that she was a unique person.

HAZEL _________ 

Bells announced Hazel _______'s  entrance and departure from this world.  The Angeles church bells began clanging at high noon when she was born and 98 years later, the bell on her alarm clock proclaimed her death.

An era ended with her passing on.  She was a person who made a lasting impression on all who knew her.  Some knew her as the best schoolteacher they ever had.  Others knew her as the unconventional, mischievous sister, daughter, mother, grandmother, or friend, who held no equal.  Still others knew her—especially in her prime—as the woman who stepped out of the ordinary bounds of womanhood—to take her horse and buggy to (the little town she lived near), or to roller skate down the street when it was unseemly for a woman to do so.

But we knew her as someone who loved deeply, and wasn’t afraid to show it.  We heard her say, “I love you” more than anyone else, and she said it not only with words, but in her tone, in the twinkle of her eyes, in her smile, and in her hugs.  She loved in her generosity to others.  Living through the Great Depression, she knew the value of a dollar, and later in life, was known to chase the gasman down to deliver her payment rather than spend 37 cents on a stamp.  She would turn lights off as she left each room rather than waste electricity, and would eat the same meal four days in a row rather than let any food go to waste.

And yet, in spite of her own sacrifice, she would generously give to others.  After meeting kind-hearted Bill ____, they eloped, and throughout their 73 years of marriage aided family members time after time when they were in need, providing a place to live and a helping hand.

And yet, she was not a pushover in any respect.  She was a shrewd businesswoman who could make a decision, and a good one, at the drop of a hat.  She had a stubborn streak a mile long, and if she’d made up her mind about something, there was no use trying to change it.

She was not much for sympathy or compassion.  Oh, it grew on her as she aged—but for the most part, she couldn’t stand for anyone to wallow in self-pity, whine, cry, or show any signs of weakness.  She was a confident and optimistic person who noticed the beauty of each day, who knew what she wanted, and she wanted everyone else to show that same kind of confidence, too.

She was very educated, graduating as valedictorian of her class at the age of 16, and going on to college for her degree as a schoolteacher.  She loved books and learning and sometimes was up into the wee hours of the night reading a book she just couldn’t put down.  She was reading a book up until the day she died.

She was unafraid to try new things.  She bought a motorcycle at the age of 70 to ride with the great-grandsons, acquired a Kawasaki mule at the age of 87 to ride in the back pasture, took a daring ride on a flying machine at the age of 90, and bought a scooter to maintain her freedom driving up and down the ranch road at the age of 95.

One story told is how she got her nickname “Stinky”.  As a baby she was crawling across the floor, found a baby bottle, and began sucking on it.  Her mother snatched it away because it had been used to feed the baby pigs.  She said she was called “Stinky,” because of drinking from the pig’s bottle.

When she was six years old, her brother threw her into the creek, saying, “Either swim or drown!”  She swam, and from that day forward, she loved swimming and swam until her mid-nineties.

One day while her mother was entertaining the local ladies club, mother Minnie glanced out the window and was horrified to see 13-year old Hazel driving her uncle’s Model A Ford with all the children crammed inside.  When scolded, she simply said that the children had dared her, and she was just proving that she could drive a car.

When asked by her mother to watch little sister Doris, she simply nailed Doris’s dress to the porch, and went off to play.  And whenever she misbehaved, she would climb the windmill, and stay up there until her mom begged her to come down, promising not to spank her.

She loved her grandchildren dearly.  One summer day in 1957, she yelled outside to the grandchildren, “Don’t come into the house!”  Minutes later, gunshots were heard from inside.  She had seen a snake under the huge radio, and shot it (and the radio) with the .22.

She was a remarkable person, a legend for our time.  God was good to her, and she knew where all her blessings came from.  She had a zest for living, which included a strong faith in God.  Each morning of her life was dedicated to spending time in prayer with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Many times, she would tell family members to be sure to pray for so-and-so.  We will miss her deeply.  The day we all dreaded has come.  An era has past.

The bells rang at her birth announcing her life, and again at her death, announcing her going home to be with Jesus for eternity in the mansion He has prepared for us.