Greg's Grandmother, Edna Loudon, passed away last night, February 7, 2006 at 10:58 p.m. surrounded by family in the assisted living home where she had been living for the past few months.

Grandma Loudon, as she was called, was an important figure in the Loudon family. As Stan's mother, she raised 6 children and was grandmother to 13 grandchildren. She also had 16 great-grandchildren, the last of whom was born just a day before Edna passed away. She delighted in her family, and praying for all of them every day was one of her greatest joys.

Grandma Loudon lived a somewhat charmed life from the beginning. Doctors didn't think she'd live to be more than 10 years old. Her allergies and asthma were that severe, and in the era she was born into there were few remedies. She often lamented the fact that her asthma and allergies were passed on to so many of her family members, to which we all reminded her that it was better than the alternative! She outlived the prognosis of her doctors greatly. She began dialysis treatment 9 years ago, and doctors felt that it might gain her 2 years of life. Again, God had a different plan for her, giving her 9 additional years and a chance to get to know so many of her great-grandchildren.

The dialysis was a blessing to her in so many ways. Different family members grouped together to help get her to and from dialysis for these many years. Several of her grandchildren and I helped early on. I helped for about 3 years, before motherhood consumed the demand for my time and energy. Children were not suggested to be in the dialysis center, so after Christopher was born, other family members stepped up to the plate. I think it was the chance to see all those family members on a consistent basis that gave her the strength to continue on dialysis for so long.

Grandma's most famous story with me was when she first met me. She came down to visit us in when we were living in Seattle and she was one of the first Alaska relatives to meet me. Her assessment of Greg's girlfriend when she returned was: "Well, she (Jenny) seems like such a nice and lovely young lady. But she's a Democrat!" Grandma was the truest of Republicans, staying politically active and informed to the end. In the greatest of form, in the end Grandma didn't care whether I was a Republican or a Democrat. We found common ground in our faith.

Here's Christopher's prayer from bedtime last night: "And dear God, please prepare the biggest room you have in heaven for Grandma Loudon. Maybe not the biggest -- you should get the biggest one God, but maybe the next biggest." Amen.