MEMORIES OF GRANDMA WINONA GORDON

I was fifteen when Grandma Winona came into my life. We had just lost my Grandma LaVerne Gordon to cancer, and my Grandpa Stan Gordon seemed extremely lonely. He needed someone special. My mom was visiting teaching Winona Porter at the time and she was also single. She was living with her son and their family in Spanish Fork, and she was also one of my neighbors. I remember she was always dressed very nice and had her hair done up pretty and one of the sweetest people anyone could ever meet. When I heard that Mom set them up on a date it didn’t take long to see a change in my Grandpa. He was “twitter pated” with her. It didn’t take long for them to become engaged, and they were married civilly in the Las Vegas Temple in 1997.
I remember when she moved in to their home in Lehi thinking how neat it was that she collected antiques. The house was beautifully decorated. She had a wonderful sense of style and I loved being at their home. Not only did the house look different, but there was a new feeling to the home; a feeling of love, and most of all, a deeply spiritual feeling. Christ was everywhere in that home. It was the theme of the home even more then the antiques. I felt the spirit as strong in that home as I did any church at that time. It was amazing.
It didn’t take long or surprise me when Grandma and Grandpa were called on a mission to serve in the Las Vegas Temple. I was proud them for their willingness to serve. They served three other missions after that. One was on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds where she and Grandpa met my brother in law and his family. They helped Tyler come back to church and become active in the gospel again. Tyler and his wife Jessica were preparing to be sealed in the temple, and much of it was thanks to Grandma and Grandpa and their wonderful example.
I had many opportunities to spend time with them together. Every Memorial Day, I would go with Grandma and Grandpa Gordon to put out their flowers. I even helped them gather them up if they needed me to after the holiday. It was important to them to do this each and every year. I also introduced her to the Christmas Eve luminaries on the graves of our loved ones. I also had many opportunities to attend the temple with them. After our sessions we ate in the cafeteria. I enjoyed our times together.
After their missions, they were living in Cedar Hills in a new condo. It was every bit as spiritual and wonderful inside as their last home. I came to visit them quite often when I lived in Cedar Hills with them in 2007. This was around the time Grandma got her first round of cancer. The very idea that she had cancer shocked me because she was extremely health conscious. I worried what the cancer might do to her. Several times I went with Grandpa to visit his lovely wife in the hospital. On one occasion, I helped walk her down for some x-rays and got to have some one on one time with her. I remember Grandpa bringing her yellow roses (a happy color) and how it nearly brought her to tears. She was very strong and brave facing what had to have been her worst fear. I remember her testimony and faith that she could make it through. She never doubted that the Lord was not with her and trusted Him completely. I believe it was her positive thinking that helped her survive the first bit of cancer. It was a great day when I heard that she no longer had the disease in her.
I had the very special experience to be with her and Grandpa when they were sealed in the Mount Timponogus Temple as well. I had never attended a sealing other than my own before and it was amazing to be there. I was grateful to have been a part of it.
Grandpa slowly started to have health issues, and like the good wife that she was, she attended to his every need and loved him so much. I could tell it broke her heart to see him suffering with his back pain, and she helped him just as he had helped her when she had her cancer. In a lot of ways, I think she made Grandpa stronger and he lived a longer and happier life because of her.
When my Grandpa had the heart attack that sent him to the hospital that final time, I remember seeing her with tears pouring from her eyes as she saw me come to the hospital and we embraced. She encouraged me to talk to him, and all the while she stayed by him, rubbing his shoulders, and helping him in his time of need. She had amazing strength in what was a very difficult situation for everyone. Grandma called me after his passing and let me know how much my visit meant that that she felt he was waiting for me before he passed. Even though her husband had just passed away, Grandma turned to the Lord in the temple and the very next day we had our memorial session for him. I was blessed to be the only person on our side of the family who came to the temple that day with her and some Porter family.
After his passing, I got to know Grandma on a more personal level. No one seemed happier than she when I told her (before anyone else) that I was pregnant. I told her I believed that Grandpa had passed the message along when he returned to Heaven, and she fully agreed. She cried when I told her. She helped me have faith that Kaitlyn would be born, even when I called her on the phone to let her know I worried that our little unborn baby was in danger. Grandma helped me rely on Heavenly Father, and encouraged me to have faith and pray, receive blessings, and trust in Him. Grandma was diagnosed with cancer again by the time that I had Kaitlyn. Even though I know she was not feeling her best, Grandma came to see me on Mother’s Day 2010 to see the new baby Kaitlyn in the hospital. She was also there when Kaitlyn was blessed.
Grandma saw the good in people but more than that –-- she brought out the best in people as well. She made me want to be a better person. I hope that one day I can be much like her. I don’t think I ever heard her mutter one bad word about anyone, even when someone was cold to her. She only talked about the good in people and told me often how wonderful she thought I was. I wanted to be wonderful for her. I felt happy around her. I knew that I was in her prayers and she loved me and my family very much. Grandma Noni was one of a kind and an angel and I know that she is probably somewhere up in heaven wondering who she can do missionary work for. I love her so much and will miss her very much.
Grandma Gordon was one of the best people I will ever know.