Some people are destined for a role in life. Pete filled hers as a grandmother naturally. Growing up with her Great-Grandma Faulkner as a member of her immediate household afforded her daily doses of unconditional love, quality time and the care only a grandmother can impart. This experience left a positive impact on Pete. A favorite story she shared was how Grandma Faulkner was a very gracious recipient of coloring crayons given to her by Pete as a birthday present. This gift was a young girl’s approach to spending time with her beloved grandmother in an activity this little girl loved.
From a very early age, Pete had a love for animals, babies and children — her own and those of other people. When grandchildren came into her life, she was overjoyed. As each grandchild joined the family, her joy multiplied. Her grandchildren were the benefactors of that contentment. With Grandma Pete, they had their own personal champion. She believed in them, supported them and loved them without condition.
Pete was only a phone call away. She frequently got in her car and drove to wherever her grandchildren were to share in whatever joy, sorrow or accomplishment they encountered. She would bring a hug or food. More importantly, she brought sunlight. Her hallmark lullaby, “You Are My Sunshine,” resonated in her kind deeds. Her granddaughter Kelsey recalls how Pete’s light touched her: “Forever grateful for you, our loving Grandma. She shined brightest!”
Her impact was captured by her grandson Beau: “I’m really missing my Grandma today. She made the biggest impact on my life, and I would have been lost without her. Grandchildren were everything to her and nothing was more important to her than family. She set me up for success ever since I was a baby.” Granddaughter Kara’s words help us remember that even though we miss her, she left a piece of herself with all of us. “She was one of the most beautiful souls. The sweetest, most caring woman! She will always be a part of me.”
And Kayla summarizes the comfort we find in the memories we share of this beloved soul. “We lost our sweet Grandma Pete [recently] and it has been impossible to put into words what a loss like this feels like. It’s the sort of loss that you don’t get over but learn to live with the grief of. A few weeks before she passed, Grandma told me she would always be in my heart in the same way that her grandmas were still in her heart at 82. I feel so lucky that the memories I have of her will be some of the most cherished of my life. She’ll forever be a ray of sunshine to all those who loved her.”
