Thanksgiving Day 2006

It was one week ago today that my mother-in-love, Louise S.Walker, entered into her eternal reward. I am thankful for the 94 years our gracious God gave her. She was a special person who God used in a magnificent way to affect many lives. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are remarks made by her grandson, Lucas Walker Kriner, and me at her funeral celebrating the resurrection hope of the Christian and remembering her life.


The Meaning of Mom-Mom

It is a real honor to speak here today and honor an incredibly special lady. Usually when the Walker clan gets together, we participate in two things. The first is, of course, when Pop-Pop offers a cash reward for the lucky family member who can guess the tailor date of one of his suits. The second was my favorite. It was when we celebrated Mom-Mom’s birthday. It was summertime and there was time for visiting and swimming at the pool. I saw it as a highlight of the summer. But, what made it special was each grandchild and great-grandchild had the opportunity to come forward when we cut the cake and shared a story or two about Mom-Mom and how she was so special.

That is why this is such a great pleasure for me. I am most happy to talk about my Mom-Mom. And, while in this short time I cannot begin to express all the things she did for her grandchildren, I hope that I can give a flavor of what she meant to us.

As long as I can remember, the grandchildren of the Walker family have referred to our Grandmother, who we honor today, as Mom-Mom. Now, the question may cross your mind, what is a Mom-Mom?

As legend has it, long ago, my sister, Barb, designated the name of Mom-Mom. Without knowing as a youngster, the name caught on and came to be the name that would go down in history as a woman of wonderful qualities.

First of all, we all know what a Mom is-an intimate term used to describe someone who cares for us, loves us, nurtures us, raises us. Imagine this essence of that terminology for a mother times-two. A Mom-Mom. What results? Double the love, double the care, double the nurture.

Now, imagine with me this love and care times ten and individually dispersed for each grandchild. I am not a math person, but the amount of love outpoured in that particular dimension of our family is something special. We could go into the details of that double love, the essence of a Mom-Mom, extending beyond children and grandchildren to great grandchildren, other family members, in-laws, friends, acquaintances, and etcetera. Now, I am not mistaken when I omit the familiar and often clichéd category of “enemies,” because our Mom-Mom had no enemies. She loved all and was loved by all and accepted everyone unconditionally.

Mom-Mom was motherly to all. Mom-mom is a matriarchal term. She was at the top of the family totem, but not in that she ruled over all of us- she cared for all of us. She was the caretaker of her flock. As our matriarch she poured herself out for us. Another astounding attribute about Mom-Mom was she always knew exactly what was going on in each of our lives. Her care was doubly genuine and she was always intent to know what was going on in our lives.

There are other doubles as well that constitute a Mom-Mom. Double the purses: One thing that impressed me about Mom-Mom was she always was equipped with two types of purses: a purse for money and a purse for cosemetics. Double Score: Mom-Mom was the most apt scrabble player I’ve ever known. Double the disposition: This one takes a moment of explanation. Mom-Mom was both assertive and gentle. She was not afraid to let you know what was exactly on her mind on any occasion. Even if what she had to say was little brusque, a moment later she’d be giggling about it with her contagious laugh.

Probably my favorite memory of Mom-Mom’s assertiveness was the first time I met Tom Ridge. Mr. Ridge was campaigning for governor in Ridgeway, Pa. I don’t remember the specifics of where we were, but I do remember looking after Mom-Mom during the get together. Upon spotting Mr. Ridge she said something like: “Lucas, let’s get you over there to meet Tom Ridge.” So, in a moment, Mom-Mom, who usually would cling to me was pulling me, the reluctant and shy teenager, along. Whereupon she tugged on his sleeve, Mom-Mom said, “Tom,”… “Hello, Mrs. Walker,”… “I’d like you to meet my Grandson.”

As my last double, I would like to express the most important. Along with Mom-Mom came Pop-Pop- always in tandem. We can splice the term any way you desire: Dynamic duo or perhaps, Double Trouble. But, any meal or family gathering, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop would be there together. Some of the most pleasurable times were at family meals where Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop would describe stories from another time and place making history real. Some of my favorite time with Mom-Mom was spent from our front door to her car after the meal was through and it was time for them to go home. Often when it was time to leave, Mom-Mom would bundle up (in the case that it was wintertime) and she would come in right beside me and latch on tight to my arm. Helping Mom-Mom get around arm-in-arm. This was one of my favorite memories.

With all this said, one important distinction remains. The characteristics of A Mom-Mom, generally explained are specifically understood as the characteristics of THE Mom-Mom, our beloved Mom-Mom Walker. We’ve lost THE Mom-Mom. God in his providential timing has taken her home and afforded us this time to reflect on a special Grandmother. There was and never will be any lady like her. She had been all over the world, loved her family dearly and outpoured a distinctive love for each of her family members. We must carry the torch of what she held dear: love and care. She did so much for all of us.

Thus, we mustn’t lose hope. Death, in a way, reveals to us how much we’ve been blessed and makes real to us what it is to live a good life. May we celebrate today a life well lived. We were truly blessed to have Mom-Mom for so many years. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to share, but what is more, the opportunity to hear so many great stories about Mom-Mom Walker. She truly was one of the most selfless, caring, and loving people I have ever met.
Mom-Mom was God’s gift to us. Though she is no longer here in body, she will remain in spirit in the good memories we have. The goodness she outpoured to each of us will never find an end. This will be her legacy.
Lucas Walker Kriner

Adoption

I represent all who do not have Walker blood running through our veins but are part of the family. Those of us who have married Walkers, and there are quite of few of us. We are the ones who were adopted into Mom-Mom’s family. We have already heard what a wonderful person she was, but I am going to relate to you the best thing about Mom-Mom Walker.

We adopted ones were loved just as if we were biological children. We were loved…she was kind, considerate and caring to each of us. We were treated no differently than her biological children, grand-children or great grand children.

Adoption is a family idea conceived in terms of love. When I was a young lawyer, I used to love adoptions because of the joy they brought. Then, the US Supreme Court got into the act and made it complicated so that adoption became an agency matter. Louise took all of us adopted ones into her heart with closeness, affection and generosity. She loved one such as me. She did not have to love me. She loved me because she WANTED to and because she CHOSE to.

Now, we could stop here and say…how wonderful and nice that was. But, if we do, we miss how lovely and profound Louise’s life really was. For at its core, adoption is a theological concept. Adoption is the highest blessing and privilege the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ offers. When you were outside His family, through Christ, He loved you and brought you into His family. He chose you and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you became His.

Do you see why Louise’s life was so special? She lived what she believed. In Galatians, the Great Apostle teaches us that the “fruit of the Spirit”, that is, the qualities exhibited by a Christian life are: love…joy…peace…patience…kindness…goodness…faithfulness…gentleness…self-control. Let me repeat that:
love…joy…peace…patience…kindness…goodness…faithfulness…gentleness…self-control.

Does that describe anyone you know? That describes the Mom-Mom who brought me into her family by adoption. Today, I hear many people say they are Christians but their lives fail to be lived like a Christian. But not Mom-Mom. As Lucas has already stated: Her’s was a life well lived. I thank God for using her as an example for us all of how to live a Christian life. And, that is the greatest gift that she has left us. Amen.
William C. Kriner