My Grandma Beverly Passes Away at 93

My loving, beautiful grandma Beverly Buckingham, the matriarch of our family, passed away peacefully this morning. At home where she wanted to be, surrounded by her loved ones and her dog We-Go. She was 93 years young. The loss I feel is so incomparable. Those of us who are lucky enough to have grandparents or parents who live as long as my Grandma Bev did, you already know what a blessing it is to have that much time with them. And still, for some strange reason, for me, it doesn't seem long enough.

I spent this last week up at the hospital, holding my grandma's hand and watching over her, praying for God to lead her to His Kingdom in the most comfortable and peaceful way possible. I sat there in her room, just me and her in the early morning hours. Breakfast came in the form of a milkshake because on many days, it was the only thing she could easily digest.

As I held her hand and kissed her forehead, so many wonderful memories came flooding back to me. Sunday dinners and many Labor Day and Memorial Day cookouts at their house. Grandpa at the grill with a beer in his hand. Grandma inside preparing the kitchen table. Chips and salsa on deck. Diet Rite in the fridge on the porch. Jazz music playing in the background. The Cubs game on the television. Most days were sunny. The best of them spent with these two. As a kid, I remember them going out dancing on the weekends. They liked Jazz and Blues music. Especially my grandpa. Benny Goodman, the "King of Swing" was one of his favorites.

The holidays were so special. Christmas mornings at their house. Grandpa at the stove cooking breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs lingered in the air. A fresh pot of coffee brewing. Chocolate and cookies on the kitchen table. Christmas music playing in the background. It was usually "White Christmas" sung by Bing Crosby. Grandma in the living room gathering all the gifts together to be handed out to each of us one by one. I remember taking grams and gramps to their doctor's appointments on a few occasions. We usually stopped for lunch at the old Village Inn near 78th & Dodge. I always tried to pay for their meals. They would never let me. My grandpa would say: "Put your money away right now Jacob!"

I will miss stopping over to visit and talk to grandma after gramps had passed in 2015. We had the funniest conversations. On one occasion I was heating up her dinner. Me: "Dinnertime. We're gonna heat it up!" Grandma: "Noooo! You don't need to heat up my insulin!" Me: "Grandma I'm talking about your food!!! She never missed an episode of The Price is Right and the Cubs game was usually blaring on the radio. I'll miss the phrase she often used: "Oh, Gee whiz!" She said that one last time in the hospital this week when I told her how old I was. I looked away from her because I knew I would start to cry.

Grams and gramps had season tickets to the College World Series. I'll never forget the time I was up at Rosenblatt Stadium doing a live shot for the 5pm show on Channel 6. I heard two people yell my name from behind me in the long line of people. It was my grams and gramps. I swung the camera around slowly to show the line. The two of them waving at me. I remember Husker gamedays. We would watch the game at their house or they would come over to my parents. And now both of them forever have the best seats in the house.

I can only imagine what it was like when my grams finally went home to be with gramps this morning. I know he was there, greeting her with open arms. Those two, finally together again. Dancing, laughing, and listening to Jazz. Cheering on the Cubs and holding each other's hands once again...