My grandpa passed away on July 19, 2016. He was 92. His health had been declining for quite a while. There were times over the past couple of years that we thought we were going to lose him and then he just kept holding on. He had been on hospice care for the last couple of years as well. He stopped eating and drinking and they knew it was only a matter of time....My grandma is now basically blind, so she couldn't really see, but she was trying to be optimistic, I think. The hospice nurse thought he would go that weekend before he died, so my mom had headed down. She called me and said that there wasn't much time if I wanted to come down and say goodbye. I was on the fence....death has always scared me. My sister and I finally made the decision to go, and I will never regret it.
I remember when my other grandpa died (I was in Kindergarten) and then my great grandma passing and a few others. I was pretty young and I have always been afraid of death. Like, it scared me...dead bodies, viewing at funerals, etc. Scary. That was one of the reasons I didn't want to go visit my grandpa. But as I sat by his bed side, I was able to hold his hand and look into his eyes. He was too weak to speak, he was in and out of it, as his time left on Earth was slipping away. I told him I loved him and he looked at me and tried to say it back. I told him that we were praying for Grandma and not to worry about her. And as I sat with him and looked him in the eyes, it was the farthest thing from scary that I had ever experienced. Instead of fear I felt complete peace. I knew where my grandpa's spirit was going. I knew how free he would feel as he left his old and failing body here on Earth. I will always remember the way his eyes lit up when I brought Colton to his bedside, he attempted to smile, but couldn't quite get it. He tried to reach his arm up so he could hug him but was too weak. I leaned Colton down close to his face and he gave him a sweet kiss on the forehead. It was a very tender and emotional moment. And as I watched these 2 generations passing in time - one with literally a whole life ahead of him and the other having lived his 92 years on this Earth, at that moment I felt so strongly the Spirit bear witness to me that we have been blessed with the knowledge of the plan of Salvation. What a beautiful gift our Father in Heaven has given to us.
My grandpa passed away a little over 24 hours later.
This was his obituary:
May 13, 1924 — July 19, 2016
Jerome—Ardell Earl Robert Haberman, 92, of Jerome, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday July 19, 2016, surrounded by his family.
He was born May 13, 1924, in Jerome, Idaho, the third child born to Anton and Jessie Haberman. Ardell was raised in Jerome and attended Jerome High School. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1943, during his Junior year. He served with the 21st Portable Surgical Group in a battlefield hospital that was a forerunner to the M.A.S.H. units made famous in television and movies. He stated that those surgeons saved the lives of many boys. M.A.S.H. is and was always his favorite show. Ardell’s duties took him to the Philippines, Australia, Korea and Okinawa. Following an Honorable Discharge in 1945, he returned to Jerome. Ardell was always proud to be a Veteran.
On a blind date, he met his sweetheart and future wife, LaRae Gold. Following a brief courtship, they were married on June 2, 1946, in Elko, Nevada. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.They made their home in Jerome, where they raised four children.
Ardell’s working years were spent as a carpenter, a trade he learned from his father. He worked on many construction projects around the valley including, several schools and a hospital. Ardell taught his skills to many family members and helped them and others with home repairs and construction.
He will be remembered as a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather who loved his family very much and was loved back very much by all of them.
Ardell is survived by his sweetheart and loving wife of 70 years, LaRae; three children, Renee Lancaster of Jerome, Connie (David) Ogden of Boise, and Rick (Brenda) Haberman of Jerome; 12 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; 11 great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Darlene Wildman of Twin Falls; and many extended family members and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his son Kenneth Haberman; and his son-in-law, Eldon Lancaster.
Ardell’s family would like to thank all those who helped make his time comfortable, especially Dorinda and Laree and granddaughter, Brandi.
A visitation will be held Sunday evening, July 24, 2016, at Farnsworth Mortuary, 1343 South Lincoln, Jerome, where family and friends may call from 6-8 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Monday July 25, 2016, in the Jerome LDS 10th Ward Chapel, 825 East Avenue B, Jerome, with Bishop Dale Holyoak officiating. A visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Interment with military honors will follow in the Wendell Cemetery.
This is his funeral service program:
I declined to sing at his funeral at first because I wasn't sure I would be able to make it through with out crying, but I learned that they didn't have any patriotic music on the program and I felt very strongly that my grandpa would have liked a patriotic song. So I volunteered to sing "America the Beautiful." And it ended up being a Quintet singing it with Me, my 2 nieces, my brother and my brother in law, while my other brother accompanied us. It was a very nice service. The funeral director said it was the best funeral service he had ever heard, and I really don't think he was just saying that. He joked that with 7 musical numbers on the program, it was more like a concert ;) but my grandpa loved music and that's what he would have wanted.
My grandpa was a WWII veteran. He received full military honors at his burial.
I love this picture of my grandma, after they folded the flag and handed it to her, she clutched it to her chest and cried. Its so sad to me that this great generation is slowly passing away. Think of all of the things they have been through and seen......
I can't even explain how my heart hurts for my grandma. We have been diligently praying, multiple times a day, for my grandma to be comforted in this time of heart ache. She is an amazingly strong woman and truly one of my biggest inspirations in my life. I have always looked up to her kind and charitable disposition. She is always thinking of others. I'm usually the one to insist on pictures, and I'm glad I did. Look at this wonderful posterity he left the world!
This is my mom and her sister and brother and spouses.
This was the flower arrangement from us grand kids.
A couple of weeks after my grandpas funeral we had a family reunion in Eastern Idaho so we stopped by my grandma's house to visit. She is mostly blind now, so she can't really see anything, which I know has been so hard for her. But Colton sat on her lap for quite a while and she really enjoyed that.
I sent Owen to get a hot dog for my grandma at the Dairy Queen and Evie and Zayne went with him. I tried to keep the conversation light, but it didn't last too long. She started talking about how wonderful my grandpa was and how much she missed him. She talked about how much he loved us kids and the great grand kids and what a good grandpa he was. She talked about how good he was to her and how much he loved her. She cried and I sat by her, with my arm around her and cried with her. I couldn't imagine losing a best friend and spouse of 70 years. If ever there was an example of true love, I do believe it would be those two. The things they lived through and the love and commitment they showed each other is something that is seriously lacking in our society today.
I know my grandpa is there in spirit with my grandma and I am sure he will be watching over her until the day she steps into the spirit world and they are reunited together forever. What a glorious day that will be for them! Love you, grandpa; You were a great man and left us with a wonderful example to live by. Watch over us and cheer us on from the other side as we continue to battle here on Earth!
