Eva's funeral - part 2

[clearskies]

First off, I am so so glad I was able to go today. She had a very nice service and thanks to her brother's eulogy I learned some new things about her: spaghetti and meatballs was her favorite food, she had a degree in accounting and she played the trombone (first chair all four years of high school).

After the eulogy the pastor asked if anyone else wanted to say anything so I raised my hand. I told them who I was and that I was a customer at SSD. I told them how sorry we all were and that because of her designs a part of her will live on through our family memories.

After the service I was able to speak to Ken and the kids each briefly and told them how sorry I was and thanked them for sharing her with us. When I spoke to Eva's mom she mentioned some books by her casket, so I wandered up there. There were two photo albums with family pictures and a book with a note from Ken explaining her passion for scrapbook design that was filled with all of her kit previews. It was actually really neat to see them presented that way.

The kids seemed to be holding up well, each of them and Ken thanked me for coming. Please continue to keep them in your prayers, they have a tough road ahead.

[YepBrook]

Amy, I'm so glad that you went and that you were able to share with everyone how much she meant to us here. I hope it will be some comfort to them in the difficult times. :(

[Jenn Barrette]

Reading this, I finally cried. I have felt so lost and just have found it so hard to learn how to grieve for someone I only got to know through e-mails and forum discussions. Hearing about her funeral really made it real for me :( Thank you for sharing with us, and for being there when we couldn't.

[rach3975]

Thank you for being there and letting us know how it went, Amy! She touched so many lives here, it's nice that you were able to represent us and that part of her life. I can't even imagine how Ken and her kids are dealing with her loss. :(

[ripal]

Reading this brought tears for me!!! So glad that you were able to represent rest of the digi community!

[heathergw]

I'm the same way as Jenn... it just was all so surreal until reading this... Thank you so much for being bold and speaking up and letting them know how much she meant to us... I feel like in a way you helped us say goodbye pay our respects and have a little closure... we miss her!!!

[Nikki Epperson]

I am so grateful that you got to attend her service. I'm teary eyed right now and part of that I think is relief that our community was represented!
Thank you!

[YepBrook]

I forgot to say...
a part of her will live on through our family memories

So, true... and I'm so glad you said it! :crying:

[Libby Pritchett]

Oh Amy. :( Thank you so much. For going. For sharing with us. Just... thank you.

[KristinCB]

thank you so very much for sharing <3 I still can't believe she is gone.

[glumirk]

Thank you for sharing! That is so beautiful that he had a book with all of her kit previews printed! I've been praying for them.

[taracotta7]

Reading this, I finally cried. I have felt so lost and just have found it so hard to learn how to grieve for someone I only got to know through e-mails and forum discussions. Hearing about her funeral really made it real for me :( Thank you for sharing with us, and for being there when we couldn't.

Exactly this. Thank you so much for speaking up and representing us so well. :wub:

[lovely1m]

Amy, its amazing that you were able to get up and express all of our sympathy like that. Thank you.

[SeattleSheri]

I feel very tearful reading this too. I'm so glad you were able to go and thanks for sharing some of the service with us.

[LJSDesigns]

Yes, thank you. It is hard for me to put into words how much I will miss someone I never knew in any sense except as an artist, but Eva was one of the first designers I found when I started digi scrapping and she has always be a part of this adventure for me. I feel like I "grew up" with her and it seems incredibly wrong that the journey has ended so abruptly and way too soon. I will continue to pray for her and her family as they begin the long journey of acceptance and healing.

[nesser1981]

How wonderful you got to go!

this is all still so shocking & sad to me. :(

[webseitler]

I'm so appreciative that you were able to go and to speak for us all... thank you for doing that. It means a lot to all of us and I'm sure it meant a lot to Eva's friends and family, too.

[scrappurple]

:( I am still in shock. Thank you for sharing this. Just makes it a little more real for me. Going to go cry some more ...

[Melissa Bennett]

I still am having trouble coming to grips with this. I feel like it's still a really bad dream. Thank you so much for going and telling them how much she meant to all of us.

[Sasha]

Thank you.

I dont think i will ever be over this...

[kscwgirl]

Amy, thank you so much for going and for speaking for us. I dont' think I can ever express to you how thankful I am that you were there. I dont' know that I will ever have closure for this but this helps.

[Lyd]

I just want to say a big "Amen" to everything the others have said here. Thank you so much, Amy, for being there and representing all of us. I hope her family can see how much Eva meant to all of us and that even though they don't see us or talk to us, we are all here supporting and loving them as they go through this difficult time.

[nun69]

I'm the same way as Jenn... it just was all so surreal until reading this... Thank you so much for being bold and speaking up and letting them know how much she meant to us... I feel like in a way you helped us say goodbye pay our respects and have a little closure... we miss her!!!

this <3....

[xboxmom]

It's so touching that you got to go and let her family know there is a whole world out there that will be missing her as well. Thanks for going and representing her online family.

[BrattyMeg]

TY Amy for going and speaking <3 I'm keeping her family in my prayers

[NeverendingJen]

TY Amy for going and for saying what we all wished we could say. This tragedy has hit us all so hard and this, at least, helps a little, knowing that her family knows how much we miss her and how important she was to us.

[scrap2day]

Thank you so much for going and letting them know how much she was loved here.

[Julie Billingsley]

thank you so much Amy for going and for being the presence for all of us. I can't imagine the grief that Ken and the kids are feeling and I'm sure your words were of comfort to them. It's so true, she lives on in the ways she has helped us capture our memories. Thank you for being there.

[Freckles]

I think this is so brave of you. Not only going to her funeral, but raising your hand and speak up in a church full of people you don't know, to represent SSD! Thank you so much!

[jacinda]

I think this is so brave of you. Not only going to her funeral, but raising your hand and speak up in a church full of people you don't know, to represent SSD! Thank you so much!

You are so very thoughtful to start this thread and let us know how it went. Thank you for going, for speaking, for reporting back, for everything. :wub:

[Zoe Pearn]

Thank you for being there Amy! I still can hardly believe it :(

[adrianka]

Thank you for so much going and for speaking...

It still feels so unreal. :--(

[Lizzy257]

I think this is so brave of you. Not only going to her funeral, but raising your hand and speak up in a church full of people you don't know, to represent SSD! Thank you so much!

I agree. Very brave of you to stand up and speak. Thank you for representing us all and letting everyone know how important she was to all of us. And thank you for reporting back here.

[pomi]

I think this is so brave of you. Not only going to her funeral, but raising your hand and speak up in a church full of people you don't know, to represent SSD! Thank you so much!

Exactly. Thank you so so much Amy!

[sannajeannine]

Thank you Amy, I agree that you are very brave to go and then also to speak up. I am still feeling lost and unable to grasp the fact that she is gone :(

[mrshobbes]

Amy, thank you so much for being there and sharing a little bit more of Eva with us. :)

[carrie1977]

I think this is so brave of you. Not only going to her funeral, but raising your hand and speak up in a church full of people you don't know, to represent SSD! Thank you so much!

I don't know that I would have been brave enough to speak for the SSD family like you did and I thank you for that. This really does put into perspective just how much people can touch your life without ever having met them. My husband still doesn't get the whole "online friendship" thing. I always tell him that a person can touch your heart no matter what. Thank you for going and for speaking and for letting her family know that we all miss her terribly!

[wvasweetness]

That is wonderful that you were able to go. Thank you for sharing!!

:crying:

[meganmecrazy]

Thank you Amy for doing what you did and sharing a piece of it with us too. I cried reading your description about today. My heart breaks for them and I will be keeping her family in my thoughts and prayers.

[*Celeste*]

i just want to say thank you amy for going, for speaking up, and for sharing your experience here.

[Dalis]

I read this last night and couldn't reply to it... I just stood up and gave my little one a super strong hug and cried. She was confused and then said "don't cry mommy I'm here".

[switchwiz]

Thanks Amy for representing us all so well. I was so happy about how brave you were to speak for our community to share how much she will be missed and how her spirit lives on in lots of homes that have used her kits for their family memories.......I actually have a page using one of her kits on my facebook timeline.

[sczos911]

thank you Amy!

[marnel]

Amy, hugs.
So glad you could share this with us. :|

[neenee]

Thank you Amy for speaking on behalf of the SSD family. It still does seem very surreal. I think about her and her family often and continue to pray for them.

[Brandy]

I agree it was so great that you were able to go and I'm still thinking of her family. ((hugs))

[Damayanti Studio]

Thank you for sharing!
I never knew her, I could not work with her personally as part of a team...but I feel very sad that such a young and talented lady as Eva is gone from this earth ... I will pray for her family!

[kresta]

Love you, Amy! So proud of you for going to the service and speaking up for this community! Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Paula]

That is so nice that you were able to attend and let them know how much she meant to us.