There is a wall in her house with all seven of us grandkids pictured individually. We jokingly called it the “Wall of Fame,” but to her, it wasn’t a joke. We were, even to the very end, her greatest accomplishments, and when the great grandkids came along, her pride only grew.
Kyle pointed out and we all agreed that each one of us felt like we were her favorite, because she loved us that deeply and that equally. Josh says she just did a good job of making us all think that, because it was really him. But Kieran says we all know it was actually him. The truth is, she had a way of making every single one of us feel that special. There wasn’t one of us who couldn’t depend on her for anything we asked. She never had much, but whatever she did have was always ours, especially if it was something we needed.
She often sold herself and her talents short, but to us, there was nothing she couldn’t do. Some of the best memories of our lives were made with her. Like the sleepovers, all seven of us piled in at once, fighting over who got to sleep next to her. Kristen almost always won every battle though, since she was the “baby.” Nights of playing cards and Zilch were legendary, even when Jake somehow managed to cheat every single time and rope Jaclyn into whatever scheme he had cooked up. And we won’t even mention Kirie, Jaxton, Lila, Jasper, and Rowan with their extreme competitiveness, though we can all guess where they got that from.
We can still see her at church, on youth trips, camping trips, or out shopping with us, always right there in the middle of everything. And if one of us was on a ball field or court, you could guarantee her infamous whistle and war hoops echoed louder than anyone else’s. Patrick and Camden even got high fives, cheers, and “pats on the back,” in her last days. We always watched and cheered for our favorite teams together too, with the VOLS being our number one.
And of course, there was her cooking. For me, it’s the homemade biscuits she let us help make and the fresh-picked tomatoes from the garden. For all of us, it’s that fried chicken no one will ever be able to duplicate.
You couldn’t stand over her without nearly getting smacked, but beside her was always allowed and the most coveted spot, a place we’d fight for, even with our own kids, right up until the end. She was our Granny Moe, and that became everyone else’s name for her too, because it was the title she wore most proudly.
There aren’t enough words or thank-yous to capture all she meant to us. But her own words in her last days are the ones I’ll cling to and strive to pass on to my kids. A message she made sure to leave especially for “all those grandkids”:
She said, “I’ve talked to the Lord, and He has promised to take me this time. I don’t want you all to be mad at me. I want you to know how much I love you all, especially those grandkids. Tell them to always listen to what the Lord has to say. Tell them I love them, especially that part about listening to the Lord, that’s the most important.”
I want to be like Granny Moe. Lord knows we all already are in many ways. She was a spitfire, even a little mean when she had to be, the kind of “we ride at dawn” person you always wanted in your corner. You never had to wonder what she thought, she’d tell you. But above all, she was a woman who listened to the Lord. She didn’t understand or know much in her last days, but the understanding and importance of knowing the Lord remained.
Always listen to the Lord.
Those are some famous last words if I’ve ever heard any, and ones I will never forget. She is truly the one whose fame comes from her love for the Lord that overflowed onto those around her. And while she filled her wall with us, the truth is she deserves her own place on the Wall of Fame. Because her life, her love, and her faith are what made us who we are.
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23–24:
Elizabeth Morean Eldridge Randol, the Lord is delighted with your good and faithful service. I know you are dancing at the feet of Jesus, with a cow bell and some ra-ra-rees. We will always love you, Granny Moe, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.
