Ann Sporlein Obituary
This obituary was originally published in the Star Tribune.
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3 Entries
Tracy Holmberg
March 4, 2007
This is the Eulogy that my sister Amanda and I gave at Great Grandma Ann's funeral. Just wanted to share it with you all.
All of you are sitting here today because you want to honor and remember someone very special to you. My name is Tracy and this is my sister Amanda, and we want to take a few minutes today to share some stories of our Great Grandma Anne.
My Great Grandma Ann has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don't vividly remember many things from my childhood, but I remember her. My Grandma Lori always made it a point to show my sister and me how important it was, and how lucky we were to have a Great Grandma to get to know. A lot people don't have that chance. We would go to Great Grandma's very often and play Yatzee and Cribbage and other card games. Even Great Grandma was a sore loser when I beat her. We would eat Great Grandma's homemade banana bread and wonder how she could make it taste so good. I think it was all the love she put in it. We would take long walks by the pond and feed the “duckies” pieces of bread. I remember Grandma Lori would always make us pose for pictures, and back then I didn't really understand why. We were all right there, why did we need a picture? Now that my Great Grandma is gone, those pictures of her, my sister, and I, really make sense.
There was a Dairy Queen not far from Great Grandma's old apartment. We would walk there when I was little and my sister and I would always get Dilly Bars. Grandma Lori would tell us to wait til' we got home to eat them, and Great Grandma, always on our side, would say “Loretta, its 80 degrees outside and they are gonna' that ice cream.” By the time we got home, Amanda and I were both covered in ice cream, but behind those chocolate-covered faces were huge smiles.
Grandma Ann taught me so much, shared so much, and made it a priority to be a part of the lives of my sister, me, and everyone sitting here right now. She was there for every milestone in my life, and I am so glad that not only did I get to have a Great Grandma; but that she got to see her Great Granddaughters grow in to young adults. A part of me always hoped that she would be here to see me get married or have kids, but I know she'll be watching. She'll be watching from a place that was made for special, wonderful people like her.
I know that we are all grieving together today. But one of the things I remember about my Great Grandma is that she hated when people felt sorry for her, or were troubled because of her. So let's honor that today. Let's shed tears, of course, because we have lost someone very special. But more importantly, let's share stories today. Let's hug each other like she hugged us. Let's be grateful that for the millions of memories we have. Lastly, let's be thankful that we had the chance to be changed and bettered by the person she was to all of us. And don’t forget, she’ll always be with us because we will keep her in our hearts.
“Maybe the stars are not just twinkling specs above us, but they are our loved ones looking down on us, reminding us that they are happy.”
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Pat Jacobson
December 25, 2006
I remember so many faces of Ann. The gentle, sedate, proper Ann. The loud, fun-loving, mischeivious Ann. She was truly a wonderful lady. When we would have a chance to talk, she would say, "I remember when..." and she would put her hand on top of mine and then share a story about my mother or one of us growing up. It was always a special moment of reminiscence and I will cherish them all. My heartfelt sympathies to your family.
Linda Hanson
December 24, 2006
My condolences to the family for your loss. Grandma Ann was a very nice lady. When she and my Grandma Gerou were in the same high-rise, they used to brag to the other folks that lived there about us coming to visit them and that they shared the same great-grand children (Amanda and Tracy).
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230 13th Ave North East, Minneapolis, MN 55413
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