James Lee Maxwell was one of the best grandpas a grandson could ask for. If someone were to ask me what kind of man my Grandpa was, I would tell them this: He was a man of knowledge, wisdom, truth and a man who loved everyone. He left behind a great legacy for many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a man who loved my grandma unconditionally. He was a the man who taught me what it was to work hard and always do your best with the jobs at hand. I am grateful that my kids got to know him and have memories of this great man.
For many years he has had Alzheimer and it was hard to watch this giant man turn into a weak and feeble physical body. His mind was always sharp and he was constantly thinking of new ideas and how to fix things. He did his best to remember us and the memories we had. The picture above was the last picture we got of Grandma and Grandpa with all of us together. I am glad we got to have this moment before he passed away.
On March 21, 2019 James Lee Maxwell passed away at the side of his lovely wife, LuJeane. It was a cool story that my mom told me about how he passed. My Grandparents have always had these awesome true love stories ever since they met each other. This story puts a cherry on top of their love life together. Even though my grandpa was not physically or mentally strong in his last days, he was still very spiritually strong. He still worried about grandma and how she would be if he died. I think that is why he lasted a lot longer than we thought. I called my mom one day to check up on them and she told me Grandpa is not doing well. She thought maybe a couple of months if that, but boy he fooled us. Before my grandpa passed away, my grandma prayed and asked for him not to suffer anymore. They both woke up around 5 am and she gave Grandpa his medications. Grandma talked to him and she told him she would be okay and it would be okay to move on and not suffer any more. Not long after their talk, Grandpa died in his sleep. That is the best way to go I feel, no pain or suffering. My mom had to work that morning and she had a feeling to check on them and see if everything was okay. As she went into their room she saw he was not breathing but he was still warm. The cool part of the story is that this was their anniversary day of 61 years together. I feel like I was prepared for this better than Grandma Farnsworth because I knew it was time for him to go and not suffer any longer.
The Funeral was the next weekend and there was a lot to do before then. We had a great time seeing everyone at the funeral. The only person missing was Andrew because he was on his mission. As we were driving down we found out that Grandma wanted everyone at the funeral home Friday night. So we made a detour to Cedar City.
The Funeral was the next weekend and there was a lot to do before then. We had a great time seeing everyone at the funeral. The only person missing was Andrew because he was on his mission. As we were driving down we found out that Grandma wanted everyone at the funeral home Friday night. So we made a detour to Cedar City.
Grandma wanted everyone together one last time before the viewing started so she could talk to us. She also wanted to see the legacy she had made with Grandpa. She had all the Great grandchildren sit in front of her as she told stories to them. When she asked the great grand kids if they knew where Grandpa was, she told us that Charlotte said "Heaven!" The coolest memory I will never forget is when Grandma walked in and came up to me and said, "Will you go up with me to see Grandpa?" I was surprised she picked me over my aunts and uncles. I felt very honored that I was able to be the oldest grandson to take my Grandma up to see Grandpa to say goodbye one more time. Boy that was hard but I made it through. When I saw him, he did not have his glasses on, so he looked almost like a different person. Grandma fixed that and found his glasses in her purse and asked Uncle David to put them on. At first Uncle David said he will be fine and we both said he would look better with his glasses so he did it. Once the viewing was over, we headed to St. George for sleep and getting ready for the next day of funeral services.
It was amazing some of the things the family put on display during the services. Grandpa was always a journal keeper and they had some of his journals. There were a lot of amazing pictures of him with different people and family. The best thing ever was the marble chess set. All the family would spend hours playing on this chess set. This chess set made some amazing memories.
The funeral service was amazing. Everyone told a lot of cool stories about Grandpa and all of us grand kids stood up and gave a one sentence memory about Grandpa. Mine was, "Is the hole deep enough?" and "Make sure the post is straight when it goes in." Bryson's was, "Let's go build a fence." Jen would always remember his laugh and his whistle. Sean Teide was there and he spoke. This was a heart wrencher. He said in his talk that grandpa helped over 100 boys in their lives, and he was very blessed and happy he was one of them. He was glad to call him Dad and Grandpa. The whole time I was trying to hold back the tears and be a strong man. Then we were asked to sing a song as grand kids, "Families Can Be Together Forever." I stood up there and I only made it through half of the first verse and lost it. I broke down and could not sing. I looked at my mom and said, "I am going to miss him." I thought I was the only one who was loosing it, but I wasn't there were a couple of my other boy cousins who couldn't hold it back either. It is amazing how much of an impact Grandpa had on a our lives. So many fun and fond memories were made. I will always remember helping them move out of Salt Lake City. Everything was packed and they did not want me to loose my stuff, so they made me a special room in the closet where all my stuff went and it was also were I slept for a couple of days. I was really young, but I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
After the funeral service, it was time to head to the cemetery and lie this great man to rest until the Resurrection comes. Grandma wanted all of her grandsons to be the pallbearers. I felt honored in doing it. At the end of the service Mom asked us to go pick the red and orange mums for Grandma because it was Grandpa's favorite flower.
As I gave my flower to Grandma, I gave her a kiss and said, "I am going to miss Grandpa." Darn those tears came again. We took some pictures of our family and all of the cousins. It is hard to say this but, I think the next time we will be all together in one place is when Grandma passes. It is always fun when family is together. This side of the family is really close and we keep close tabs on everyone.
My Grandpa knew he had Alzheimer and knew what was coming, but through out his life he always had a saying, "Even though our bodies change, there is nothing that the resurrection can't fix." I believe this with all my heart. I have a testimony of eternal families and the resurrection. Because Jesus died lived again so will we and we will be with our family again. I love this gospel and how it keeps families together.
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