Unfortunately not all of our Thanksgiving vacation was filled with smiles and laughter. My cousin, Katie, took her life a week before Thanksgiving, and we had her funeral to attend. She was only 23. She loved being outside, theater, singing, going on adventures, her son, and her family. She struggled with mental health for a long time and ultimately it proved to be too much. It was a very emotional service and it hurts to think that she's gone. So many friends and family came to the funeral. Even though she struggled and felt alone, she had so much support and so many people who loved her. I can only hope that she's finally at peace.
I'm sure my Grandpa Stratford was there to welcome her with open arms of love and understanding. She was buried in the Stratford family plot in Ogden City Cemetery. As we were there celebrating Katie's life and saying a final good-bye, I realized that my kids have never visited my Grandpa's grave. Things are always so wild when we go home to visit that we rarely take these quiet times for memories. It's strange to think that my kids are pretty close to the ages that me and my siblings were when my Grandpa died. I consider myself very lucky that I have memories of this amazing man.
Good-bye Katie. We all loved you so much.
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